Between the military government and the minority affairs ministry: The construction of the Palestinian minority as a security threat during the first years of the existence of Israel

This study examines correspondence and documents on various matters handled by Israel's Ministry of Minority Affairs during its brief period of operation. The extensive correspondence illuminates aspects relating to the distress faced by Palestinian citizens as a result of the 1948 War and the restrictions imposed on them by the military government, as well as the nature of the emerging relationship between the State and the minority population during the crucial first year following the establishment of Israel. We argue that the construction of the Palestinian minority as a security threat was not a product of the war circumstances, but rather an outcome of interests and political considerations. This construction grew gradually, along with the developing of practices of supervision and means of control, peaking with the subjugation of the Arab population to military government.