Examines the role of the civil service in Gaza during the British Mandate and Egyptian Administration.

Ilana Feldman is Assistant Professor of Anthropology and International Affairs at George Washington University.

Acknowledgments ix
Note on Transliteration xiii
1. Introduction: Government Practice and the Place of Gaza 1
Part One. Producing Bureaucratic Authority
2. Ruling Files 31
3. On Being a Civil Servant 63
4. Civil Service Competence and the Course of a Career 91
Part Two. Tactical Practice and Government Work
5. Service in Crisis 123
6. Servicing Everyday Life 155
7. Community Services and Formations of Civic Life 189
8. Conclusion: Gaza and an Anthropology of Government 219
Notes 237
Bibliography 297
Index 313