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Palestine

State of Palestine

Mixed civil, common and Islamic lawSemi-presidential republic under occupationReviewed· 2026-08-03
Capital
Ramallah
Population
5,500,000
Languages
Arabic
Currency
ILS

Palestine · Constitution

Palestinian Basic Law

Approved in 2002 and amended in 2003 and 2005. It functions as an interim constitution pending a permanent one, establishing a President elected by direct vote, a Prime Minister and Council of Ministers accountable to the Legislative Council, and an independent judiciary, with a chapter of rights and freedoms. Article 43 permits the President to issue decrees having the force of law in cases of necessity when the Council is not in session, subject to later presentation to it — the provision on which nearly all legislation since 2007 has rested.

The constitutional text

Approved in 2002 and amended in 2003 and 2005. It functions as an interim constitution pending a permanent one, establishing a President elected by direct vote, a Prime Minister and Council of Ministers accountable to the Legislative Council, and an independent judiciary, with a chapter of rights and freedoms. Article 43 permits the President to issue decrees having the force of law in cases of necessity when the Council is not in session, subject to later presentation to it — the provision on which nearly all legislation since 2007 has rested.

Separation of powers

Formally unitary over the West Bank and Gaza Strip. In practice the West Bank is divided into Areas A, B and C under the Oslo arrangements with differing Palestinian and Israeli competences, Area C remaining under Israeli civil and security administration, and Gaza has been separately administered since 2007. East Jerusalem is administered by Israel. The atlas records this fragmentation rather than describing a single uniform jurisdiction.

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