Mustafa Abbasi (Arabic: مصطفى العباسي; born 1962) is an Arab Israelihistorian and full professor specializing in the history of Palestinian society, Arab towns in the Galilee, and Arab communities in Israel. He is considered a leading expert on the social and urban history of northern Palestine, particularly during the Late Ottoman and British Mandate periods. His scholarship incorporates archival sources and urban sociology.
Academic career
Abbasi was born in the Galilean village of Jish and earned his Ph.D. in Middle Eastern History from the University of Haifa in 2000. He also holds M.A. and B.A. degrees in Middle Eastern history and geography. Since 2000, he has taught at Tel-Hai Academic College, where he was promoted to full professor and served as Chair of the Department of Multidisciplinary Studies and dean of students. He has also taught at Kinneret Academic College and the University of Haifa.
Research and contributions
Abbasi's research covers a wide range of topics in Palestinian and Middle Eastern history, including:
The transformation of Arab towns in the Galilee under Ottoman and British rule
The impact of the 1948 war on Arab cities and communities in northern Palestine
Urban-rural relations in Mandatory Palestine
Arab-Jewish coexistence and its collapse during the Mandate period
Palestinian volunteers in the British army during WWII
The role of Arab elites, ruling families, and notables in local politics
Mamluk and Ottoman rural settlements in the Galilee and the Golan.
His work includes studies on Safed, Nazareth, Tiberias, Samakh, Beisan, and Jish, as well as broader analyses of political, religious, and social dynamics in Galilee.
Selected publications
Books
Abbasi, M. (2021). Tiberias and its Arab residents during the British Mandate 1918–1948. Yad Izhak Ben-Zvi. (Hebrew)
Abbasi, M. (2015). Arabs and Jews in a Mixed City: Safed during the Mandate Period 1918–1948. Yad Izhak Ben-Zvi. (Hebrew)
Abbasi, M. (2014). The Cities of Galilee during the War of 1948: Four Cities and Four Stories. LAP Lambert Academic Publishing.
Abbasi, M. (2005). Safed in the Mandate Period: Social and Political Aspects. Institute for Palestinian Studies. (Arabic)
Abbasi, M. (1991). History of the Touqan Family in the District of Nablus in the 18th and 19th Centuries. Al-Mashreq. (Arabic)
Edited volumes
Abbasi, M. et al. (2024). Galilee Studies Vol. 4: A Tribute to Haim Goren. Tel-Hai College.
Abbasi, M. et al. (2018). Living in Mandatory Palestine: Personal Narratives of Resilience of Galilee during the Mandate Period. Routledge.
Abbasi, M. et al. (2009–2018). New Studies of the Galilee (Vols. 1–3). Tel-Hai College.
Academic recognition and teaching
Abbasi has received several grants and fellowships, including an Israel Science Foundation (ISF) research grant for his work on rural settlement in the Golan during the Mamluk and Ottoman periods. He has also supervised graduate theses on Arab society in Palestine and taught a wide range of courses in Middle Eastern and Palestinian history, including seminars on The British Mandate in Palestine, the Palestinian national movement, the Arab village in the Mandate period, and religious and ethnic minorities in the Middle East.
Public engagement and conferences
Abbasi regularly lectures at international and local academic conferences. He has spoken at Harvard University, SOAS London, University of Haifa, and numerous historical societies. He is also active in the Council for the Preservation of Israel Heritage Sites, where he serves as chair of the public committee representing Arab society.
