Development of a Sustainable and Inclusive Entrepreneurship Ecosystem Model in Occupied Palestinian Territories

Abstract

This chapter identifies the gaps and weakness in the current Palestinian entrepreneurial ecosystem, impeding the development of economically and socially responsive, inclusive, and sustainable entrepreneurship. It seeks to determine what factors are necessary to develop an inclusive and sustainable model for these forms of entrepreneurship to thrive. This study draws on semi-structured interviews with various actors/players in the Palestinian entrepreneurial ecosystem. The chapter finds that all existing elements in the ecosystem are yet to be developed, resulting in a fragmented ecosystem. More importantly, it finds that the dependence on foreign donors and, consequently, donor agendas in terms of entrepreneurial development frameworks has generated entrepreneurship and an entrepreneurial ecosystem that is unresponsive, unsustainable, inaccessible, and far removed from the Palestinian market needs; hence, most efforts are yet to produce significant economic and social impacts.