How and Why Haifa Has Become the “Palestinian Cultural Capital” in Israel Nadeem Karkabi* University of Haifa With the growth of Palestinian original cultural productions and independent per- formance venues in Haifa, its residents have dubbed it the “Palestinian cultural capital in Israel.” An important cosmopolitan center prior to the loss of its ma- jority Palestinian population in 1948, how have Haifa’s Palestinian residents today revived the city and claimed this ambitious new title? What factors have enabled this development to take place specifically in Haifa? And, what can it tell us about Palestinians’ imagination of national space under Israel’s dominance? In this arti- cle, I address these questions and argue that the appearance of a new generation of a Palestinian urban middle class and the regression of Haifa’s centrality in Israeli geopolitics have allowed educated and affluent Palestinians to (re)create a decid- edly Palestinian civic sphere through cultural activities. I further argue that this imagining of Haifa demonstrates the ways cultural production can assert belonging to the Palestinian nation. Let’s burn this city and build a more honorable one, Let’s forget this time and dream of a more tender one, Since you have nothing, you have nothing to lose. Mashrou‘ Leila, 2011 1 In March 2016, I went to see a film at the former Cinema Chen on Haifa’s Shabtai Levi Street (see Fig. 2), 2 today slated for renovation to become a large Arab cultural center. The film’s presenter celebrated the unique moment of launching Haifa’s Independent Film Festival, describing the city as “the Palestinian cultural capital fi al-dakhel [on the Inside, referring to Israel].” 3 This statement has become quite common among artists and cultural event organizers, due to the great rise in the number of original cultural productions and performances in the city. On a given evening, and especially on weekends, Haifa turns into a bustling center for a variety of Palestinian cultural and leisure activities. You might start with a drink at one of the many Palestinian-owned caf´ e-bars, where art exhibitions often take place. Perhaps then take in a play, a film, a live music show, a dance performance, or a standup comedy show, all performed in Arabic, either at Al-Midan Theatre, Khashabe Theatre, or Krieger Hall (see Fig. 2). If you enjoy late night entertainment, live performances of rock and ∗ Correspondence should be addressed to Nadeem Karkabi, University of Haifa, 199 Aba-Hushi Avenue, Mount Carmel, Haifa 3498838, Israel; nkarkabi@gmail.com. City & Community 17:4 December 2018 doi: 10.1111/cico.12341 C  2018 American Sociological Association, 1430 K Street NW, Washington, DC 20005 1168