PASSIA

What PASSIA does

PASSIA (Palestinian Academic Society for the Study of International Affairs) is a non-profit Palestinian academic think tank founded in 1987 and headquartered in Jerusalem. It operates as an independent research and documentation institution focused on Palestinian history, society, politics, and international affairs. The organization has produced 500+ publications spanning studies, bulletins, chronologies, biographic dictionaries, annual reports (since 1992), the PASSIA Diary/Yearbook, and wall calendars, alongside structured seminar programs covering civic education, leadership and governance, international affairs training, and protection of Jerusalem's Islamic and Christian cultural heritage. Other resources include maps of Jerusalem and Palestine, factsheets, a Dictionary of Political Terms, and interactive tools such as the Recognition Map of the State of Palestine.

PASSIA serves government officials and diplomats, researchers and academic institutions, international policymakers, and Palestinian/international civil society organizations. Its customer base spans foreign ministry officials, ambassadors, academic scholars, think tank researchers, mediators, and NGOs engaged with the Palestinian question. Distribution occurs via passia.org (digital downloads), direct channels to diplomatic missions, and seminar/conference programs. Most publications are free for download, while selected physical items are sold at modest prices (e.g., 20 ILS for certain books, 150 ILS for the wall calendar).

Revenue is not publicly disclosed and is generated through institutional funding, grants, and donations rather than commercial sales. Key financial partners include Friedrich Ebert Stiftung (FES), GIZ, the European Union, Taawon, ANERA, the Government of Canada, and the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan. The organization is founder-led, with Dr. Mahdi Abdul Hadi (1944-2025) having served as the primary leader and founder throughout its 39-year history. The team is small (~5 employees), and the organization has trained over 2,000 participants in specialized programs and conducted 5,000+ dialogues with diplomats, researchers, and policymakers.

Name

PASSIA

Legal name

PASSIA – Palestinian Academic Society for the Study of International Affairs

Website

https://passia.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1987

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

PASSIA is a Jerusalem-based non-profit Palestinian academic think tank, founded in 1987, producing 500+ publications and seminar programs on Palestinian history, politics, and international affairs for diplomats, researchers, policymakers, and civil society organizations, funded by institutional grants.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Policy Research and Think Tank Services

NAICS

Libraries and Archives (51921)

SIC

Miscellaneous Publishing (2741)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYBPAGAHAF

Libraries, Archives & Special Collections

Business & Public Services/Nonprofit, NGO & Social Services/Arts, Culture & Heritage Nonprofits

Keywords

• Academic research publications
• Policy research think tank
• Palestinian history research
• Diplomatic training seminars
• Civic education programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Jerusalem

HQ country

Palestinian Territories

HQ region

Middle East

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Others

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

PASSIA is a Jerusalem-based, non-profit Palestinian think tank that produces and disseminates independent academic research on Palestinian history, society, politics, and international affairs. Its offerings comprise a catalog of more than 500 publications (studies, bulletins, annual reports, chronologies, biographical dictionaries, posters, yearbooks, and calendars), educational seminars and briefings, maps and factsheets, and interactive online resources such as the State of Palestine Recognition Map.

Product overview

PASSIA (Palestinian Academic Society for the Study of International Affairs) is a Jerusalem-based think tank offering publications, educational programs, and research resources focused on Palestinian history, society, and politics. The organization produces over 500 publications including annual reports, research studies, bulletins, articles, and books covering topics such as Jerusalem, Palestinian heritage, religious studies, peace negotiations, and political parties. Additional offerings include seminars on human capacity development, civic education, and governance; maps and factsheets; biographical dictionaries; and interactive resources like the Recognition Map. The portfolio represents a unified academic and educational resource platform rather than a commercial product suite.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• PASSIA Publications Catalog Academic publications documenting Palestinian history, society, and politics including studies, bulletins, reports, articles, papers, and annual reports across topics such as Jerusalem, Palestinian heritage, religious studies, and peace processes. Offered to researchers, diplomats, policymakers, and civil society.
• PASSIA Annual Reports Annual reports documenting PASSIA's meetings, seminars, projects, and publications from each year, including editions for 2025, 2024, 2023, 1998, 1997, 1996, 1995, 1994, 1993, and 1992.
• HAMAS – A Backgrounder Bulletin providing an in-depth overview of Hamas, covering its founding, organizational structure, leadership history, political evolution, electoral participation, governance of Gaza, and major events including Israel-Gaza conflicts. Audience: researchers, diplomats, journalists, and policy analysts.
• The Two-State Solution: History and Challenges Bulletin examining the two-state solution as the primary focus of Palestinian-Israeli conflict negotiations, its historical evolution, current challenges, and the impact of the Gaza war following October 2023. For researchers, diplomats, and policymakers.
• Jerusalem of Art Compilation of cultural aspects of Jerusalem featuring Palestinian-Arab poems, authors, painters, and international literary or art pieces inspired by the city, produced for Al-Quds Capital of Arab Culture 2009.
• 100 Years of Palestinian History – A 20th Century Chronology Research study chronicling Palestine's and the Palestinian people's journey through the 20th century, drawing on memoirs, archives, and documents, with over 400 pages and 1,000 historic photographs and maps.
• Palestinian Resistance and Nonviolence Research work examining various phases of Palestinian resistance from Ottoman protests against Zionist expansion through the First and Second Intifadas and the BDS campaign.
• Palestinian Political Prisoners Bulletin raising awareness about Palestinian political prisoners held by Israel since 1967, providing statistics and documenting Israeli violations of international humanitarian law.
• Palestinian Personalities – A Biographic Dictionary Biographic dictionary documenting over 1,000 Palestinian personalities spanning a century of Palestinian national history, covering their roles in national movements, politics, culture, and society.
• PASSIA Diary/Yearbook Annual diary containing educational content, a comprehensive directory of Palestinian and international institutions, calendar with reference information, and agenda sections covering Palestinian society and the Palestine Question.
• PASSIA Seminars Educational seminars covering topics including Human Capacity Development, Leadership & Governance, Civic Education, Civil Society Empowerment, Training in International Affairs, Special Seminars, and Protected Islamic & Christian Cultural Heritage in Jerusalem. Audience: civil society participants, students, and emerging leaders.
• PASSIA Maps Geographic resources including maps of Jerusalem, Palestine, and Special Themes documenting historical and contemporary aspects of the Palestine-Israel conflict.
• PASSIA Factsheets Concise informational sheets providing key facts and data on Palestinian-related topics for quick reference by researchers, journalists, and civil society.
• Historical Timeline of Palestinian-Israeli Peace Attempts (1991-2024) Comprehensive timeline poster documenting Palestinian-Israeli peace attempts and negotiations spanning from 1991 to 2024, available as a downloadable PDF.
• Interactive Recognition Map Interactive map showing the status of recognition of the State of Palestine across different countries as of September 2025.
• Dictionary of Political Terms Reference dictionary of Palestinian political terms for researchers and analysts.
• PASSIA Wall Calendar Annual wall calendar featuring Palestinian cultural and historical themes, available for purchase at 150 ILS.

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Hashemite Kingdom of JordanminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerHistorical and ongoing collaboration on Palestinian-Jordanian relations research and joint publications

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• Middle East Institute: Washington-based think tank dedicated to Middle East studies, policy analysis, and convening. Comparable to PASSIA in subject-matter focus on the Middle East and engagement with diplomats and policymakers, though with broader regional coverage.
• RAND Corporation: Global policy research organization with substantial work on Middle East security, Israeli-Palestinian conflict, and peace-process analysis. Comparable to PASSIA as a research institution producing analytical publications for policy audiences, though vastly larger and methodologically distinct.
• Brookings Institution: Major US-based public policy think tank conducting research across international affairs including Middle East policy. Comparable in function (research, convening, publications for policymakers) but operates at vastly larger scale and broader scope.
• The Washington Institute for Near East Policy: US-based think tank focused on Middle East policy with substantial Israel-Palestine research portfolio. Comparable to PASSIA in subject area and policy-research delivery model, though operates from a different analytical perspective and at larger scale.
• Chatham House (Royal Institute of International Affairs): London-based international affairs think tank producing independent research and convening policymakers. Broadly comparable to PASSIA as an established foreign-policy think tank, though much larger and focused globally rather than on a single national context.
• Carnegie Endowment for International Peace: Major international affairs think tank with a Middle East program producing research and policy analysis. Comparable to PASSIA in being a non-profit research organization engaging policymakers on international affairs, including Palestinian issues.
• International Crisis Group: Global conflict-prevention think tank producing in-depth analysis and policy recommendations on conflicts worldwide, including extensive work on Israel-Palestine. Comparable as a research-and-policy organization engaging diplomats, though operating at global scale with broader geographic remit.

Direct peers

• Institute for Palestine Studies: Independent non-profit research and publishing organization dedicated to documenting Palestinian affairs. Highly comparable to PASSIA in mission, publication focus, and serving academic and policy audiences on Palestinian history and politics.
• Al-Shabaka – The Palestinian Policy Network: Independent Palestinian policy network of analysts producing policy briefs and commentary on Palestinian affairs. Comparable to PASSIA in mission and audience (policymakers, researchers, civil society) though with a more digital/networked delivery model.
• Palestinian Center for Policy and Survey Research (PSR): Ramallah-based Palestinian think tank conducting policy research and public opinion surveys. Directly comparable to PASSIA as a Palestinian research institution producing analytical outputs for policymakers and diplomats.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@PASSIA-Jerusalem
• Facebookfacebook.com/passia.org
• Instagraminstagram.com/passia_jerusalem
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/passia

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about PASSIA