Local Neighborhood Committees in Israel: Potentials for Self-Help Group Activity

Local Neighborhood Committees (LNCs) are typical self-help organizations. Though hundreds of LNCs exist in Israel, little is known about their characteristics, functions and effects. This article describes and examines the different stages in the development of neighborhoods and LNCs in Israel and, based on interviews with active members of 20 LNCs currently operating in the Metropolitan area of Tel-Aviv, it describes some of their main attributes and functions. It appears that the Committees put strong emphasis on establishing ties with external authorities while abandoning activities designed to strengthen the internal relationships within the neighborhoods. The article discusses the possible implications of this external orientation.