The Community Development and Continuing Education Institute (CDCE-I) is a Bethlehem-based Palestinian activist and advocacy organization that supports education initiatives and civic engagement in the West Bank. CDCE-I has ties to the Hamas terrorist organization and senior members of its organization have praised Hamas terrorists as “hero martyrs.” In 2022, CDCE-I received $78,000 from the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). ^{1 2}

History and Activities

The Community Development and Continuing Education Institute was established in Bethlehem in the disputed West Bank in 2010. CDCE-I claims to promote civic participation, human rights, and pluralism in the Palestinian territories. ¹

CDCE-I focuses on youth development, advocacy, and public engagement in Bethlehem and the West Bank. It does so by providing consultant services, promoting vocational education, advocating for economic improvements and legal changes, developing educational programs, and more. ^{3 4}

CDCE-I has seven program areas: Good governance, legal awareness, youth development, entrepreneurship programs, capacity building programs, service-learning programs, and career guidance programs. ¹

As part of its good governance program, CDCE-I receives funding from the European Union to promote “social accountability” in infrastructure projects. ⁵

As part of its legal awareness initiative, CDCE-I depicted rights abuses as public plays and animated short films. ⁶

As part of its youth development project, CDCE-I supports 14- to 29-year-old male and female students in English language schools, IT programs, media programs, and more. ⁷

As part of its entrepreneurship program, CDCE-I provides training for students in accounting, finance, reporting, information technology, communication, and marketing sciences. ⁸

As part of its capacity building programs, CDCE-I offers certified courses in Microsoft Excel, web design, Adobe Photoshop, and other computer services. ⁹As part of its service learning programs, CDCE-I sponsors youth-led learning initiatives focused on engaging in local civic councils. ¹⁰

As part of its career guidance program, CDCE-I provides a career guidance curriculum and career exploration activities to public secondary school students. ¹¹

Leadership

The executive director of CDCE-I is Khaled Shanaa. Shanaa has been the executive director of CDCE-I since October 2010. Previously, Shanaa was a projects manager at Palestine Ahliya University (PAU) and was a branch manager at Small Enterprise Center-Palestine. ^{12 13}

The programs coordinator for CDCE-I is Nariman Azzeh. ¹²

As of 2025, the chair of the CDCE-I board of directors was Dr. Imad Al Zeer. Al Zeer is president of PAU. ^{14 15}

As of 2025, the vice chair of the CDCEI board of directors was Mike Salman. ¹⁴

USAID-Hamas Controversy

In November 2022, the Community Development and Continuing Education Institute received a $78,000 grant from the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). However, CDCE-I and its leaders publicly praised the Hamas terrorist organization that conducted the October 7, 2023, terrorist attack against Israel. The chair of the CDCE-I board of directors, Imad Al Zeer, attended an event celebrating the founding of Hamas. Al Zeer also celebrated the escape of six Palestinian prisoners, including one who has bombed a polling station in Israel causing the death of six people. The vice chair of the CDCE-I board of director, Mike Salman, praised a Hamas terrorist who killed a U.S. military attaché as a “hero fighter.” Salman also called give other Hamas terrorists killed by the Israeli military “hero martyrs.” Other board members celebrated rocket attacks against Israel and those convicted of murder in Palestinian guerilla campaigns against Israel.” ^{2 16}

1. “CDCEI.” CDCEI. Accessed March 6, 2025. https://www.cdce-i.org/?page_id=6466&lang=en/?page_id=6466&lang=en.
2. Goodman, Alana.” Biden Admin Awards Grant to Palestinian Activist Group Whose Leaders Hailed Terrorist as ‘Hero Fighter.’” The Washington Free Beacon, March 3, 2023. Accessed March 6, 2025. https://freebeacon.com/biden-administration/biden-admin-awards-grant-to-palestinian-activist-group-whose-leaders-hailed-terrorist-as-hero-fighter/.
3. “Mission.” CDCEI. Accessed March 6, 2025. https://www.cdce-i.org/?page_id=6501&lang=en.
4. “Objectives.” CDCEI. Accessed March 6, 2025. https://www.cdce-i.org/?page_id=6503&lang=en.
5. “Civic Engagement-promotional of Social Accountability.” CDCEI. Accessed March 6, 2025. https://www.cdce-i.org/?page_id=8112&lang=en.
6. “Rights Live project.” CDCEI. Accessed March 6, 2025. https://www.cdce-i.org/?page_id=6545&lang=en.
7. “Youth Partnership Project.” CDCEI. Accessed March 6, 2025. https://www.cdce-i.org/?page_id=6551&lang=en.
8. “CBTSEC.” CDCEI. Accessed March 6, 2025. https://www.cdce-i.org/?page_id=6565&lang=en.
9. “Certified Courses.” CDCEI. Accessed March 6, 2025. https://www.cdce-i.org/?page_id=6592&lang=en.
10. “Grass Roots Civic Action.” CDCEI. Accessed March 6, 2025. https://www.cdce-i.org/?page_id=6603&lang=en.
11. “School To Career Program.” CDCEI. Accessed March 6, 2025. https://www.cdce-i.org/?page_id=6614&lang=en.
12. “Team.” CDCEI. Accessed March 6, 2025. https://www.cdce-i.org/?page_id=6515&lang=en.
13. “Khaled Shanaa.” LinkedIn. Accessed March 6, 2025. https://www.linkedin.com/in/khaled-shanaa-a34a6b21/.
14. “Board of Directors.” CDCEI. Accessed March 6, 2025. https://www.cdce-i.org/?page_id=6507&lang=en.
15. “Imad Al Zeer.” LinkedIn. Accessed March 6, 2025. https://www.linkedin.com/in/imad-al-zeer-21519722/.
16. Dubowitz, Mark and Ben Cohen. “USAID was rotten, but Trump needs the ‘soft power’ of foreign aid done right.” New York Post. February 4, 2025. Accessed March 6, 2025. https://nypost.com/2025/02/04/opinion/usaid-was-rotten-but-trump-needs-the-soft-power-of-foreign-aid-done-right/.