In the field of Palestinian studies today, historical, cultural and political questions on nationalism in Palestine from the end of the Ottoman Empire, through the Mandate, and certainly after 1948, have been touched from nearly all angles. The historiography of Palestinian nationalism is certainly saturated with studies. My paper focuses on citizenship discourses and practices that led to the 'invention' of a Palestinian citizenship under the British administration of Palestine, from 1918 to 1926. The paper will re-examine this period of the mandate in terms of citizenship. Though this paper's main focus is on actual legislation, I am also interested in how citizenship discourses were internalized, normalized and then mobilized by the popular classes through social organizations under the leadership of the radical populists in Palestinian society. Further, how did the British administration in Palestine and London, the League of Nations Permanent Mandate Commission, and the leaders in the Palestinian political factions conceptualize citizenship and nationality? The answers to questions regarding citizenship as it pertained to indigenous inhabitants and to the mandatory authorities are important in the general study of mandates and for the unique situation of Palestine as a trusteeship whose mandate text included the allowance for the establishment of a settler nation-state. Importantly, I will explore the understanding of citizenship as such during the early mandate and how best researchers can approach this topic. For this paper, I use a minimal amount of secondary sources, as the majority of my research is based on official British correspondence and memorandums and the early Arab reactions to them. The transition from subject status in an empire to 'modern' citizen status in a nation-state occurred under the British administration, and so the evolution took place in a colonial context. Yet can we deduce how deeply linked citizenship and colonialism in Palestine were, or was territorial and communal belonging more of an influence than western concepts of communities with legal rights, protections, and obligations vis-a-vis a state? An important aspect is also the Arabic definitions of citizenship versus nationality, and how citizenship as an invented legislation contributed to nationalist consciousness expoused by the populist leaders. Certainly, this paper poses quite a few questions on the topic, and this is exactly the reason for further research into citizenship discourses under the Palestinian Mandate.