Why do some individuals choose to participate in national movements against colonial, foreign or ethnic majority rule, while other members of the same national group remain uninvolved? Understanding the conditions under which ordinary individuals will choose to accept the risks of participating in national movements has direct implications for explaining differences in the growth and success of national movements and struggles. This paper explores the micro-dynamics of individual participation in national movements using original evidence from the case of the Palestinian national movement: a randomized survey conducted by the author of over 800 participants and non-participants in the Palestinian national movement in the West Bank. The survey contains data on a variety of forms of participation in the Palestinian national movement, including both participation in non-violent protest and participation in violent resistance, including membership in militant groups. These data allow me to compare not only participants and non-participants but also participants in violent and non-violent resistance, offering valuable insights into the sources of violence in particular as opposed to conflict in general. The data and analysis of the paper also contribute to an improved understanding of the Palestinian national movement, which has primarily been studied using elite-level sources and perspectives.