On Youth and National Identity in the Palestinian Context

• DOI: https://doi.org/10.13169/bethunivj.37.2020.0015
• Published date: 01 January 2020
• Date: 01 January 2020
• Pages: 15-34
• Author: Jamil Hilal

15 )( 





















    

 



























16

)( 

On Youth and National Identity in the Palestinian

Context

Jamil Hilal

Abstract

ThisstudyaimstoexaminetheattitudesandopinionsofPalestinianyouthin

thecontextofthedebateaboutintergenerationalconictandthespecicityof

youthinthePalestiniancondition.Ahighpercentageofyoungpeopleinthe

variousPalestiniancommunitiesareexposedtounemployment,andintheWest

BankandGazaStrip,theyhavebecometargetsoftheIsraelioccupationand

its policies. Most Palestinian youth also face a dead-end in the political and

livinghorizonsandthescarcityofnormallifeopportunities)including,work,

education,family,freedomofmovement,planningforthefuture,etc.(.Young

people, as the case with women and other social groups, are also subject to

restrictions that limit their access to political, economic, social and cultural

decision-makingpositions.Drawingonstudiesandsurveysthatdealtwiththe

situationofPalestinianyouth,afterdiscussingtherationaleforinterestinyouth

in the past two decades, this study shows the need to deal with youth as an

essentialcomponentofsocietyandnotasanexternalsegmentorasoutsiders.It

alsoindicatesthattherearerelativelylimiteddifferencesbetweenthepositions

andopinionsofPalestinianyouthandtheolderagegroups.Thestudyconcludes

thatdifferencesintheopinionsofyouth)andnon-youth(canbeattributedto

thevariationsinthepoliticalsituationsandlifeopportunitiesamongPalestinian

communities,gender,placeofresidence,andpoliticalafliation.The study did

notndevidencetosupporttheargumentthatintergenerationalconictexists.

ThedeterminingfactorinthisconditionistheIsraelioccupation,Zionistsettler-

colonialism,apartheidregime,andthedenialofbasicrights.Thisstudyconrms

thevitalityofnationalcultureamongthevariousPalestiniancommunities.

 Youth engagement, Israeli occupation and settler-colonialism,

national culture, comprehensive political vision

Disclaimer: The opinions and views expressed in this article do not represent the

opinionsoftheJournal’seditorialboardandstaffoftheDeanofResearchatBethlehem

University.Theaccuracyofthematerialandanyerrorsinthispublicationarethesole

responsibilityoftheauthor.