No future in Palestine?

About two-thirds of the approximately 5.5 million Palestinians in the West Bank, the Gaza Strip, and East Jerusalem are under 30 years old. They have never been allowed to vote in their lives—the last parliamentary elections in Palestine took place in 2006. Even during the Israeli elections in October, they could only watch from the sidelines, even though the election results also affect their daily lives. The Israeli occupation, which has been ongoing since 1967 and which the International Court of Justice (ICJ) has ruled to be in violation of international law, severely restricts their lives, rights, and freedoms. In the Gaza Strip, the reality is even more devastating: much of the infrastructure has been destroyed, many people live in temporary tent camps, and they are subjected to regular attacks by Israeli forces. 

For Palestine’s younger generation, this is the bitter reality of everyday life. Many children and young people have never known any more peaceful or better times. They have hardly experienced firsthand what democratic participation can look like beyond civil society initiatives. Their personal experiences make a mockery of the approach of a negotiated solution with Israel and the Oslo promise of a state of their own. In the eyes of many young people, the Palestinian Authority (PA) is a corrupt accomplice of Israel that helps maintain the status quo. Against a backdrop of deep frustration and a lack of prospects, Hamas’s radical and uncompromising promises are becoming increasingly appealing to some young people.

Since the start of the Gaza War in October 2023, the situation for young people in Palestine has once again worsened dramatically. In the West Bank, the loss of work permits in Israel led to a massive economic crisis. The unemployment rate skyrocketed, particularly among young Palestinians. It currently stands at around 41 percent. Added to this are the severe restrictions on freedom of movement imposed by Israeli checkpoints, escalating settler terrorism, and the targeted displacement of entire communities in the West Bank. In the Gaza Strip—where the International Court of Justice and other experts consider it plausible that Israel’s actions violate the Genocide Convention—the situation is even more dire. Young people are scarred by the deaths of relatives and friends, serious injuries, repeated displacement, and deep trauma. For most, any prospects for education, work, or even a dignified life have completely collapsed.

How do the experiences of war, displacement, and occupation shape the identity and future prospects of young Palestinians? How do they view current developments in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip? What scope for action and opportunities for engagement remain for the younger generation in the face of political powerlessness? Where and how are young Palestinians today seeking a better, more livable future? What can Germany and Europe do to give young people in Palestine a sense of hope for the future again?

With:

• Dalia Qumsieh, Attorney, founder, and director of the Balasan Initiative for Human Rights (BIHR) in Bethlehem
• Issa Amro, Human rights activist and founder of Youth Against Settlements (YAS) in Hebron

Moderation: Bauke Baumann, Senior Programme Officer Israel, Palestine, Heinrich-Böll-Stiftung

The event will be held in English with simultaneous translation into German.

Information:    
Bauke Baumann, Senior Programme Officer Israel, Palestine, Jordan, Iran, Heinrich-Böll-Stiftung, 
E-Mail baumann@boell.de,   
Telefon +49(0)285 34 -321