A Profile of the Stonethrowers

Abstract

The high level of political consciousness among young Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza-currently manifested through their central role in the uprising-is inextricably linked to life under occupation. Like young Palestinians in other parts of the Arab world, Palestinians from the refugee camps will tell you the name of the village they are from, despite the fact that that particular village was destroyed when Israel was established, nearly forty years ago. Palestinian children often learn the names of PLO leaders before they learn to read and write. They can explain the difference between Zionism and Judaism and are able to make a strong argument against any political solution involving Jordan's King Hussein. But unlike children in refugee camps elsewhere, children born in refugee camps under occupation drink their mothers' milk while their camp is under curfew; they wake up in the middle of the night to the sound of rubber bullets and rumors of a possible settler attack. As they grow up, they quickly learn the political lesson of the occupation. Soldiers, batons, tear gas, rubber bullets, arrests, torture, curfews, closure of camp entrances, administrative detention, and town arrests are all prominent entries in the refugee camps' daily dictionary.