Palestinian Citizenship within the State of Palestine: The Right Answer for the Wrong Question

Abstract

In this chapter the authors suggest citizenship in Palestine has developed as a state-centred institution, and its implementation has served objectives that are the opposite of those that drive citizenship in democratic societies, specifically the empowerment of citizens and the establishment of a basis for essential rights and freedoms. Instead, Palestinian citizenship has more often functioned as a colonial tool that sustains the occupation, contributes to Palestinian disempowerment and enables the dispersal of the local population. Furthermore, it has also repeatedly failed to provide essential protections and prevent the violation of basic rights. In the view of the authors, this state-centered and territorial citizenship is at best counterproductive and at worst dangerous.