Challenges for Young People as ‘Citizens to Be’ in Palestine

This research examines why the youth of Palestine are absent from the political arena. It focuses on the way youth perceive political participation and the role-played by the Palestinian Authority and political parties in encouraging or discouraging such participation. Using the right-based approach, the research will attempt to shed light on the various limitations that youth face in becoming real citizens in the Palestinian society. The data was examined and the following conclusion was reached: Weak citizenship is a feature not only of youth in Palestine – it also applies to adults and both groups can be considered citizens to be. This is the result both of the occupation that controls the situation in Palestine and of the policies of the Palestinian Authority and the unclear role of the political parties. The political confusion that youth face had an effect as well. To this end, the research sheds light on other factors aside from occupation that limit the active participation of youth in Palestine. It helps the reader to pause and analyse from the young people’s point of view what the Palestinian Authority, political parties, and people in power do to disappoint youth. It explains how the general feeling among Palestinian youth is that the Palestinian Authority and political parties are drifting away from the national goal, which is the creation of an effective sovereign state.