Palestinians in Israel: Bare Citizenship during the Gaza War
Abstract
The outbreak of the Gaza war in October 2023 exposed the fragility of Palestinian citizenship inside Israel, causing an unprecedented wave of political repression, loyalty tests, and public incitement against Israel’s Arab citizens. These measures were not just a result of wartime emergency. Rather, they were extensions of prewar measures that embedded and reinforced Jewish ethnocratic dominance over the state. This article demonstrates how citizenship for Palestinians in Israel has been hollowed out, producing what may be termed “bare citizenship.” This article argues that the systematic exclusion of Palestinian citizens accelerates Israel’s democratic decay, deepens Jewish-Arab estrangement, and undermines the prospects for peace.
Fields of Study & Subjects
Jewish and Middle Eastern Studies
Agricultural and Environmental Management
Belt and Road Initiative
Publication details
- Journal / source
- The Middle East Journal
- Publisher
- The Middle East Journal
- Volume
- 79
- Issue
- 1
- Pages
- mej–7901
- Publication date
- 1 January 2026
- Language
- EN