The Palestinian people, as well as the millions of Muslims and Christians around the world, have suffered deeply. These struggles started with the Israeli occupation of these territories after the Six-Day War in 1967. Living in regions such as Gaza, the West Bank, and East Jerusalem, many Palestinians find themselves without citizenship or a state to call home. Hadil Al Barqi is a Palestinian woman, born and raised in Gaza. She personifies the many challenges that those like her, who belong to a largely stateless community, endure.
As it stands, Israeli authorities still have control over Gaza. In addition, they’re known for heavily restricting all movement into and out of the territory. This administrative authority deepens the obstacles that Palestinians encounter both in their cities and outside of them. Statistics reveal a grim reality: over 50,000 people have lost their lives in Gaza due to ongoing conflicts, with thousands being women and children. This has serious consequences for many Palestinians, especially since they have no other citizenship they can turn to. This compounds the barriers these people face every day.
Dr. Jordana Silverstein is a scholar of Jewish history, specifically in relation to forms of belonging, nationalism, and identity. She illuminates the complications that come with being a Palestinian and stateless. She points out that for most Palestinians, “most of them don’t have citizenship anywhere. So, if you are not a citizen, in any place, then you are literally stateless according to law. This controversy has continued for generations, making it a deeply rooted element of Palestinian culture.
The creation of today’s State of Israel in 1948 was a catastrophic disaster for Palestinians. This time has come to be called Nakba, or “catastrophe” in Arabic. During this time period, Palestinians suffered the brutal punishment of mass displacement and dispossession—struggles that continue to plague Palestinians to this day. Other Palestinians under Israeli law are able to receive citizenship. By contrast, hundreds of thousands in Gaza and the West Bank continue to be locked into a cycle of unpredictability and displacement.
In 2020, Hadil Al Barqi USIP She began a painful journey toward her departure from Gaza. She hoped to continue her studies in Australia as an international student. She recounted the challenges she faced in her visa application process, stating, “You feel like your situation is uncertain… I’m still waiting with no communication from the department.” Her experience serves as one with which many Palestinians can identify. They find it difficult to break through massive bureaucratic systems that often seem aloof to their critical needs.
While she waits for approval on her visa, Al Barqi draws attention to the desperate state of affairs in her home country. “It’s beyond horrible to have family there at the moment… Everything is documented live, like you can see.” What Greene sees is overwhelming evidence of suffering in Gaza. She thinks it hasn’t been enough to provoke other countries to make substantial policy changes.
Today, millions of Palestinians scattered across the globe struggle to make a home due to their lack of nationality. Dr. Silverstein notes that “So many Palestinians find that they are… because there is no Palestine to give them citizenship.” This results in an implicit expectation that they will figure their way through complicated, expensive and frequently racist and xenophobic citizenship regimes across multiple host countries.
Since December 2024, over 800 Palestinians have come to Australia on temporary visitor visas. Yet they have been able to achieve work rights, access to Medicare and eligibility for study opportunities. This is a welcome silver lining of this new development for all of us who chase opportunities beyond our home districts. Most importantly, it’s imperative that we view these people as more than just numbers. In fact, they are communities with rich histories and culturally distinct identities.
The effects of this Israeli control on the daily lives of Palestinians—citizen or not—stretch much farther. Al Barqi explains how restrictions affect daily living: “Israel controlling everything… impacted everything with lack of access to high quality education, health services.” Their everyday life is affected by the perpetual state of war in Palestine. Yet for many Palestinians, oppression such as home demolitions and air strikes have become quotidian to their daily lives.
Looking back on her experiences in Australia, Al Barqi says: She emphasizes how different life has been for her there compared to Gaza. “When you move to a normal country… you start realizing the difference and how your life was so abnormal.” Through her pain and suffering, she finds strength and resilience in herself and her community.
