Young people have always been drivers of political, economic and social change. In the midst of occupation, political turmoil, and social upheaval, Palestine has witnessed a flourishing movement led by its youth. The genocide in Palestine has mobilized international youth, with many pro-Palestine activist groups being formed by the younger population. Take, for example, the Palestinian Youth Movement which is a “transnational, independent, grassroots movement of young Palestinians dedicated to the liberation of [their] homeland and people” (Palestinian Youth Movement 2023). This organization is one of many youth-led groups that has been instrumental in organizing protests and advocacy campaigns worldwide, amplifying the voices of Palestinians and demanding justice and liberation for their people.

History of youth activism on Israel-Palestine

The current wave of youth activism is not the first of its kind. Youth activism in Israel-Palestine has deep historical roots, dating back to the early 20th century. During the First Intifada in the late 1980s young Palestinians played pivotal roles in resisting occupation. Beginning on December 8th, 1987, in Palestinian refugee camps, grassroots protests against twenty years of Israeli occupation broke out and eventually spread across the entire Occupied Palestinian Territory (Hussain 2017). Now known as the First Intifada, which was formed mainly by children and teenagers, lasted until September 13th, 1993. Palestinians demonstrated their opposition to the Israeli occupation through nonviolent methods such as boycotts, demonstrations, and strikes. The Intifada ended when Yasser Arafat, Chairman of the Palestine Liberation Organization, and Yitzhak Rabin, Prime Minister of Israel, agreed to a five-year peace process. This involved mutual recognition of the nations, and a phased plan to deal with final status issues.

Many of the most significant social movements of the past decade have been led by the youth. Professor Hank Johnston, a leading scholar of social and political movements, explains that young activists are willing to take greater risks for the cause they are supporting (2019). According to Johnston, young people typically do not have the material resources of the older generations, but they have more disposable time, energy, and ability to mobilize others. Furthermore, movements with extensive youth front-line participation are more likely to succeed than movements with less youth participation (Cebul 2023). Young activists are innovative in digital spaces and work across traditional societal lines which strengthens their missions. The video below highlights this point, as it shows an organizer with the Palestinian Youth Movement pleading for the United States government to call a ceasefire.

Systemic censorship

University campuses have long been hubs for political activism. Throughout the United States, United Kingdom, and European nations, the latest Israel-Palestine news has heightened campus tensions. Students have expressed concerns about restrictions on their speech when it comes to supporting Palestinian liberation. One example of this in the UK took place at SOAS University of London when Pro-Palestinian students were temporarily suspended after attending a solidarity rally for Gaza following October 7th (Fleischmann 2023). In the United States, many university students have been punished for taking part in Pro-Palestine protests. Most notably at Harvard University in Cambridge, where a letter from student groups blaming Israel for violence in the region drew backlash from prominent alumni and US lawmakers.

In addition to young people on campuses, many activists who post online about Palestine claim that they are being censored on social media, particularly on Instagram and Facebook. Reports indicate a troubling trend of censorship on these platforms; Human Rights Watch documented over 1,050 removals and other suppression of content posted on Meta platforms–Instagram and Facebook–by Palestinians and their supporters between October and November 2023 (Human Rights Watch 2023). Since November, the total number of censorship cases is estimated to have greatly exceeded 1,050.

Despite this suppression, young activists continue to use social media platforms to document and expose the realities of occupation. Video journalist Bisan Owda, a 25-year-old Gazan, documents Israel’s relentless bombing of the Gaza Strip on her mobile phone. Her 4 million followers know her as @wizard_bisan1, and her content ranges in tone from cheery and hopeful to melancholic, fearful, and angry. Alongside Owda on Instagram are 22-year-old Plestia Alaqad and 25-year-old Motaz Azaiza, both journalists who regularly update their followers on the realities of life in Palestine.

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A post shared by Bisan Owda (@wizard_bisan1)

Generation gap in support toward Palestine

Throughout the genocide, the United States’ support of Israel remains strong. However, as recent demonstrations on university campuses around the country indicate, there is a generational divide. Even before October 7th, there were distinct generational differences in Americans’ attitudes towards Israel (Kamarck and Muchnick 2023). The graph below shows a Gallup study from 2015 about Americans’ support of Israel. As indicated by the graph, the percentage of Americans who sympathize with Palestinians the most are ages 18 to 29 years old (Saad 2015). This supports the idea that the younger generation in the United States supports the Palestinian cause more than older generations.

Studies show that younger people are more likely use the term ‘genocide’ when referring to what is happening in Palestine. According to a January 2024 Economist/YouGov poll, nearly half of youth surveyed believe Israel is committing genocide against Palestinian civilians (Medina 2024). Furthermore, young people are deeply attentive to the ways this genocide intersects with racial justice and discrimination, with two-thirds of young people surveyed believing that antisemitism is a somewhat or serious problem in America (Medina 2024).

Could the global youth support for Palestine have long-term impacts?

I believe that the current youth-led support for Palestine liberation will have a lasting impact. One of the current movements that is seeing great success is the Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) movement. Originating in 2005, BDS is a global nonviolent protest movement. It attempts to combine economic and cultural boycotts against Israel, financial divestment from the state, and government sanctions to end international support for Israel and pressure the nation to comply with international law (Kim 2023). BDS takes direct inspiration from the South African anti-apartheid fight and the US civil rights movement, both of which effectively used boycotts. Companies have seen their sales decline as consumers continue to boycott them for their association with Israel, and I think that this is one way the youth support for Palestine will have lasting impacts.

What do you think? Do you believe that the current youth activism could have long-term impacts on Israel-Palestine foreign policy?

Reference List

Cebul, M. (2023) Youth Activism: Balancing Risk and Reward. Available at: https://www.usip.org/publications/2023/01/youth-activism-balancing-risk-and-reward (Accessed: 28 February 2024)

Fleischmann, L. (2023) Israel and Palestine: views of students and youth activists shouldn’t be dismissed – they have shaped the conversation for years. Available at: https://theconversation.com/israel-and-palestine-views-of-students-and-youth-activists-shouldnt-be-dismissed-they-have-shaped-the-conversation-for-years-215465 (Accessed: 25 February 2024).

Human Rights Watch (2023) Meta’s Broken Promises: Systemic Censorship of Palestine Content on Instagram and Facebook. Available at: https://www.hrw.org/report/2023/12/21/metas-broken-promises/systemic-censorship-palestine-content-instagram-and (Accessed: 27 February 2024).

Hussain, H. (2017) Remembering the First Intifada. Available at: https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20171209-remembering-the-first-intifada-2 (Accessed: 23 February 2024).

Johnston, H. (2019) ‘The Elephant in the Room: Youth, Cognition, and Student Groups in Mass Social Movements’, Societies, 9(3):55, pp. 1-19. Available at: https://doi.org/10.3390/soc9030055

Kamarck, E. and Muchnick, J. (2023) The generation gap in opinions toward Israel. Available at: https://www.brookings.edu/articles/the-generation-gap-in-opinions-toward-israel (Accessed: 26 February 2024).

Kim, W. (2023) The boycott movement against Israel, explained. Available at: https://www.vox.com/world-politics/23935054/boycott-movement-palestine-against-israel-bds (Accessed: 26 February 2024).

Medina, A. (2024) Young Voters and the Israel-Palestine Conflict. Available at: https://circle.tufts.edu/latest-research/young-voters-and-israel-palestine-conflict (Accessed: 27 February 2024).

Middle East Eye (2024) Palestinian Youth Movement calls for the largest mobilisation for Palestine in New York City. Available at: https://youtu.be/D3cjV3tNd88?si=pMA21eF0f7900TdB (Accessed 28 February 2024).

Saad, L. (2015) Older Americans Have Grown Especially Supportive of Israel. Available at: https://news.gallup.com/poll/181745/older-americans-grown-especially-supportive-israel.aspx (Accessed: 26 February 2024).

Palestinian Youth Movement (2023) Palestinian Youth Movement. Available at: https://palestinianyouthmovement.com (Accessed: 19 February 2024).