Palestine’s Gen Z Speaks Out - Middle East Policy Council
Israel continued its fragmentation of Palestine this week, with strikes killing more than a dozen people in Gaza—despite the putative ceasefire—and the dedication of hundreds of millions of dollars to create at least 34 new settlements in the occupied West Bank. The new double issue of Middle East Policy features two new analyses of political
Middle East Policy has been one of the world’s most cited publications on the region since its inception in 1982, and our Breaking Analysis series makes high-quality, diverse analysis available to a broader audience. Israel continued its fragmentation of Palestine this week, withstrikes killing more than a dozen peoplein Gaza—despite theputative ceasefire—and the dedication of hundreds of millions of dollarsto create at least 34 new settlementsin the occupied West Bank. The new double issue ofMiddle East Policyfeatures two new analyses of political participation among Palestinians, pinpointing the key obstacles while illuminating the ways that the younger generation is finding its voice as the October 7 anniversary approaches. Middle East Policyhas just published itsSummer 2026 double issue, featuring incisiveopen-access examinations of the Iran War, its causes, and its implications, includingwhat lies ahead in the Strait of Hormuz; howTrump’s transactionalism is backfiring; how theIslamic Revolution upended regional security; Iran’sforward defense in Africa; and the effects of the war onGulf cooperation with the Asia-Pacific. The table of contents of this special double issue is below. If you find this article useful, please forward it to others you believe will benefit. You canregister to receive our weekly updates here. And please follow us on thesocial media platforms XandLinkedIn. In their article on Palestinian politics,Abdalraheem S. H. Shobaki and Mahmoud S. H. Shobaki contendthat Generation Z has made online platforms a central arena of engagement, despite the beliefs of adults 18–27 that they are subject to censorship. “Civil-society organizations and researchers have described content-moderation practices, visibility restrictions, and account limitations that affect Palestinians’ ability to participate,”the authors write. The censorship is conducted by both Israeli and Palestinian authorities. Data from their survey of 402 members of Generation Z indicate that understanding Palestinian politics increasingly requires attention to digital arenas, where this cohort is engaging in political participation through information sharing, advocacy, and narrative competition rather than conventional political channels. The authors arguethat policymakers and civil society should strengthen the digital resilience of Palestinian online activism by improving platform transparency and preserving online content. They also call for greater investment in digital literacy, fact checking, and online security, while encouraging youth-led digital initiatives that facilitate political dialogue and transnational engagement. In a second newMiddle East Policyanalysis,Mert Öztürk and Oqab Jabali agreethat we should not see these young adults as apathetic but as concerned about repression against protesters, as well as emotionally exhausted from the Gaza war and engaging in low-risk forms of engagement. Drawing on semi-structured interviews with students from six Palestinian universities, the study examines how structural, psychological, and political constraints have shaped young people’s decisions about activism in the face of the Israeli onslaught. Nearly all students reported that they rely on social media for information and solidarity,but the authors findthat this is motivated by desperation and separation from compatriots:More than 62 percent expressed a sense of disconnection despite shared national identity. “Even though Gaza is part of us, being here in the West Bank makes it feel far—sometimes like it’s happening to someone else,” a 21-year-old female student from An-Najah National University reflected. For his part, a male third-year student from Birzeit University noted, “We feel solidarity, but daily life here is different; we can’t experience what they go through, and that creates distance. ”Despite this perceived divergence, cultural and media support for Gaza was overwhelmingly seen as effective, with 88. 7 percent of students acknowledging its role in maintaining awareness. Social media, in particular, exerted a strong influence, with 74. 2 percent reporting a very high impact on their engagement. “I learn more from social media than from TV. Videos, posts, and live updates make the suffering real,” one 22-year-old female student from Al-Quds University explained. Another student added, “Social media connects us directly. Even if we are far, it gives us a way to feel part of the struggle. ”More than 80 percent of thoseinterviewed by Öztürk and Jabalireported political exhaustion or emotional fatigue, while fears of arrest, surveillance, academic consequences, and repression by both Israeli authorities and the Palestinian Authority discouraged collective action. “We know security is watching,” lamented a fourth-year female from Al-Quds University. “Some students are afraid to join even small events. ” The survey also found that concerns about suppression by the Palestinian Authority affected a majority of students. As one 20-year-old male from Hebron University reflected, “Even when we want to protest or organize, we think twice because of the PA. It’s not just Israel we worry about. ”But Öztürk and Jabali contendthat, despite their fears of repression, these students should be seen as strategically flexible and politically engaged:Those who expressed the desire to participate gravitated toward safer modes. Boycott campaigns were most common, at 40. 3 percent, followed by financial donations, digital publishing, and participation in rallies. “Boycotts are something I can do safely from home,” noted a second year female at the Arab American University. “I feel like I’m contributing without risking arrest. ” A 22-year-old male from Hebron University added: “Donating or supporting online campaigns feels meaningful, even if I can’t march in the streets. ”“The Palestinian Authority and its external supporters must reduce policing of campuses and safeguard students’ rights to expression and association,”Öztürk and Jabali write. “Clear protections against surveillance, arrest, or academic sanctions would address barriers identified by participants and help restore confidence in civic participation among youth. ”Similarly to Shobaki and Shobaki,Öztürk and Jabali concludethat support should be extended to Palestinians so they can raise their voices without exposing themselves to repression. “For NGOs, external actors, and transnational activist networks, the results suggest the importance of supporting low-risk and sustainable forms of engagement rather than emphasizing mass mobilization alone,” they write. “Digital advocacy, fundraising, educational initiatives, and training in digital security and safe organizing practices can help students remain active while minimizing exposure to harm. ”Middle East Policy, Summer 2026Special Double Issue!AMERICA’S WAR ON IRANSignals, Red Lines, and Collision:The Israel-Iran Spiral and US InterventionBuğra Sari—open access!Trump’s Transactional Diplomacy:Breakthrough or Breakdown?Guilain Denoeux | Robert Springborg—open access!Between Ideology and Strategy:The Iranian Revolution and the Reconfiguration of Middle Eastern SecurityAlabbas F. Alsudani—open access!Iran’s Forward Defense in Sub-Saharan AfricaAriel Limanya Limbu | Ronen A. Cohen—open access!CONSEQUENCES IN THE GULFCrisis in the Strait of Hormuz: What Lies Ahead?Gawdat Bahgat—free to read!GCC-Asia Pacific Energy Nexus:Navigating Shifts in Demand and GeopoliticsUmud Shokri—open access!Outwardly Strong, Internally Brittle:Dissecting the MBS RegimeMohammed Ayoob—free to read!POLITICAL CONVULSIONS OVER PALESTINENew Political Actors in Palestine:The Digital Efficacy of Gen ZAbdalraheem S. H. Shobaki | Mahmoud S. H. ShobakiBetween Fatigue and Fear:West Bank Student Solidarity During the Gaza WarMert Öztürk / Oqab JabaliExplaining Saudi Arabia’s Inaction During the Gaza War:Why No Oil Embargo?Mazaher Koruzhde | Eric Lob—free to read!From Palestine Ally to Zionist Partner:India-Israel Relations, 2014–2025Yücel Bulut—open access!REBUILDING AND RECKONING IN SYRIAA Heuristic Equation of Transformation, Justice, and Violence in Post-Assad SyriaZeynep Banu Dalaman—free to read!Federalism in Post-Assad Syria:Toward Durable Peace in a Pluralist SocietyDilan Okcuoglu—open access!REGIONAL SOCIAL & ECONOMIC GOVERNANCECryptocurrency Regulation in MENA:From Prohibition to Conditional LegalizationBassant Hassib | Fatimah AyadFallen Cedar: Lebanon’s Debt Diplomacy, 2015–2020Kevin RosierPlastics Pollution in the Gulf Countries:Problems and Policy SolutionsRichard Rutter et al. Constructing Social Cohesion in Qatar:National Vision, Strategy, and ConstitutionLogan Cochrane et al. THE ATTRACTIVE POWER OF EAST ASIASaudi Arabia’s Deepening Engagement with Asia-Pacific NationsGhulam AliChina’s Hajj-Related Infrastructure Diplomacy with Saudi ArabiaSong Niu | Danyu WangChinese-Arab Scientific Cooperation and EffectivenessMinglian Long, Yijia Luo, Yi ZhangBOOK REVIEWSLynch,America’s Middle EastReviewed by Yasir KuotiDenoeux, Springborg, and Alaoui,Making Aid WorkReviewed by Naomi SakrMomeni,The Presidential Difference and Iran’s Foreign Policy Under Khatami from 1997 to 2005Reviewed by Mahmood MonshipouriBajoghli et al. ,How Sanctions WorkReviewed by Bahram P. KalviriDonelli,Power Competition in the Red SeaReviewed by Riccardo GascoBrownlee and Ghiabi,States Without PeopleReviewed by İlhan BiliciKaram,The Middle East in 1958Reviewed by Elifnur DüzsözUysal,Class, Capital, State, and Late DevelopmentReviewed by Yusuf MurtezaGreenberg,The Long War of IdeasReviewed by A. R. JoyceMiddle East Policy has been one of the world’s most cited publications on the region since its inception in 1982, and our Breaking Analysis series makes high-quality, diverse analysis available to a broader audience.