Reader TTS

MANY REFUGEES, MANY EXILES Because Palestinians live under various governments in diverse circumstances, no single experience can account for their experience of exile. In Jordan, for

example, where I have conducted research, Palestinian refugees can be divided into numerous groups, each with its own set of opportunities and challenges. There are Palestinians displaced in

1948 who became citizens of Jordan but depend on UNRWA for basic services like education and health care. There are also refugees displaced from the Gaza Strip in 1967 who lack citizenship

and are thus deprived of certain civil and political rights. More recently, there are Palestinians displaced from Syria for whom movement and work opportunities have been severely restricted

in Jordan. Palestinians living beyond Jordan also face distinct circumstances. In the West Bank, approximately 900,000 Palestinian refugees live under Israeli occupation, subject to a

discriminatory system that human rights organizations have called “apartheid.” Palestinian refugees in the Hamas-ruled Gaza Strip, who today number around one-and-a-half million, are

currently living under a 16-year blockade established by Israel but supported by the Egyptian government. Since the closure began in 2007, restrictions on the import of goods, the movement

of people and access to basic resources like electricity have produced dire conditions for Palestinians, including over 45% unemployment and food insecurity among 70% of households. Since

1948, Palestinians in Lebanon have faced severe restrictions in work, education and health. Treated as an unwanted population in the country, their presence has been a source of significant

divisions in Lebanon and a factor in numerous conflicts, including the Lebanese Civil War and the War of Camps between Syrian-backed militias and factions within the Palestinian Liberation

Organization.