Paper short abstract:

This study explores Palestinian youth experiences and practices of citizenship and belonging in a context of displacement, focusing on East Jerusalem neighbourhoods dislocated by the Israeli Separation Wall.

Paper long abstract:

The historical trajectory of Israeli policies that have ensued since the 1967 annexation of East Jerusalem have created a situation in which Palestinian Jerusalemites have been gradually encouraged to move to areas beyond the Israeli Separation Wall, ultimately displacing thousands and effectively containing them in a series of enclaves. The particularity of the enclave context brings to the fore the links and complexities between spatial de-territorilisation; the experience of (precarious) 'citizenship', including an individual's access to social infrastructure in a context of displacement; and the possibilities for survival. Drawing on interviews (n=40) with Palestinian youth between the ages of 18-30 holding Jerusalem 'permanent residency' status and living in two areas dislocated by the Separation Wall, this study focuses on youth experiences and practices of citizenship and belonging within these enclaves, and the impact of this precariousness on their lives. Further, this paper attempts to explore (im)mobility in a context that incorporates new forms of spatial, physical and bureaucratic restrictions, thereby reframing the experience of citizenship in a context of displacement.