Palestine: The Stateless Dilemma and What Can Be Done
Abbas Goya - Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank live as stateless people, caught in a refugee crisis that has lasted 73 years. Without citizenship, they lack basic rights and protections, trapped between hostile states and international indifference. Neighboring countries deny them citizenship, Israel maintains them as second-class residents, and global powers have repeatedly failed to address their plight. For Palestinians today, the idea of a “state” is less about borders and more about security, stability, and a safe home. Gaza, a densely populated strip where residents depend on a state that displaced them, highlights the impossibility of life without sovereignty or freedom of movement. Similarly, the Rohingya in Myanmar face statelessness under brutal conditions, showing that the problem of homelessness and statelessness is a global humanitarian crisis, not just a political issue. Humanitarian aid is necessary, but insufficient. Efforts that focus on stopping attacks or confli...