Palestinians in Israel: Identity, Belonging, and the Audience for Their Voices

A Palestinian writer reflects on the trend of Palestinians with Israeli IDs writing in Hebrew for Israeli Jewish audiences, often detailing discrimination and the limits of integration. While acknowledging the importance of exposing racism and the right to use Hebrew, the author questions the underlying audience and the self that is centered in such discourse. The repeated focus on explaining themselves to Jewish Israelis, even when discussing Palestinian identity or the suffering in Gaza and the West Bank, keeps the Jewish Israeli in a central position, seeking their recognition.

The author argues that this approach can inadvertently sideline the Palestinian experience itself, turning those suffering from violence and displacement into subjects for a dialogue with Israelis rather than active participants. True recognition of Palestinians, the writer contends, involves seeing them as subjects with their own voices, capable of engaging in dialogue and even critiquing how they are represented. Writing in Arabic to Palestinians, the author suggests, also requires examining the position from which one speaks, whether from a place of shared belonging and collective responsibility or from a more detached, critical stance.

The core question posed is not merely about language or audience, but about the nature of Palestinian identity for those living within Israel. The author probes when this identity is truly discovered or felt, is it a constant presence, or does it surface primarily in response to discrimination and the realization that integration has limits? This identity, the writer suggests, is often remembered when attempts at integration clash with the reality of unequal standing compared to Jewish citizens, rather than being a starting point for understanding one's position.

The piece distinguishes between Palestinian identity as a reaction to rejection and as an active, ongoing relationship with one's people and history. It critiques the focus on individual success within Israeli society as a substitute for building collective Palestinian strength, which encompasses language, knowledge, culture, and shared institutions. The author calls for investing in Palestinian identity and community, just as much effort has been put into integrating into Israeli society, urging a shift from seeking recognition to building relationships, community, and the capacity for action.