When discussing the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, there is an important distinction to be made between Arab Israelis and Palestinian-Arabs. Arab-Israelis live in Israel and have Israeli citizenship. With this citizenship, they have all the same rights as Jewish Israeli citizens, including the right to vote, run for office, healthcare, work opportunities, etc. Today, approximately 2.2 million Arab citizens comprise 21% of Israel’s population and participate in all aspects of Israeli society, serving on the Supreme Court, in parliament, as diplomats, military officers, and in key positions across public and private sectors.

On the other hand, there are Palestinian-Arabs, who reside in Gaza or the West Bank. The overwhelming majority of those Palestinian-Arabs are not Israeli citizens, and do not have the rights that come with citizenship. For those who live in Gaza, they live in a territory which Israel does not control or administer. Since Israel’s complete withdrawal from Gaza in 2005, the territory has been governed first by the Palestinian Authority and since 2007 by Hamas, which maintains its own government institutions, security forces, and administrative systems independent from Israeli control.

For those in the West Bank, though some live under Israeli military administration and others live under the Palestinian Authority’s rule, they do not have Israeli citizenship but have the rights that come with being a Palestinian, under the authority of the Palestinian Authority (PA). The PA controls all aspects of civil governance for approximately 95% of Palestinians in the West Bank, including education, healthcare, policing, and civic administration, while maintaining representation in international bodies like UNESCO, INTERPOL, and the ICC.

The citizenship distinction stems from Israel’s borders and jurisdiction, similar to how other neighboring states function; Jordanians are citizens of Jordan, Lebanese are citizens of Lebanon, and so forth. In public opinion surveys, a strong majority of Arab citizens of Israel consistently express preference for Israeli citizenship over potential citizenship in a future Palestinian state, citing Israel’s democratic system, economic opportunities, and personal freedoms.

Sources

[1] Israel Central Bureau of Statistics, “Population Demographics,” 2024.

[2] Israel Ministry of Foreign Affairs, “Gaza Disengagement,” 2005.

[3] Palestinian Authority Ministry of Information, “Governance Report,” 2024.

[4] Israel Democracy Institute, “Arab-Israeli Public Opinion Survey,” 2024.