The Forgotten Front: Israel’s Parallel War on Palestinian Citizens Inside Israel

---

Since Hamas launched its surprise attack on the Gaza perimeter settlements on October 7, 2023, Israel has been caught in a spiral of widespread violence against Palestinians.

• New Israeli Version of the Paramedic Team Incident: What Do the Investigations Say?

• Israel Expands the War in Gaza and Plans for Population Displacement

This cycle of violence has not been confined to the Gaza Strip, but has also extended to Palestinians inside Israel, who are supposed to be full citizens enjoying all their rights. However, recent events have revealed the fragility of the situation for these Palestinians, who make up about 20% of Israel’s population, and about 16% of all Palestinians. They have rapidly become targets of a systematic campaign of repression and persecution.

While international focus has been on Israel’s attack on Gaza, the fate of Palestinians inside Israel has remained largely ignored, despite the worrying developments pointing to a rapid slide toward widespread “racist” practices, according to an analysis by Foreign Affairs.

• Between Defense and Offense: The Transformation of Israel’s Security Doctrine After October 7

• Bloody Dawn Strikes: Israel Escalates Attacks on Gaza

Incomplete Citizenship and Rejected Identity

Palestinians inside Israel live in a constant contradiction: legally, they are Israeli citizens, enjoying theoretical civil rights, but in reality, they suffer from a systematically discriminatory system that affects all aspects of their lives.

The state, which defines itself as “Jewish and democratic,” has excluded them from the centers of power, resources, and real political influence since its establishment.

Before October 7, 2023, Palestinians inside Israel had waged a long civil struggle to reduce the economic and social gap with Israeli Jews, making some relative progress, especially with the rise of the Joint List in the political scene in 2015.

However, this progress has gradually retreated, culminating in the fragmentation of the List in 2022, which fragmented the Arab voice in the Knesset and opened the door for the expansion of the right-wing discourse calling for their political exclusion.

• Gaza News: The Blockade Enters Its Second Month and New Areas Added to Evacuation List

• Gaza News Now: Ongoing Israeli Incursion and Bombardments Accompanied by Calls for a Global Strike

Systematic Repression

Following Israel’s declaration of war after the Hamas attack, the government launched a violent crackdown on Palestinian citizens within the 1948 borders, portraying them as an internal threat and a “fifth column.”

Far-right leaders, led by Itamar Ben Gvir, spearheaded this campaign, supported by other ministers and Knesset members who called for surveillance, expulsion, and stripping them of their nationality.

The legal discrimination reached a new level when Israeli police decided to ban anti-war demonstrations in Arab towns, while allowing Jewish protesters to express themselves freely, revealing a blatant double standard in the application of the law.

These measures continued until March 2024, with no serious legal review.

• Gaza Invasion Expands: Israeli Operation in Shuja’iyya

• New Complication in Gaza Negotiations: Hamas Rejects Israel’s Latest Offer

Digital Persecution

The war against Palestinians inside Israel also took a digital form, as their posts on social media were monitored and legal action was taken merely for expressing solidarity with Gaza or opposing the war.

Dozens of citizens were arrested for posts that consisted of quoting Quranic verses or expressing humanitarian sympathy.

Some of the most notable cases included the arrest of artist Dala Abu Amneh for a religious post, and an Arab comedian expressing sadness for the children of Gaza, highlighting the regression of freedom of expression even in its simplest forms.

Between October 2023 and May 2024, over 150 Palestinians from inside Israel were tried on charges of “incitement to terrorism,” while no similar charges were filed against Jews who incited the killing or mass expulsion of Arabs.

• Gaza Truce: Three Disputes Prevent a Ceasefire Agreement

• Hamas Attempts to Suppress the Anti-Government Protests in Gaza

Emergency Laws Reinforcing Segregation

The Netanyahu government took advantage of the war atmosphere to pass laws enhancing the Jewish character of the state at the expense of equality, including one that allows the revocation of citizenship from those accused of “terrorist” acts—charges frequently used only against Palestinians.

Right-wing parties also sought to pass laws limiting Arab representation in the Knesset and reducing their participation in local elections.

In equally racist practices, some municipalities closed construction sites on the pretext of security, simply because they employed Palestinian workers, preferring to halt their projects rather than allowing mixing between Jews and Arabs in workplaces.

• From Sde Teiman to Ofer and Antout Shocking Testimonies from Gaza Detainees

• From Beirut to Gaza… A New Mission for Israel’s 36th Division

Universities as a Field of Repression

Even academic institutions, which have long claimed to embrace liberal values, have engaged in the campaign against Arab students. Several have been expelled for personal posts, and university administrations have filed complaints with the police.

Some were permanently expelled despite not committing any clear legal violations, while Jewish students who called for violence against Arabs were not held accountable.

In a dangerous precedent, the Hebrew University of Jerusalem suspended Palestinian academic Nadira Shalhoub-Kevorkian for her anti-war statements, briefly detained her, and forced her resignation, highlighting the growing pressures even on academics.

• Latest News from Gaza: Israel Expands Operations in the North Mass Exodus towards the South

• A New Phase of War… Is Gaza Preparing for the Worst-Case Scenario?

Fragmentation of the Internal Arab Community

Politically, the Higher Follow-Up Committee and Arab parties have gone into defensive mode, unable to organize large protests due to laws and security crackdowns.

Despite several attempts, only a few limited actions were allowed under strict surveillance, accentuating the regression of Arab political activism in Israel.

In this context, options for Palestinians inside Israel seem limited. Autonomous organization and the building of internal community networks to counter isolation are essential but insufficient. External intervention is needed to restore dignity to their rights.

• “Netzarim” and “Salah al-Din” at the Heart of the Gaza Battle Again… Military Advance and Warning

• Back to square one… Why did Israel resume its war on Gaza?

The Need for Real Solidarity

Foreign Affairs’ analysis indicates that the long-standing rupture between the Arab world and Palestinians inside Israel, for political or geographical reasons, must end.

It stresses that Palestinian citizens of Israel are fully part of the Palestinian people and are now undergoing a form of gradual political cleansing. Arab countries must support their community institutions and raise their voices in international forums.

Countries with relations with Israel must prioritize the rights of Palestinian citizens in any political or economic cooperation.

International institutions, particularly the European Union and the United Nations, must exert real pressure to enforce international law on minority rights and condition their cooperation with Israel on its respect.

• Gaza on the Brink of Thirst… The Water Crisis Worsens Amid Fuel Shortages

• “For the ‘Resettlement’ of Gaza’s Population… Three African Destinations on the Radar of the US and Israel”

Acknowledging the Roots of the Problem

According to this analysis, what Palestinians inside Israel are currently enduring is another facet of “Israeli settler colonialism.” There can be no talk of equality or rights without addressing the root of the problem: occupation, and the refusal of Palestinians’ right to self-determination.

It insists that true justice will only be achieved if Israel becomes a truly democratic state for all its citizens, Jews and Arabs, ends its occupation of Palestinian territories, and recognizes the Palestinian people as a full people, with all their rights and sovereignty.

• Egyptian Initiative to Convince Washington on Gaza Reconstruction Plan

• Gaza after the War: Divergent Plans and Risky Scenarios