Since the Arab states gave up on liberating Palestine in the mid-1960s, various resistance movements with different ideological and intellectual perspectives have borne the burden of liberation. Consequently, youth have become more involved in these movements, more engaged with the Palestinian cause, and more aware of the reality and danger of the Zionist project. Since that time, young people's blood has been the most shed, and they have suffered the most in various prisons, especially in the prisons of the Zionist occupation.
Before the “Al-Aqsa Flood” on October 7, 2023, interest in the Palestinian cause was waning among many young Arabs. Many believed that the Zionist army was invincible and that achieving a victory over it, or even delivering painful blows, was impossible. They thought normalization with the Zionist entity was the only option for Palestinians and Arabs, and that there was no escape from submitting and accepting the existence and superiority of “Israel.”
However, the “Al-Aqsa Flood” operation had a significant impact on Palestinian and Arab youth. The events revived the Palestinian cause and brought back the tragedy of the 1948 Arab Nakba. This time, the Palestinian response was entirely different. Hundreds of thousands of Gazans rejected Zionist displacement plans, clinging to their existence in Palestine even if borders were opened and countries welcomed them.
Many opinion polls indicate that the Gaza war has had a significant impact on both Palestinian and Arab youth. In the West Bank, the majority supported the resistance project led by Hamas, while support for peaceful and normalization projects with “Israel” pursued by the Palestinian Authority, led by President Mahmoud Abbas, declined. This support for Hamas transcends party and factional commitments, favoring the resistance project.
A poll conducted on December 13, 2023, by the Palestinian Center for Policy and Survey Research showed an increase in support for Hamas in the West Bank. 85% of those surveyed supported Hamas's surprise attack on “Israel” on October 7, 2023, while only 10% supported the Palestinian Authority in the West Bank, and 7% supported Mahmoud Abbas.
This poll reveals the presence and deep-rootedness of the resistance project within the Palestinian society across all factions and forces, especially among youth. Young people believe that normalization has not improved Palestinians' living conditions or deepened their sense of security and hope for a better life. Instead, it has led to increased settlements that consume land and confine Palestinians to small, fragmented areas unsuitable for life or development, let alone establishing an independent state. Therefore, the “Al-Aqsa Flood” and the Gaza war have shifted Palestinian youth from accepting the logic of normalization to embracing the horizon of resistance, increasing youth support for the resistance project and their involvement in its current.
Anyone following the impact of the Gaza war among youth in the West Bank will notice that resistance has become a youth option. Hence, “Israeli” incursions into cities, villages, and camps in the West Bank, their siege, and the arrest and killing of young people have not ceased. The number of martyrs has exceeded 370 Palestinians, while the number of detainees has surpassed 6,200 since the “Al-Aqsa Flood.” These Zionist crimes in the West Bank undoubtedly create a strong barrier against normalization projects and a lasting memory of the brutal reality of the Zionist occupation, weakening the security apparatus of the Authority in Ramallah in suppressing youth anger against the ongoing war of genocide in Gaza.
At the Arab youth level, despite the apparent calm in Arab capitals, the “Al-Aqsa Flood” and the Gaza war have revived the Palestinian cause in the hearts of many young Arabs. This awakening has prevented those known as the “Arab Likud” or “Arab Zionists” from having a media presence opposing the resistance project or supporting “Israel.” Some normalization advocates have even expressed regret for supporting normalization with “Israel.” For instance, Dr. Osama Al-Ghazali Harb apologized, writing in the Cairo newspaper “Al-Ahram”: “I apologize for my good faith in the 'Israelis,' who have revealed a vile, criminal racist spirit. I apologize to the martyrs of Gaza, and to every Palestinian child, woman, and man... I apologize.”
In a survey conducted by the Washington Institute between November 14, 2023, and January 6, 2024, involving a thousand Saudis, 95% supported what Hamas did on October 7, 2023. 91% of them viewed the Gaza war as a victory for Palestinians despite the destruction and loss of life. 96% opposed normalization with “Israel” and called for severing diplomatic, commercial, and economic ties with “Israel.” According to this survey, Hamas enjoys unprecedented support in Egypt, Jordan, and Lebanon. For example, in Lebanon, 8 out of 10 Lebanese have a positive view of Hamas, indicating that support for Hamas and the resistance project extends beyond sectarian boundaries.
Palestinian, Arab, and Muslim youth have played a prominent role in “humanizing” the war on Gaza and transforming it into a humanitarian tragedy that necessitates intervention to stop the barbaric genocide that “Israel” is perpetrating in Gaza. The significant efforts of youth have presented a different narrative of the war on Gaza, gaining wide global acceptance and support. This has been evident in the demonstrations flooding Western capitals, narrowing the grip on the “Israeli” and Western narrative about the war on Gaza. Youth efforts have been clear on social media platforms, providing extensive information and videos, exposing the Palestinian plight and rights. For instance, over 50 million posts appeared on the “X” platform during the first two days of the war on Gaza. Despite billionaire Elon Musk's visit to “Israel,” millions of posts condemned “Israel,” prompting the platform's administration to launch a campaign to close many influential pro-Palestinian accounts after threats from the European Commission. Hashtags supporting the Palestinian cause garnered millions of views; for example, the hashtag “#Palestine” received 40.3 billion views on “TikTok,” and the hashtag “NotJustNumbers,” which tells the stories of martyrs in Gaza, achieved wide reach.
These efforts by youth on social media have significantly changed the stance toward the Palestinian cause in most Arab countries, especially among youth. This has been confirmed by “Foreign Affairs” magazine, stating that after the Gaza war, “Israel” is less popular, having changed Arab perspectives.
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