Access to Palestine - Restricted access as a case of Israel’s structural violence and deprivation of Palestinians’ human needs

Abstract

Palestinians living under illegal Israeli occupation are increasingly subjected to extensive restrictions on their ability to access space. Ranging from physical barriers such as the Separation Wall, to administrative obstacles like the ID- and permit-systems, Palestinians’ free movement is greatly limited. Analyses of this development focus almost exclusively on access as either a spatial or an economic term. Considering the far-reaching consequences of the imposed restrictions and their detrimental effects on the satisfaction of human needs, this thesis argues for a broader understanding of access as a question of violence. Through use of Edward Azar’s model for Protracted Social Conflict (PSC), human needs theory and structural violence theory, three cases that highlight different ways in which Israel restricts Palestinians’ access are examined. This thesis demonstrates that physical closure of Huwara, limited access to Al-Aqsa and denial of foreign nationals to the oPt, effectively deprive Palestinians of their human needs and thus constitute a structural violent practice. Informed by key concepts of spaciocide, settler colonialism and erasure, this thesis thus argues for an understanding of access as more than just spatial, but as something that can be deprived in an inherently violently manner. This thesis builds on research done at Hurryyat Center for Defense of Liberties & Civil Rights.