How could someone be stateless? Is it a geographical coincidence? Or is it a destined fate that I should live with forever?
Identity documents (IDs) are essential documents that prove a person’s identity and are necessary for day-to-day transactions and legal procedures. Without an ID, you cannot get a driver’s license, and you cannot get a travel passport either. It’s an essential item that unlocks access to many of your civil rights, and without it, those rights are simply taken away from you. Have you ever heard about someone who is simply unable to get an ID issued — only because of political reasons (most often referred to as arbitrary reasons)? Well, here is a story for you.
Being expelled from their home country, Palestine, in 1948, my family made their way to Kuwait. In 1999, my grandfather decided to go back to Palestine and settle in the Gaza Strip. At the time, they did not possess any Palestinian identification documents and were simply unable to get those issued because of the political circumstances during that period. The only reason they were able to enter Gaza was that my mother held a Jordanian passport and my father held an Egyptian travel document and the entry permit that was issued to them by the Israeli side. There was hope for this issue to be resolved in the next few years and some IDs were issued, including my grandfather, my uncle, and my aunt.
However, and as part of the 2008-2009 Israeli Assault on the Gaza Strip, Israel terminated issuing IDs for the rest of the citizens who had been waiting for their IDs to see the light. With this being said, my family and I have been left helpless with no hope looming on the horizon. Nevertheless, my family kept mobilizing and advocating for their right to fair citizenship. As a result, my parents, my older brother, and my sister were able to get their IDs in January 2022. " It is a sigh of relief, my father said when first touched his ID after 23 years of being stateless.
Until this moment, my little brother and I are still with no IDs. This said we don't have access to a normal life. For example, traveling for me is a far-fetched dream and so is getting a driver's license. Frankly, being stateless, let alone in Gaza, has made things really difficult where everyday tasks provided a considerable challenge. I truly hope that one day I will get over this and be able to relish my basic, fundamental rights. I will stay hopeful as a major component of my fight to be recognized.
