Will tables turn in favor of youth in Palestine?
The new Palestinian generation leading the intifada did not wait for instructions from political leaders, who may now have to look to the youth for direction.
Since the outbreak of the current Palestinian uprising in early October in the West Bank and Jerusalem, young people have been the most involved in the daily incidents with the Israeli military. They are either the perpetrators of stabbings or vehicular attacks or the victims. According to a survey published by Al-Quds Center for Political Studies, 45 Palestinians under 20 had been killed as of Dec. 10, 40% of the total dead. Most of them died in field clashes with the Israeli military in some regions of the West Bank, according to the survey.
The unrest has led to the formation of the Intifada Youth Coalition, created to lead activities, demonstrations and confrontations with the Israelis. This coalition seems to be a substitute for the organizational field formations that were established in the previous intifadas.
