Palestinian women in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict

Abstract

This article analyzes the participation of Palestinian women in the context of the Israeli- Palestinian conflict, with a particular focus on their involvement in armed struggle during the Second Intifada (2000–2005) and their role in the public sphere. A critical reading is proposed from a feminist perspective that questions both the normative frameworks of the modern nation-state and the limitations of Western feminisms in understanding local dynamics.

The study argues that Palestinian women face a dual oppression: on the one hand, the Israeli occupation, and on the other, patriarchal structures within their own society. Through an analysis of their participation in armed groups and political processes, the paper highlights how their agency is constantly shaped and constrained by masculine and hierarchical discourses. It calls for an approach that goes beyond the logic of "othering," recognizing these women as complex political subjects embedded in structural dynamics shared by women in other conflict-affected contexts.