Asugust10^th, 2007

 

Checkpoints and Palestinian Families:

 

In this report, I hope to focus on the effects Israeli checkpoints have on Palestinian families, including its influence on the traditional roles of each family member. Let me note here that I acknowledge that checkpoints are not the only means through which the Israeli government has been monitoring and restricting the movement of Palestinians. However, I have decided to make it this report’s main theme in order to keep it more focused and organized and also in the hopes that it will inspire other researchers to apply my argument to all forms of restrictions of movement, including the wall, bypass roads, and so forth.

 

Checkpoints are not only a matter of restricting physical movement; it is also a matter of breaking a society.  While other aspects of Palestinian society remain important, the family has traditionally been viewed as one of its most important structures.  Thus, I argue that it is largely the break down of the traditional Palestinian family structure which will negatively affect the Palestinian society as a whole.  In this report, I will outline the negative consequences of checkpoints on familial roles: parents and elders alike are humbled in front of their own children; children have to cope with trauma themselves and are asked to be independent at a premature age; and mothers and fathers no longer feel they can provide for their families.  These incidents are no small matter in any region of the world; they are all the more devastating to a society centered around the family structure.  It is because of this that I support an end or at the very least an easing of checkpoints.