Unequal Safety: Challenges Faced by Palestinian Citizens in Israel During Missile Attacks
When missile alerts sounded across Israel amid escalating tensions with iran,countless residents scrambled to find shelter. Though, for nearly two million Palestinian citizens-comprising about 21 percent of the country’s population-the promise of refuge was frequently enough denied not by external threats but by discrimination within their own communities.
Denied Shelter: A Harrowing Experience
Samar al-Rashed, a 29-year-old single mother living near Acre in a predominantly Jewish apartment complex, vividly recalls the night she and her five-year-old daughter sought safety. As sirens wailed warning of incoming missiles, Samar grabbed essentials and hurried toward the building’s bomb shelter.
Despite speaking fluent Hebrew and pleading for entry, an Israeli neighbor overheard her speaking Arabic and refused them access with cold dismissal: “Not for you.” Left alone to face the danger outside while watching fiery trails streak across the sky, Samar’s ordeal revealed deep societal fractures that extend beyond physical threats.
The Broader Context of Systemic Inequality
The exclusion Samar faced is symptomatic of long-standing structural disparities affecting Palestinian citizens inside Israel.Although legally equal on paper as Israeli nationals, Palestinians frequently encounter barriers in housing availability, education quality, employment opportunities, and access to public services.
Over 65 laws have been identified that directly or indirectly discriminate against this community. The 2018 nation-state law further entrenched these inequalities by defining Israel explicitly as “the nation-state of the Jewish people,” a move critics argue institutionalizes apartheid-like conditions.
Tensions intensify during periods of conflict when discriminatory policing escalates alongside restrictions such as arrests over social media posts expressing solidarity with Gaza or dissent regarding policies impacting Palestinians within Israel’s borders.
A Night in Haifa: locked Out from Safety
Mohammed Dabdoob runs a mobile repair shop in Haifa where he was working when missile alerts sounded one evening amid rising hostilities. After hastily closing his store due to anxiety triggered by nearby explosions reminiscent of Lebanon’s Beirut port blast years earlier-a traumatic event displacing thousands-he sought refuge at a public shelter behind his shop only to find its door locked despite repeated attempts using codes and calls for help in Hebrew.
“I genuinely feared for my life,” Mohammed recalled.
“There is no true security here-not just from rockets but also from those who shoudl be our neighbors.”
inequitable Access to Protective Infrastructure
civil defense measures like bomb shelters are intended to safeguard all Israeli citizens equally; though recent data reveals glaring disparities:
- A 2023 government audit found that over 70% of homes in Palestinian localities lack safe rooms meeting current standards compared with approximately 25% among Jewish households;
- Civil defense funding disproportionately favors Jewish municipalities resulting in older buildings without necessary reinforcements;
- This inequality persists even within mixed cities such as Lydd (Lod), where Arab and Jewish residents coexist yet face unequal emergency preparedness resources.
Lydd (Lod): A Snapshot of Neglect Amid Coexistence
Nursing student Yara Srour lives in al-Mahatta neighborhood-a marginalized area lacking official permits or adequate shelters-in Lydd where both Arab and Jewish populations reside side-by-side yet experience starkly different treatment during crises:
“After intense Iranian missile attacks shook our city one Saturday night we tried escaping early next day towards newer neighborhoods equipped with reinforced shelters,” Yara shared.
“Despite urgent pleas-including from my mother who suffers joint pain-we were denied entry along with poorer Jewish families; only middle-class residents were granted access.”
The family endured helplessness watching rocket interceptions light up skies above while repeatedly being shut out despite desperate need for protection.
The Emotional Impact and Urgent Calls for Equality
Samar described how being refused sanctuary alongside her young daughter inflicted lasting psychological scars: “That night I felt completely isolated.” She chose not to report this discrimination fearing authorities would dismiss her claims.
Soon after missile strikes claimed lives nearby-including four women killed when their home was hit-Samar witnessed destruction firsthand from her balcony amidst rising smoke clouds symbolizing devastation beyond physical damage.
“Even under attack we are seen less as human beings than threats,” she lamented before temporarily relocating with family members into safer accommodations featuring reinforced rooms amid ongoing alerts every few hours.
Samar contemplates leaving abroad but struggles between protecting loved ones versus remaining deeply rooted ties: “It is truly survival versus staying here suffering.”
Lopsided Enforcement & Social Media Suppression
Although official statements claim all Israelis share vulnerability nonetheless of ethnicity-including declarations that Iranian missiles target everyone equally-the lived reality diverges sharply:
- An alarming number of Palestinian citizens have been detained merely for online expressions related politically charged events;
- This contrasts starkly against widespread incitement targeting Arabs online which frequently goes unchecked;
“The state demands loyalty during wartime but fails miserably when it comes time protecting us,” Mohammed reflected bitterly-a sentiment echoed throughout marginalized communities despite formal citizenship status.
“I want security like anyone else,” Yara added poignantly. “I’m training as a nurse hoping someday to serve others-but how can I do so if my own family isn’t safeguarded?”
