Emotional attachments to places and Stateless nations

Who and why would be influenced by emotional attachment?

• Residents may be attached to their neighbourhood that they grew up in - can be negative or positive

• Memory is a personal thing because our experiences are unique to us. They are highly selective since we remember somethings and forget others

• If we have a positive experiences of a place, we are more likely to have a strong emotional attachment to the place

• Memory and feelings can be social - you experience things as a group

• A shared cultural identity or ancestral heritage (diasporas) can make a place have strong attachment

What is the history of the Palestinian people?

• Since 8th century there has been Arab migration in the Middle East and there has been lots of tensions between the three Abrahamic religions

• The Allies played a big role in geo-politics

• Palestine went under a British mandate post WW1

• In May 1948, Israel was proclaimed as a state and Palestinian began to fell ignored

• Major wars began and many Palestinians became displaced

Currently how many Palestinians are living in refugee camps?

1.5 million

What is the physical geography of Palestine?

• Palestine is located on the east coast of the Mediterranean sea, south of Lebanon and West Jordan

• Historic Palestine was the area of Israel, including the West Bank and the Gaza Strip

• During the British Mandate, they tries to split Palestine up in two parts

• In the 21st century, many Palestinian are associated with Gaza and the West Bank

What is the human geography of Palestine?

• In 1992, a concrete wall across the Gaza Strip was made. Israel controlled the immigration in and out of the West Bank - Palestinians were virtually stuck

• This wall crossed through the Olive fields and has caused 80,000 Palestinian families to lose out on $12.3 million a year

• Currently the Palestinian economy is heavily reliant on aid from the US ($281 mil) and EU ($206 mil)

Why do the Palestinians want to remain?

Its religiously important because

• It is the site of the Dome of the Rock

• It was the site of Muhammad’s night journey

• It is where they believe Judgement Day will occur

• There has been centuries of Palestinians in Jerusalem - close to ancestors

• Jerusalem was were many Muslim prophets settled

What is the current situation in Palestine?

On Oct 7th 2023, Hamas kidnaped around 250 Israelis in exchange for complete control of Palestine; Israel blocked water and electricity supplies in the West Bank

What is their emotional attachment to Palestine?

• Spiritual reasons - site of holy places

• Shared cultural heritage and ancestry - cultural identity formed

• Diasporas and industries can form connections