Life, Society, and Culture

Everyday Realities Behind a Political Conflict

Life in Israel and Palestine is often reduced to headlines about war, diplomacy, and negotiations. Yet for the people who live there, the conflict is only one layer of daily existence. Underneath it are families, schools, workplaces, religious rituals, cultural scenes, friendships, and small moments of routine. This chapter focuses on those social and cultural dimensions. It looks at how people build lives within and around a protracted conflict, how identities are shaped, and how culture both reflects and challenges political realities.

Geography, Space, and Separation

Where people live in this small territory strongly shapes their daily experience. Geography is marked not only by natural features and cities, but also by borders, checkpoints, walls, and security systems that regulate movement.

For many Jewish Israelis, daily life is organized around cities such as Tel Aviv, Haifa, and Beersheba, or suburbs and towns connected by a developed road network. In these areas, people often move relatively freely, commute by car or public transport, and experience a physical environment that can feel similar to other middle income countries. Yet security checks, shelters, and memories of past attacks are visible reminders that the conflict is close.

For Palestinian citizens of Israel, space is organized differently. Many live in Arab majority towns and villages inside Israel, or in mixed cities like Haifa, Jaffa, Lod, Ramla, and Acre. They hold Israeli citizenship and can move across the country, but often face social and economic segregation, different municipal investment levels, and an ongoing sense of being part of both Israeli society and the wider Palestinian people.

In the occupied West Bank, the landscape is fragmented. Palestinian cities, towns, villages, refugee camps, Israeli settlements, and military areas are interwoven. Movement is shaped by checkpoints, roads primarily for settlers, and the separation barrier. Many Palestinians must plan work, study, and social visits around unpredictable delays and permits. Israeli settlers, who are Israeli citizens, usually move under a different legal and administrative regime, travel on separate roads, and rely on the protection of the Israeli army.

In Gaza, the blockade and repeated rounds of violence mean that daily life takes place in a densely populated, constrained space. Many people cannot leave at all, even for urgent needs, without special permissions that are difficult to obtain. The sea and sky are visible but controlled, and this shapes a particular sense of confinement that is central to Gaza’s social reality.

Family Life and Social Structures

Family is a key anchor in both Israeli and Palestinian societies. It shapes support networks, expectations, and social norms.

Among Palestinians, extended family and clan ties remain especially strong. In many towns and villages, kinship networks influence local politics, marriage choices, work opportunities, and social status. Multi generational households are common, particularly in refugee camps and poorer areas where space and resources are limited. Family gatherings for religious holidays, weddings, and funerals are major social events. The conflict adds layers of responsibility: families may support relatives who are in prison, living as refugees, injured, or unemployed due to closures and restrictions.

Among Jewish Israelis, family structures are more varied. There are secular, religious, and ultra Orthodox families, families with roots in Europe, the Middle East, North Africa, Ethiopia, the former Soviet Union, and elsewhere, as well as intermarried families that mix different Jewish backgrounds or combine Jewish and non Jewish partners. Some families are very traditional, others are nuclear and individualistic. Military service shapes family life: parents discuss conscription for their children, worry about their safety, and adjust routines to visiting schedules when children are in the army.

For both peoples, migration and displacement have left deep marks. Many Israeli families preserve memories of immigration, escape, or expulsion from other regions, whether Europe, Arab countries, or beyond. Many Palestinian families preserve the names and keys of villages lost in 1948, tell stories of life before displacement, and maintain ties to relatives in refugee communities abroad. These memories are often passed on through family conversations and rituals rather than formal education.

Religion in Everyday Life

Religion plays a public and private role, but in very different ways for different communities and individuals.

In Jewish Israeli society, there is a spectrum from secular to ultra Orthodox. Many secular or traditional Jews are not strictly observant, yet mark life cycle events such as circumcision, bar or bat mitzvah, marriage, and burial according to Jewish custom. Shabbat affects public life: in many cities public transport is limited on Fridays and Saturdays, shops close in more religious areas, and some families treat Friday night dinner as an important weekly gathering.

National religious Jews combine religious observance with strong attachment to the land and often to the settlement project in the West Bank. This shapes daily practices, from where they live to how they interpret religious texts about the land. Ultra Orthodox communities often live in distinct neighborhoods or towns, with their own educational systems, modesty norms, and economic patterns.

Among Palestinians, the majority are Sunni Muslims, with Christian minorities and smaller communities of other faiths. Religious practice varies. Some Palestinians are devout, observing daily prayers, fasting during Ramadan, and attending communal prayers on Fridays or Sundays. Others are less observant or secular. Religious holidays such as Ramadan, Eid al Fitr, Eid al Adha, Christmas, and Easter structure social life. In towns like Bethlehem, Ramallah, Nazareth, and Haifa, Muslim and Christian calendars intersect and sometimes share public space.

Access to holy sites in Jerusalem is a religious and everyday concern. For many Palestinians from the West Bank and Gaza, visiting Al Aqsa Mosque or the Church of the Holy Sepulchre involves seeking permits, navigating checkpoints, or accepting that they may never visit at all. For Jewish Israelis, visiting the Western Wall is relatively easy, but access to the Temple Mount / Haram al Sharif is restricted and politically sensitive. These access patterns deeply influence how people experience their religious heritage.

Education and Schools

Education systems in Israel and the Palestinian territories reflect social divisions and political realities.

Inside Israel, Jewish students typically attend Hebrew language schools. There are state secular, state religious, and ultra Orthodox school streams, each with different curricula and emphasis on religion and nationalism. Palestinian citizens of Israel attend Arabic language schools run by the state but often with separate tracks, and they may encounter different narratives about history and literature in school and at home.

In the West Bank and Gaza, Palestinian children attend schools run by the Palestinian Authority, UNRWA, or private organizations. Overcrowded classrooms, limited resources, and political instability affect learning conditions. Exams and university studies can be disrupted by closures, military incursions, or electricity cuts. Despite this, education is often highly valued and seen as a path to dignity and opportunity.

For both Israelis and Palestinians, what is taught or not taught about the conflict, the other side, and the region’s history influences how young people understand their world. Textbooks, classroom discussions, and the presence or absence of contact with the other community shape perceptions from an early age. Yet education is not only formal: youth absorb messages from family, media, religious leaders, and their social surroundings.

Work, Economy, and Inequality

Economic life is deeply unequal both between and within communities, and it is intertwined with the conflict.

Israel’s economy is relatively developed in sectors such as technology, services, and industry. Many Jewish Israelis work in high tech, finance, public administration, health, and education, especially in major urban centers. At the same time, there are significant pockets of poverty, particularly among ultra Orthodox communities and some groups of Mizrahi and Ethiopian origin. Palestinian citizens of Israel face structural discrimination and often have lower wages, higher unemployment, and underfunded infrastructure compared with Jewish Israeli peers.

In the West Bank, the economy is constrained by occupation related regulations such as restrictions on movement, access to land and water, and control of borders and resources. Many Palestinians work in agriculture, small trade, services, construction, or as employees in Israeli cities and settlements. Permits to work in Israel are highly desired but also a source of insecurity because they can be revoked. Informal labor and dependence on family networks are common.

In Gaza, the blockade and repeated destruction of infrastructure have led to very high unemployment, especially among youth. Many people rely on humanitarian aid, UN and NGO employment schemes, or informal work. Professional aspirations often collide with a closed border system, so a trained engineer or doctor may find limited opportunities.

Daily work life is marked by practical concerns: long commutes due to checkpoints, fear of rocket fire or military operations, and uncertainty about the future of a business or job. At the same time, people pursue careers, plan for promotions, and open shops and startups just as people elsewhere do. Aspirations for stability and advancement coexist with constant risk.

Gender Roles and Social Change

Gender roles in Israel and Palestine reflect both traditional norms and rapid change, shaped by religion, culture, and the conflict itself.

In many Palestinian communities, social expectations for women and men remain relatively conservative, especially in rural areas and refugee camps. Women often carry a double burden of household and income generation, particularly in periods of crisis. At the same time, Palestinian women take active roles as professionals, activists, academics, and community organizers. They navigate pressures from occupation, internal politics, and patriarchal norms, and their labor is central to family survival.

In Jewish Israeli society, gender roles vary widely. Secular urban environments often embrace more liberal gender norms, with high female participation in the workforce and public life. However, traditional expectations persist within families and institutions. In ultra Orthodox communities, women often work outside the home while men prioritize religious study, but women may face strict modesty rules and limited formal power in religious structures. In national religious and right wing settings, women may serve in some army roles and be active in settlement life, yet still encounter gendered limitations.

The conflict impacts gender in specific ways. Men are more likely to be involved in combat, policing, or armed groups, and to experience incarceration. Women are more likely to manage households under stress, care for the injured or traumatized, and participate in informal peace and protest movements. Youth of all genders must position themselves in relation to military service or resistance activities, which affects their education, careers, and relationships.

Youth, Leisure, and Popular Culture

For young people, the conflict forms part of the background, but not the whole story. Youth culture is shaped by global trends in music, fashion, and social media, as well as by local constraints.

In Israeli cities such as Tel Aviv, Haifa, and Jerusalem, cafes, bars, clubs, and cultural events form a lively nightlife. Young adults watch global streaming services, listen to international pop alongside Hebrew and Arabic music, and participate in online communities. At the same time, most Jewish Israeli teens anticipate or undergo compulsory military service around age 18, which influences friendships, mental health, and future plans.

Palestinian youth in the West Bank and Gaza face more limited physical spaces for leisure. Curfews, checkpoints, and security concerns can restrict going out. Yet they create their own spaces: shisha cafes, community centers, sports clubs, local music scenes, and informal gatherings in homes or public squares. Social media provides a way to connect with global culture and with the wider Palestinian diaspora, and it is also a tool for documenting and discussing life under occupation.

For Palestinian citizens of Israel, youth culture is often bilingual and bicultural, navigating Arabic and Hebrew media, Palestinian and Israeli references, and a complex sense of belonging. Mixed cities and universities can provide spaces where Jewish and Palestinian youth meet, collaborate, or clash.

Popular culture across the region reflects conflict themes but also everyday dreams. Songs, films, and stand up comedy often address love, money, family pressure, and generational change. At the same time, they may contain coded or explicit references to discrimination, occupation, loss, and resistance.

Art, Literature, and Memory

Artistic expression is a powerful way that Israelis and Palestinians process trauma, identity, and hope. It also preserves and challenges collective memories.

Palestinian literature, poetry, and visual arts often carry motifs of exile, longing for the homeland, and the persistence of identity despite displacement. Writers and artists in the West Bank, Gaza, East Jerusalem, inside Israel, and in the diaspora contribute to a shared cultural vocabulary that includes images of keys, olive trees, destroyed villages, and maps. Refugee camps and urban galleries can both be sites of artistic experimentation.

Israeli literature and film explore themes such as immigration, the Holocaust legacy, war experiences, and the moral dilemmas of living in a militarized society. Works by Jewish and Palestinian citizens of Israel sometimes challenge dominant narratives and bring marginalized voices into focus, including Mizrahi, Ethiopian, ultra Orthodox, queer, and Palestinian perspectives.

Cultural institutions such as theaters, museums, and festivals often become battlegrounds over how history is told. A play about soldiers in the occupied territories or a film about Palestinian refugees can spark public debate, calls for censorship, or enthusiastic support. At the same time, many artists consciously seek to build bridges, collaborate across national lines, or focus on universal themes that still emerge from a very particular landscape.

Memory work is not limited to formal art. Murals, memorials, graffiti, songs chanted at demonstrations, and family photo albums are all part of how people remember and narrate past wars, uprisings, and losses. These cultural practices help sustain collective identities but can also deepen divisions when memories are framed in mutually exclusive ways.

Community, Civil Society, and Everyday Politics

Between official institutions and individual lives lies a dense layer of community organizations and civil society. These are spaces where people confront practical problems, express solidarity, and sometimes cross societal divides.

In Israel, neighborhood associations, local NGOs, religious communities, and political movements provide social services, advocate for rights, and mobilize support for various causes. Some organizations focus on Jewish Israeli issues, such as housing, religious pluralism, or social justice. Others are joint Israeli Palestinian initiatives that work on dialogue, shared spaces, or human rights monitoring. Palestinian citizens of Israel have their own civil society networks that address discrimination, cultural preservation, and political representation.

In the West Bank and Gaza, civil society includes student groups, women’s organizations, human rights NGOs, professional associations, youth centers, and local committees. These groups often balance service provision and advocacy, addressing needs such as health care, legal aid, education, and trauma support. They may operate under pressure from occupation authorities, local security forces, and competing political factions.

Everyday politics is visible in small acts: a shopkeeper’s choice of language with different customers, a family’s decision to send children to a particular school, a farmer’s insistence on cultivating land near a settlement, or an Israeli family’s choice to attend or avoid certain protests. People engage with politics not only through voting or demonstrations, but through small, repeated decisions that affirm or question existing structures.

Fear, Resilience, and Normality

Living in a conflict zone affects emotions and mental health, yet people also develop ways to carry on and create normality.

For Israelis, fear may be linked to memories of suicide bombings, rocket attacks, or wars with neighboring states and armed groups. Sirens, safe rooms, and emergency drills are part of life, especially in areas near the Gaza border or the northern frontiers. Many people live with a background sense of vulnerability, shaped by both personal experience and older historical traumas.

For Palestinians, fear is more often connected to military incursions, arrests, settler violence, home demolitions, bombardments, and loss of livelihood. Children and adults may experience anxiety, sleep disturbances, or a constant need to anticipate danger. In Gaza, repeated large scale military operations have left widespread psychological scars.

At the same time, both societies show remarkable resilience. Parents insist on celebrating birthdays and weddings even during tense periods. Teachers continue classes despite uncertainty. People joke, fall in love, and build careers. This search for a normal life can sometimes appear as denial of the conflict’s gravity, but it can also be understood as a coping strategy that allows individuals to survive long term instability.

Contacts, Barriers, and Encounters

The degree of direct contact between Israelis and Palestinians varies greatly, and has changed over time. Today, many members of each society rarely meet the other side in meaningful, equal settings.

Jewish Israelis are most likely to encounter Palestinians as coworkers, particularly Palestinian citizens of Israel in healthcare, construction, or service sectors, or Palestinian laborers from the West Bank. In the army, some interact with Palestinians as subjects of security operations. Organized dialogue programs, shared workplaces, and mixed neighborhoods are exceptions where deeper connections develop.

Palestinians in the West Bank may meet Jewish Israelis as soldiers at checkpoints, settlers on nearby hilltops, employers, or human rights activists. In Gaza, direct contact with Israelis is limited mostly to infrastructure coordination and border related interactions. For Palestinian citizens of Israel, contact with Jewish Israelis is more frequent, especially in universities and certain professions, but remains structured by power imbalances and mutual suspicion.

Despite these barriers, there are spaces of encounter: joint cultural projects, bilingual schools, hospitals where staff and patients come from both peoples, online discussion forums, and activist networks. These do not represent the majority experience, but they show that the social landscape is not completely divided into separate, sealed worlds.

Culture as Mirror and Possibility

Life, society, and culture in Israel and Palestine cannot be reduced to the conflict, yet they cannot be understood apart from it. Family rituals, language choices, school routines, economic patterns, and artistic creations all carry traces of the political reality. At the same time, they hold possibilities for change.

Cultural expressions mirror existing divisions and traumas, but they also open imaginative spaces where alternative futures can be explored. Everyday acts of coexistence do not erase deep structural problems, but they show that people are capable of relating to each other as more than enemies or abstractions. Understanding these social and cultural dimensions is essential for grasping not only how the conflict harms lives, but also how people continue to live, adapt, and create meanings in its shadow.