Making Livable Lives in Worlds in Crisis

Abstract

The final chapter underscores the fact that Palestinians share with millions of displaced persons across the globe the challenges of life lived in, against, and sometimes without relief. The persistent conceptual problem of exceptionalism has led some to view the Palestinian story of long-term displacement as incomparable with other refugee settings. In fact, the Palestinian refugee instance is not just comparable but also paradigmatic. Considering the recent global migrant crisis and the mass displacement of Syrians, the chapter argues that the refugee condition is not just returning but also persisting. Refugees are not external to global political orders, but central to them. Palestinians have considerable experience in making the refugee condition “world-forming.” Their experience sheds light on the forms of political life that are possible, even in precarious conditions.