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Naturalised Palestinians in Lebanon: Experiences of Belonging, Identity and Citizenship

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Naturalised Palestinians in Lebanon: Experiences of Belonging, Identity and Citizenship Naturalised Palestinians in Lebanon: experiences of belonging, identity and citizenship Hind Ghandour Thesis submitted in total fulfillment of requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy Swinburne University of Technology 2017 2 Abstract This thesis explores the naturalisation of Palestinians in Lebanon. Drawing on a series of in-depth interviews, observations and secondary data, this research investigates the naturalisation process and its aftermath among Palestinians who were granted citizenship in the late 1940s and 1950s in Lebanon. Field research was conducted over the duration of almost one year between 2013 and 2014, during which 80 participants, both naturalised Palestinians as well as refugees, were interviewed. The objectives of this study are twofold. First: to contribute to remedying the existing gap in the scholarly literature, which has for so long overlooked the naturalised and focused on the fate of the Palestinian refugee population in Lebanon and elsewhere in the Arab world. Second: to shed light on the naturalisation process in Lebanon, about which little is known, and investigate its influence on expressions of self, identity, belonging and nationalism. Naturalisation, as this thesis suggests, does not exist nor take place in a political vacuum. It is orchestrated in accordance to preconceived political, demographic and economic objectives. Conditions of inclusion and exclusion in a nation-state do not take place in political isolation, as they serve broader political goals, and are critical to understanding the aftermath of naturalisation as they serve to explain expressions of belonging and identification with the nation-state. Recently, studies of citizenship have aimed at illustrating the extent to which individuals extend some authority over their citizenship status by determining what citizenship means to them, and not vice versa. Such debates serve as a nodal point throughout this study, which aims to bring to light the personal dimension of power and authority upon which the meaning of citizenship is defined and determined. 3 For my daughter Leila who has given me life; for my mother Souad, my first and most important teacher; for my husband Hisham who has always been there. 4 Acknowledgements I am indebted to so many people whose influence on this thesis began years before it was conceptualised, and decades before I thought to write it. My family’s political and social consciousness has guided my career, research, and life decisions in more ways than I or they will ever know. Thanks to my uncle Farouk, late aunt Jihane, cousin Nahla and so many members of my family to whom Palestine has always been close. I extend my utmost gratitude to all those who participated in this research, none of this would have been possible without them. I am beyond grateful to my mother, Souad Hawari. She is the light in my life, and my guidance and voice of reason in all that I do. My father’s silence about Palestine was the loudest voice in our home. His inability to speak about the place of his birth, his homeland, guided me towards this journey. My brothers have been a constant support in my life and for that I am gratefiul. I would like to thank my three supervisors: Linda Briskman provided guidance and excitement about this project, and was always able to offer a different perspective. Her friendship is valued beyond words. Sophie Richter-Devroe has been integral to the study from its earliest days in Exeter. I am indebted to her for the depth of her knowledge, vision, and care with which she read my work. She brought so much to this research. Lorenzo Veracini tackled this study with meticulous proofreading and his contribution to its final stages was most valuable. This thesis would not have been possible without the generous scholarship I was awarded from Swinburne University of Technology. I thank my husband Hisham for his love, support, dedication and passion for my work. He kept me driven and energised throughout this journey, and I cannot thank him enough for it. 5 Declaration This thesis contains no material which has been accepted for the award to the candidate of any other degree or diploma, except where due reference is made in the text of the examinable outcome. To the best of the candidate’s knowledge the thesis contains no material previously published or written by another person except where due reference is made in the text of the examinable outcome. Where the work is based on joint research or publications, it discloses the relative contributions of the respective workers or authors. 6 Contents Abstract ......................................................................................................................................... 3 Acknowledgements ....................................................................................................................... 5 Declaration .................................................................................................................................... 6 Preface ........................................................................................................................................... 9 Chapter 1: Lebanon’s Naturalised Palestinians ...................................................................... 13 Context and background: al Nakba .......................................................................................... 16 T. H. Marshall’s Liberal Theory of Citizenship ....................................................................... 20 Citizenship and human rights ................................................... Error! Bookmark not defined. The colonial origins of citizenship in the Arab World ............................................................. 23 Naturalisation: open versus closed countries ............................................................................... 26 Naturalised versus refugee ....................................................................................................... 27 Identifying the problem ............................................................................................................ 28 Etymology of tawtin and tajnis ................................................................................................ 30 Objectives of this study ............................................................................................................ 32 Research questions ................................................................................................................... 34 Overview of chapters ............................................................................................................... 34 Conclusion ............................................................................................................................... 35 Chapter 2: Methodology ............................................................................................................ 36 Methods and methodology ....................................................................................................... 36 Primary sources and data collection ......................................................................................... 37 Gathering the data .................................................................................................................... 37 Research design ........................................................................................................................ 40 Fieldwork: July 2013 to February 2014 ................................................................................... 40 The interviews .......................................................................................................................... 46 My family ................................................................................................................................. 47 Positionality and reflexivity ..................................................................................................... 48 Limitations of this study........................................................................................................... 52 Data and analysis ..................................................................................................................... 53 Conclusion ............................................................................................................................... 53 Chapter 3: Tawtin in Lebanon................................................................................................... 55 1947–1948 ................................................................................................................................ 55 The establishment of Israel ...................................................................................................... 56 Palestinian arrival in Lebanon .................................................................................................. 57 Repatriation/the right of return ................................................................................................. 60 Resettlement in International discourse ................................................................................... 62 Palestinian naturalisation (1948-early 1960s) .......................................................................... 65 The significance of Christians and wealthy Muslims in the tawtin process ............................ 65 Against tawtin: demographic and political reasons .................................................................
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