ABSTRACT
Introduction Following the establishment of Israel in 1948, Palestinian refugees lost both their homes and their citizenship. At present, the majority of Palestinians are not only refugees but also stateless. They constitute the largest stateless community in the world. Statelessness, perhaps more than any other factor, has dominated and shaped the lives of four generations of Palestinian refugees since their exodus in 1948. This chapter focuses on this aspect of Palestinian experience that was overlooked and kept at bay for so long while attention focused on the political aspects of the refugee plight.
