The Youth Leadership Deficit: When Young People Are Excluded from Shaping the Future

A diagnosis of the crisis of youth representation in Palestinian political and civic institutions, the forces excluding the new generation from decision-making, and proposals for a way out.

Author

Pal-Think research team

Date

2025-11-20

Key points

• Youth make up 60% of the population yet hold under 8% of leadership positions.
• Political elites keep the gates of entry closed to protect existing interests.
• Youth movements outside the institutions have proven their power to mobilise for change.

Recommendations

• Adopt a mandatory youth share in executive and legislative bodies.
• Leadership-transition programmes that bring the new generation into institutional strategy.
• Review the electoral quota system to include youth explicitly.