Discrimination Against Palestinian Refugees in Lebanon

Last Wednesday started off like any other for Palestinian students attending a university in Beirut, Lebanon. They caught the bus to Beirut, attended classes and then caught the bus home again, however unlike during the trip to Beirut that morning, the bus was stopped at a checkpoint along the way. What happened next would cause outrage in any other country in the world.

Lebanese soldiers stopped the bus at the checkpoint, then boarded the bus and demanded that every student with a "blue identity card" identify themselves. In case anyone is unfamiliar with the "blue card", this is an ID card given to Palestinian Refugees in Lebanon, and they must carry these cards with them at all times. (specifically outside of the Palestinian refugee camps.)

(For information on the camps, see my article Palestinian Refugee Camps in Lebanon)

Photo: DailyStar

After the Palestinian university students identified themselves, they were escorted off the bus and then placed under arrest and handcuffed. The Palestinian students were then taken to an army barracks and interrogated, during this time the Lebanese Army conducted background checks on the Palestinian students to see whether they had criminal records. None of the students did and they were then released from custody and allowed to continue on their journey home.


This incident emphasises the disgraceful discrimination against Palestinian in Lebanon by the Lebanese Army. The Lebanese Army routinely stop and harass Palestinians at checkpoints, Palestinians are arrested and detained, sometimes for several hours, and usually for the smallest thing.

One such small thing was the arrest of a Palestinian male for driving a 2010 BMW. This Palestinian man was stopped at a checkpoint and after asking this Palestinian man for ID, the Lebanese soldier accused this Palestinian man of being a thief, as according to this soldier a "poor Palestinian" couldn't afford a car as nice as the one he was driving. The Palestinian man showed the soldier his papers, which proved the car was his, however he was still arrested until it could be proven these papers were not fraudulent. (the Lebanese Army also did background checks on this man during this time, he was not found to have any criminal records)


This discrimination and persecution of Palestinians occurs on a daily basis, it is bigotry pure and simple. However, it has now reached the level where innocent Palestinian students are being arrested, handcuffed and interrogated, solely for being Palestinian.



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I have been quite brief with my descriptions and I have not included any places or names so as to protect the anonymity all Palestinians involved.