COVID-19 IN PALESTINE: NATIONALISM AND SOVEREIGNTY 2022 Fall 105 ARTICLE COVID-19 in Palestine: Nationalism and Sovereignty YOUSEF M. ALJAMAL, * ILISE BENSHUSHAN COHEN, ** and PHILIPP O. AMOUR *** * Sakarya University, Türkiye ORCID No: 0000-0003-0199-7159 ** Independent Scholar, U.S. ORCID No: 0000-0002-1466-8883 *** Sakarya University, Türkiye ORCID No: 0000-0001-6287-4625 ABSTRACT Te article examines the early spread of COVID-19 in the Occupied Palestinian Territories (OPTs) in light of nationalism and sovereignty. For Palestinians, the spread of COVID-19 has been challenging due to domestic and regional interactions and limited sovereignty, undermining their ability to combat the virus. Israel, ofen without coordination with the Palestinian Authority (PA), determined who could enter and exit the OPTs, including tens of thousands of Palestinians working in Israel, leading to an increased number of infections in the West Bank. Te pandemic awakened Palestinian national sentiment, serving as a reminder of disunity and lack of sovereignty. Despite these challenges, we show that the Palestinian health system un- successfully attempted to overcome the crisis. Te combination of economic [inter]dependence on Israel, lack of sovereignty, and nationalist resurgence help explain why the Palestinian health sector recorded thousands of cases following the second wave of the virus. COVID-19 has only further revealed how Palestinians could not practically operate independently from Israel. Keywords: Occupied Palestinian Territories, Israel, Nationalism, Sovereignty, COVID-19 Insight Turkey 2022 Vol. 24 / No. 4 / pp. 105-121 Received Date: 26/7/2022 • Accepted Date: 25/11/2022 • DOI: 10.25253/99.2022244.7