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Kuwait–Palestine relations refer to foreign relations between Kuwait and the State of Palestine.
Kuwait supports the establishment of an independent Palestine State through a two-state solution.[1] It will not recognize Israel until the establishment of an independent Palestine.[2]
After the Nakba, Palestinians moved to Kuwait for work.[3] This movement was made easier after Kuwait removed visa requirements for Jordanians. The number of Palestinians moving to Kuwait increased after the Six-Day War when Israel occupied Gaza and the West Bank along with the Sinai and Golan Heights. From 1967 to 1969, 60 percent of teachers in Kuwait were Palestinians. Kuwait introduced the Kafala system which limited the rights of non-citizens and made a Kuwaiti responsible for non-Kuwaiti. Kuwait limited the enrollment of non-citizens in educational institutions to 10 percent but allowed the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) to operate schools for Palestinians. The PLO tried to prevent the influence of radical organizations, such as the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine, from increasing their influence in the Palestinian community in Kuwait. The PLO took five percent of the salary of Palestinians as tax for the Fatah controlled Palestine National Fund.
In 1976, Kuwait closed Palestine Liberation Organization operated schools which increased overcrowding in public schools. It made laws requiring expatriates to send their children to private schools. In 1986, 200 out of 276 seats reserved for foreigners at Kuwait University went to Palestinians. The government of Kuwait started a process of increasing the number of Kuwaitis in education and bureaucracy and reducing the number of Palestinians.
During the Gulf War, the Palestine Liberation Organization and Yasser Arafat supported Saddam Hussein which harmed relations with Kuwait.[4] The Palestinians believed supporting Iraq would be the best way to establish an independent Palestine after Saddam promised to confront Israel before the invasion. The PLO office in Kuwait opposed the invasion but its office in Bagdad and Jordan supported the invasion. Rafiq Shafiq Qiblawi, PLO official in Kuwait, was assassinated by the Iraqis for opposing the invasion.[5] The image of Palestinians in Kuwait was damaged after Saddam used the Arab Liberation Front and Palestinian Liberation Front (Abu Abbas Faction) in the occupation of Iraq. 70 percent of Palestinians in Kuwait boycotted work but 30 percent continued. After the United States removed Iraqi forces from Kuwait, hundreds of Palestinian youth were killed and/or tortured by Kuwaiti resistance. Palestinians were victims of arbitrary detentions as part of a collective punishment of the Palestinian community. After the war Kuwait expelled Palestinians living in the country in what is known as the Palestinian exodus from Kuwait (1990–91). Palestinians were fired from government jobs and expelled from educational institutions. The Palestinian population shrunk from 400 thousand to 20 thousand.[6] Kuwait also closed the Embassy of Palestine. At that time there were 600 thousand Kuwaitis in Kuwait.
In 2004, Mahmoud Abbas made formal apology to Kuwait for siding with Iraq in the Gulf War. Previously, Al Tayeb Abdul Rahim, had refused to apologize and stated Kuwait made the Palestinians suffer.[7]
In 2013, the Embassy of Palestine in Kuwait was reopened.
Salem Abdullah Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Kuwait, called for an end to the 2023 Israel–Hamas war, aid to be provided to the Palestinians, and establishment of an independent Palestinian State on 30 October 2023.[8] Kuwaiti National Assembly discussed the war in Gaza criticizing Israel and the UN Security Council.[9] Kuwait accused Israel of violating International law.[10] Hamas praised Kuwait for their stance.[11] Kuwait donated US$2 million to United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East.[12] [13] Crown prince Nawaf Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah condemned Israel.[14] Protests were held in Kuwait in solidarity with the Palestinians.[15]