The Victors and the Vanquished Forging a Hebrew Landscape from the Palestinian Exodus.

The Victors and the The Victors and the VanquishedVanquished

Forging a Hebrew Landscape from the Palestinian Forging a Hebrew Landscape from the Palestinian ExodusExodus

QuestionsQuestions

How did the creation of Israel as a How did the creation of Israel as a Jewish state reshape the landscape? Jewish state reshape the landscape?

How did the remaking of landscape How did the remaking of landscape become an integral part of the conflict?become an integral part of the conflict?

Starting Point: 2 QuestionsStarting Point: 2 Questions

How did the How did the NaqbaNaqba become part of the become part of the landscape? landscape?

or alternativelyor alternatively

How did How did IndependenceIndependence become part of become part of the landscape? the landscape?

Landscape as Legal, Cartographic, and Landscape as Legal, Cartographic, and Physical Construction, and an Physical Construction, and an expression of powerexpression of power

19481948

Palestinian Villages Palestinian Villages Depopulated Depopulated

(1947-48)(1947-48)

Source: Salman Abu Sitta, “The Towns and Villages Depopulated by the Zionist Invasion of 1948.”Source: Salman Abu Sitta, “The Towns and Villages Depopulated by the Zionist Invasion of 1948.”http://www.palestineremembered.com/Acre/Maps/Story1261.html

Dilemma of the Jewish Dilemma of the Jewish StateState

How to reconcile How to reconcile Jewish sovereignty over Jewish sovereignty over the territory of Israel with the territory of Israel with non-Jewish non-Jewish landownership? landownership?

Solving the Dilemma:Solving the Dilemma:Law and The Creation of an Israeli Law and The Creation of an Israeli

LandscapeLandscape

4 Phases4 Phases

Solving the Dilemma:Solving the Dilemma:Law and The Creation of an Israeli Law and The Creation of an Israeli

LandscapeLandscape

Phase 1: Creation of Absentee Phase 1: Creation of Absentee PropertyProperty

(1948-50)(1948-50)

Emergency measures to classify Emergency measures to classify Palestinian property in a new legal Palestinian property in a new legal way.way.

Created a Custodian to inventory Created a Custodian to inventory Absentee Property.Absentee Property.

Solving the Dilemma:Solving the Dilemma:Law and The Creation of an Israeli Law and The Creation of an Israeli

LandscapeLandscape

Phase 2: Development Authority LawPhase 2: Development Authority Law(1951)(1951)

Aim was to make permanent the Aim was to make permanent the status of Absentee property.status of Absentee property.

Created a Development Authority Created a Development Authority to reallocate Absentee Property.to reallocate Absentee Property.

Solving the Dilemma:Solving the Dilemma:Law and The Creation of an Israeli Law and The Creation of an Israeli

LandscapeLandscape

Phase 3: Land Acquisition Law Phase 3: Land Acquisition Law (1953)(1953)

Aim was to acquire (seize) land of Aim was to acquire (seize) land of Palestinians still inside Israel Palestinians still inside Israel classified as “present absentees.”classified as “present absentees.”

Used the rationale of “security” for Used the rationale of “security” for such seizures and used Finance such seizures and used Finance Ministry to reallocate such land. Ministry to reallocate such land.

Solving the Dilemma:Solving the Dilemma:Law and The Creation of an Israeli Law and The Creation of an Israeli

LandscapeLandscape

Phase 4: Israel Lands Law Phase 4: Israel Lands Law (1960)(1960)

Aim was to create an Aim was to create an institutionalized system of creating institutionalized system of creating state land for settlement and state land for settlement and development. development.

Outcomes of Creating ‘Israel Outcomes of Creating ‘Israel Lands’Lands’

1)1) Transformed Dispossession into Transformed Dispossession into LawLaw

2)2) Created a new spatial and Created a new spatial and demographic mapdemographic map

3)3) Severed connections between Severed connections between Palestinians and their landPalestinians and their land

4)4) Posed question of right of returnPosed question of right of return

LiftaLifta

YuvalimYuvalim

Two Contrasting Two Contrasting LandscapesLandscapes

Olive-Anchored Village Landscape Olive-Anchored Village Landscape (Husan)(Husan)

Conifer-Anchored Jewish LandscapeConifer-Anchored Jewish Landscape (Yuvalim)(Yuvalim)

Jewish National Fund – Land Jewish National Fund – Land RedemptionRedemption

Planting SettlementsPlanting Settlements

Planting TreesPlanting Trees

Forests as Tombs – Birya Forests as Tombs – Birya ForestForest

Treescape Enclosure --SakhninTreescape Enclosure --Sakhnin

Israel?Israel?

Menachem Ussishkin / Menachem Ussishkin / Transfer?Transfer?

• ““We must continually raise We must continually raise the demand that our land the demand that our land be returned to our be returned to our possession.... If there are possession.... If there are other inhabitants there, other inhabitants there, they must be transferred to they must be transferred to some other place…some other place…

• We cannot start the Jewish We cannot start the Jewish state with...half the state with...half the population being Arab…population being Arab…Such a state cannot survive Such a state cannot survive even half an hour... It even half an hour... It [transfer] is most moral... I [transfer] is most moral... I am ready to come and am ready to come and defend ... it before the defend ... it before the Almighty.Almighty.

Menachem Menachem UssishkinUssishkin

1930 / 19381930 / 1938

Menachem Ussishkin / Renaming Menachem Ussishkin / Renaming LandLand

• ““The historical Hebrew names of places in Eretz Israel are the most reliable testimony that these places have been our patrimony from time immemorial… If the JNF Naming Committee is convinced that a new Jewish settlement is located near a place… where there was a Jewish settlement during one of the periods when the nation of Israel dwelt in Eretz Israel, the committee shall assign to the new or restored settlement the historical Hebrew name.”

Menachem Menachem UssishkinUssishkin

(1948)(1948)

Settlement of Mevo HoronSettlement of Mevo Horon

Settlement of Mevo HoronSettlement of Mevo Horon

Forests as Tombs – Birya Forests as Tombs – Birya ForestForest

Treescape Enclosure --SakhninTreescape Enclosure --Sakhnin

Meron BenvenistiMeron Benvenisti

““The geopolitical The geopolitical condition condition created in 1967 created in 1967 is irreversible. is irreversible. The situation The situation can not be can not be changed… You changed… You can not can not unscramble that unscramble that egg.”egg.”

Change in Land Ownership 1918-Change in Land Ownership 1918-19601960((white = Jewish owned land; gray = Palestinian owned)white = Jewish owned land; gray = Palestinian owned)

Alexandar Alexandar Kedar, Kedar, Challenging Challenging the Israeli the Israeli Land Land Regime.Regime.http://http://www.seamlewww.seamless-israel.org/ss-israel.org/images/images/onlineonline%20magazin%20magazine/Israelie/Israeli%20Land%20Land%20Regime.%20Regime.htmlhtml

ApartheidApartheid

Defined by the 1973 UN Convention on Defined by the 1973 UN Convention on the Crime of Apartheid as actsthe Crime of Apartheid as acts

““maintaining domination by one racial maintaining domination by one racial group of persons over any other racial group of persons over any other racial group of personsgroup of persons……designed to divide designed to divide the population…by the creation of the population…by the creation of separate reserves and ghettoes for separate reserves and ghettoes for members of racial groups…or the members of racial groups…or the expropriation of landed property.expropriation of landed property.

Articles 1 &2, Articles 1 &2, http://www.anc.org.za/un/uncrime.htmhttp://www.anc.org.za/un/uncrime.htm

19481948

Dilemma of Dilemma of VictoryVictoryWhat to do with the What to do with the Abandoned Abandoned Palestinian Town Palestinian Town and Property?and Property?

Two Contrasting Two Contrasting LandscapesLandscapes

Phases of Colonization Phases of Colonization (Yiftachel)(Yiftachel)

1) 1896-1947 (Early Settlement)1) 1896-1947 (Early Settlement) 2) 1947-1949 (Creation of Israel)2) 1947-1949 (Creation of Israel) 3) 1949-1967 (Internal 3) 1949-1967 (Internal

Colonization)Colonization) 4) 1967-1993 (External 4) 1967-1993 (External

Colonization)Colonization) 5) 1993-Present (Consolidation)5) 1993-Present (Consolidation)