Home, History and Possession in Israel-Palestine

Book excerpt: Taking a micro-geographical approach to Israeli-Palestinian relations, this book analyses the history of space and place in West Jerusalem and Jaffa in the context of specific addresses. Based on the unique and innovative ‘archaeology of addresses’ methodology, the book provides an in-depth analysis of 11 specific sites. This ‘micro’ perspective – paying particular attention to the history and past ownership of an individual property – allows the author to draw new insights into the process of ‘population exchange’ that took place in 1948 when Jewish people began to populate Palestinian deserted homes after the Nakba. By looking at archival planning documents, the histories of addresses as ‘contact zones’ between previous and current owners are revealed. Moreover, the research on each address highlights new theoretical understandings, encompassing: the micro-politics of the contact zone; mediated agonism; ruinations and beginnings; creative destruction in urban planning; the right to the city and the right to return; the violence of property; and fragmented settler colonialism. The book concludes by proposing practical applications of the research in teaching and planning practice. The book will prove important reading for students and researchers interested in urban planning, Middle Eastern geography, and the history of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.