State Policies, Land Control, and an Ethnic Minority: The Arabs in the Galilee Region, Israel

Abstract

The study is an analysis of the influence of Israel's land-use policies in the Galilee on the political behaviour of the region's Arab population, between 1975 and 1988. Theories pertaining to human territoriality, ethnic regionalism, and ethnic spatial mix are used to analyse the consequences of four key land-use policies implemented by Israeli authorities in the Yehiam region, which forms a large part of the Galilee. The four policies examined in the paper cover the areas of landownership, Jewish settlement, municipal boundaries, and unauthorised dwelling construction. These policies are shown to pursue the goal of controlling the Arab minority through territorial containment, in an attempt to maintain political stability, that is, prevent the possibility of irredentism. However, the detailed analysis of Arab reactions to the implementation of the four policies shows that the long-term influence of these land-use policies may be counterproductive: Arab reactions have become increasingly militant, thereby challenging Jewish control and political stability.