Colonial Jerusalem: The Spatial Construction of Identity and Difference in a City of Myth, 1948-2012

by Thomas Philip Abowd

In one of the few anthropological works focusing on a contemporary Middle
Eastern city, Colonial Jerusalem explores a vibrant urban center at
the core of the decades-long Palestinian-Israeli conflict. This book shows
how colonialism, far from being simply a fixture of the past as is often
suggested, remains a crucial component of Palestinian and Israeli realities
today. Abowd deftly illuminates everyday life under Israel’s long military
occupation as it is defined by processes and conditions of “apartness”
and separation as Palestinians are increasingly regulated and controlled.
Abowd examines how both national communities are progressively divided
by walls, checkpoints, and separate road networks in one of the most
segregated cities in the world. Drawing upon recent theories on racial
politics, colonialism, and urban spatial dynamics, Colonial Jerusalem analyzes
the politics of myth, history, and memory across an urban landscape
integral to the national cosmologies of both Palestinians and Israelis and
meaningful to all communities.

Genres: Israel

304 pages, Kindle Edition

First published April 15, 2014