Women against the Occupation and for Human Rights - March 30, 2008 - Back to Resources Page

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The Israeli–Palestinian conflict has been the focus of much attention in the scholarly,
policy, and activist communities. Although interpretations of the conflict vary, most
discussions mix a variety of approaches, and some basic frameworks of analysis include:
‘clash of civilizations’ between the more ‘Western’ Israeli Jews and ‘Eastern’/‘Islamic’
Palestinian Arabs social–psychological issues, including different cultural communication
styles competing land claims to the territory between the Jordan River and the
Mediterranean Sea and political movements seeking both self-determination and
international recognition. As one can surmise from the list of ‘final status’ issues—
including borders, refugees, settlements, and Jerusalem—that were postponed repeatedly
during the years of the Oslo Peace Process (and which were not on the list of issues to
discuss at the November 2007 Middle East conference in Annapolis hosted by the United
States), issues of territory and identity are intertwined in the political processes that create and sustain (and hopefully someday, resolve) the Israeli–Palestinian conflict. This article
focuses particularly on the ways in which socio-political and ethical boundaries have been
negotiated, contested and legitimized within Israeli society since the outbreak of the
al-Aqsa intifada in late 2000 by analyzing the actions and narratives of the Israeli women’s
group Machsom Watch. Specifically, this paper uses the theoretical framework of
‘territoriality’ to explain the policies and practices of the Israeli occupation as well as the
strategies that Machsom Watch activists use in response.

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Women against the Occupation and for Human Rights - March 30, 2008 - Back to Resources Page