Planning a Mixed Region in Israel: The Political Geography of Arab-Jewish Relations in the Galilee by Oren Yiftachel

This study examines the influence of Israel's land and planning policies in the Galilee region on the political geography of Arab-Jewish relations. The first part develops a theoretical framework delineating three areas of ethnic contrasts as key determinants of political instability: competition over land control, socioeconomic gaps and power disparities. The second part provides a detailed historical account of Israel's policies between 1975 and 1988. It shows that these policies intensified competition over land control, slightly widened socioeconomic gaps and maintained pre-existing power diparities between Arabs and Jews. Subsequently, most indicators of political instability also intensified. The continuation of Israel's policies in the region is therefore likely to undermine the country's long term political stability. The book concludes with a discussion of policy options for the region.