Planning under a colonial regime in Palestine : counter planning / decolonizing the West Bank

Abstract

After the Oslo Peace Accords (1994), the West Bank, Palestine was divided into three zones as an interim agreement for establishing a Palestinian State, where Israeli control would end on the occupied region within 5 years. These zones: Zone A, under full Palestinian control, Zone B under joint control of Israeli and Palestinian authority and zone C which covers more than 60% of the West Bank area and which Israel has full control over security, planning, land administration, and construction. Most of the zone is designated for Israeli military uses, settlements and bypass roads. Palestinian communities in this zone suffer from significant shortages on different levels, among which is urban/rural planning and development. Planning in this zone is completely controlled by Israeli authority and has resulted in segregation and enclaving of the Palestinian communities. In Zone C, Palestinian communities look like scattered islands, which is a hinderance to any attempts to manage, develop or serve. This study aims at investigating planning policies in zone C, case studies for selected communities were chosen and examined to find out whether there were attempts by the Palestinians to counter Israeli planning in the assigned zone. From the cases, it is clear that there are some Palestinian attempts to counter Israeli plans, but they failed. It is concluded that planning in zone C is fully under control of the colonial power, no Palestinian plan proposal has been approved.