Town Planning Under Military Occupation: An Examination of the Law and Practice of Town Planning in the Occupied West Bank

The West Bank is notable for some of the most ambitious urban development projects, and also some of the most rigorous restrictive planning policies of modern times. This book examines the way the planning system - legislation, controls, development plans and a massive programme of land seizure and house demolition has been used since 1967 by the Israeli occupying authorities to restrict opportunity for development by Palestinians. Land ownership and use are of crucial significance to any peace accord in the Middle East, and this book penetrates the cloak of secrecy which envelopes Israeli administration of the occupied territories. The book thus offers insight into a matter of international importance, as well as a detailed analysis of the application of a sophisticated planning system in an area of rapid social change where the objectives of the planning authorities are essentially racial rather than social or economic.