Abstract
Current Israeli Palestinians’ claims to the city, as translated into urban forms and politics, are examined in the context of the urban–rural dichotomy that has played a major role in the construction of Palestinian identity. The paper considers this divide, analyzing meaning and content in a situation in which a Palestinian urban neighborhood represents an “Arab village”, while a former European agricultural settlement becomes the center of a flourishing Palestinian urban culture. This inversion infuses the history of urban form with a new ethno-cultural meaning, representing a hybrid notion of urbanity. The paper considers this hybrid city–village reality within the contested environment of Israel/Palestine, and examines the potential of the built form for upholding the cultural meaning and authenticity that sustain ethno-national aspirations. The findings suggest interpretations and uses that negate unilateral understanding of the urban–rural divide.
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