Architecture and Development: Israeli Construction in Sub-Saharan Africa and the Settler Colonial Imagination, 1958-1973

Ayala Levin's book "Architecture and Development" explores how Israel positioned itself as a developing-nation alternative in Africa during the "golden age" of diplomatic relations from 1958 to 1973. It shows how architects, planners, and a trade union-owned construction company capitalized on their settler colonial experience in Palestine to present Israel as a new center of nonaligned expertise. Levin traces how Israel became involved in modernizing governance, education, and agriculture in Africa and how African leaders worked with Israel to forge new South-South connections.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 320 pages
Publication date: 19 February 2022
Publisher: Duke University Press

Ayala Levin delves into the intricate tapestry of settler colonial imagination and practices that shaped Israeli architectural development aid in Africa. With a keen focus on the "golden age" of Israel's diplomatic relations in and across the continent from 1958 to 1973, Levin uncovers how Israel strategically positioned itself as an alternative to the dominant forces of the global North and South in the race for aid and influence. Through meticulous analyses of the design and construction of prestigious governmental projects in Nigeria, Sierra Leone, and Ethiopia, Levin unveils the ingenious ways in which architects, planners, and a trade union-owned construction company showcased Israel as a beacon of nonaligned expertise. These actors and professionals, in a paradoxical twist, capitalized on their settler colonial experience in Palestine, reimagining it as a rival to Western colonial expertise. Levin meticulously traces how Israel became deeply involved in modernizing governance, education, and agriculture in Africa, as well as how African leaders embraced collaboration with Israel to forge new South-South connections. In doing so, Levin presents fresh perspectives on the role of architecture as a catalyst for postcolonial development and in the mobilization of development resources.

Weight: 680g
Dimension: 254 x 178 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781478017882