Driving in Palestine

Driving in Palestine is a photography book that explores the politics of mobility in the occupied West Bank, featuring 160 black and white photographs, hand-drawn maps, and critical essays by Palestinian and Canadian scholars and artists. The photographs highlight Israel's architecture of movement restrictions and surveillance structures, such as the Apartheid Wall, segregation walls, gates, fences, watchtowers, roadblocks, and military checkpoints, which hinder freedom of movement.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 208 pages
Publication date: 10 May 2023
Publisher: Fernwood Publishing Co Ltd

Over the past seven decades, Palestine has been isolated from the Arab world and divided into fragmented and coded regions: the 1948 area, the 1967 area, Jerusalem, the West Bank, Gaza, and A, B, and C areas within the West Bank. Each of these areas is governed by distinct laws, which include different road rules and permits that control the mobility of Palestinians and grant privileges to Jewish settlers.

Driving in Palestine is a captivating research-creation project by acclaimed artist Rehab Nazzal, who delved into the visible manifestations of the politics of mobility during her firsthand traversal of the occupied West Bank between 2010 and 2020. This photographic book comprises 160 black and white photographs, hand-drawn maps, and critical essays in Arabic and English by Palestinian and Canadian scholars and artists.

The photographs in this book were all captured from moving vehicles on the roads of the West Bank. They shed light on Israel's architectural framework of movement restrictions and surveillance structures, which proliferate in the West Bank. These include the Apartheid Wall, segregation walls surrounding illegal colonies, gates, fences, watchtowers, roadblocks, and military checkpoints, among other obstacles to freedom of movement.

Through her lens, Rehab Nazzal has documented the intricate web of regulations that govern daily life in the West Bank, revealing the ways in which the Israeli government imposes control and surveillance on its Palestinian population. The photographs serve as a powerful testament to the human cost of the occupation and the ongoing struggle for self-determination and freedom.

Driving in Palestine is a thought-provoking and visually stunning exploration of the complex dynamics of mobility and politics in the occupied West Bank. It offers a unique perspective on the ongoing conflict and highlights the urgent need for a peaceful resolution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

Weight: 450g
Dimension: 202 x 256 x 14 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781773635934