Research on Extreme Domicide and the Right to Home
From Bureaucracy to Bullets
PALESTINE
Bureaucracy +
Total Destruction
For over a century Israelis and Palestinians have been at the center of one of the most bitterly contentious and protracted conflicts on earth. The battle for this land has resulted in the shrinking of space for Palestinians, largely through bureaucratic domicide and occupation. For example, the West Bank is overseen by the Israeli Military’s Civil Administration. This arm of the Israeli military is responsible for issuing home demolition orders against Palestinians. In many cases, Palestinians are unable to secure permits to repair or improve upon their own homes, which are consequently destroyed. Permits favour Israeli settlers; only six percent of Palestinian applications are approved. In some cases, domicide is also deployed as a means of collective punishment against the Palestinian people following instances of insurgence against Israel. Domicide against the Palestinian people is driven by bureaucratic violence, and is central to understanding the Israeli-Palestinian conflict—particularly in processes of sovereignty, power, and politics.