The Occupation is an all encompassing term that does a great job of defining the problem here but it is many other nuanced terms/concepts that actually spell out all the inequalities, violations, wars, etc. that ravage this land.

With this post I hope to list and define some of the terms I have used in my posts so far. I came to understand these terms much better when I could attach an image to the term. The taxonomy is delicate and is really at the core of understanding this conflict better.

Judea and Samaria

AKA the West Bank, AKA Palestine. This is the official phrase Israel uses to refer to the West Bank alluding to the ancient Biblical land of Judea and Samaria. This is the Jewish terminology for referring to the Occupied Territory. One can only conjecture why Israel would choose to call it that way.

Green Line

The Green Line marks the boundary between the West Bank and Israel. It is better known as the 1949 Armistice Line.

If you are ever crossing this boundary, a good question to ask yourself is – when did I cross the Green Line? Was it when you passed the check post where armed guards asked you for your passport? Or was it much later or much earlier?

Separation Barrier

A wall or in some places an electric fence that mostly runs along the Green Line. At the height of the second Intifada Israel decided to build this barrier to regulate the entry of Palestinians into Israel.

The reason you do not really know when you crossed the Green Line, is because the barrier does not follow the Green Line, it is just inspired by it. Most often the check posts lie far far away from the Green Line, mostly erring on the side of the West Bank, thereby eating into the West Bank.

 Nakba

This Arabic word translates to catastrophe in English and refers to the 1948 war which the Israeli’s refer to as the War of Independence. Arab residents had to flee their homes (in present day Israel) during the Nakba.

Refugee

People who lost their homes and livelihood as a result of the Nakba and the six-day war in 1967. Descendants of male refugees are also classified as refugees. In 1950 there were 7,50,000 refugees, now there are more than 5 million. These refugees are mostly housed in UN refugee camps in the West Bank, Gaza Strip, Jordan, Lebanon and Syria.

Right to Return

The Right to Return refers to the right of Palestinian refugees to return to their land. This is one of the major issues at the centre of the Israel-Palestine conflict for working out the intricacies of the return could pave the way for an atmosphere of peaceful co-existence. It also raises the question – If the Arabs gain the right to return, what will happen to the idea of the Jewish nation state? Because the population of the country will then be skewed towards the Arabs.

A second type of right to return refers to the Israeli Right to Return legislation that gives all Jews the option of settling in Israel and acquiring Israeli citizenship.

Intifada

It means uprising or resistance and is used in the context of the Palestinian uprising of 1987-1993 and 2000-2005.  This term is not to be used loosely. The recent and ongoing wave of unrest has not been termed an Intifada, although many wondered if this is the Third Intifada.

Settlements

These are residential areas built by Israel in the West Bank dating back to 1967. Settlements are considered illegal by the United Nations and a large section of the international community; Israel disputes this. There are more than 120 settlements in the West Bank.

Settlement Outposts

In 1996 Israel pledged to not build any more settlements. But that did not stop Israelis. Outposts are generally modular caravan-type structures that are built close to existing settlements. They are illegal even by Israeli law. There are even demolition orders for settlement outposts. Yet, outposts receive government aid because outposts are classified as extensions/part of existing settlements. There are about 100 of these outposts so far.

I happened to drive though a settlement outpost on one of my recent trips by sheer fluke. The outpost had a school, play ground, and a young IDF soldier guarding the entrance.

Special Security Zones

A few hundred meters around Israeli Settlements that are out of bounds to Palestinians where special rules of engagement apply. A soldier can fire at anyone who tries to infiltrate these zones.

Fabric of life

Bridges and interchanges that points where Israeli and Palestinian roads meet. This was essentially to separate Israeli and Palestinian movement within the West Bank and reduces the extent of the restrictions on movement to which Palestinians  are subjected. The Israeli army calls these alternative paths for Palestinians as fabric of life roads.

These are just few of the terms that help put things in context and aid in learning about the Occupation.

If there are any terms I have missed out or you want me to write about, please leave a comment and I will include them in this post.