Circumventing Israeli Control: Palestinian Furniture Exports via Israeli Settlements

Abstract

West Bank exports to Israel have faced significant challenges due to the Israeli system of spatial control, aimed at controlling Palestinians and facilitating settler expansion throughout the West Bank. The routing of Palestinian commercial freight through the separation barrier has escalated logistics costs, while settlement expansion in Area C has further impeded mobility between Palestinian self-rule areas. This article highlights the tactics employed by Palestinian economic actors to offset these challenges within the confines of intensified Israeli spatial control. Using data from observations, interviews, and documentary sources spanning 2019–2023, the study focuses on Palestinian furniture exports to Israel. It reveals that Palestinians have leveraged colonial spatial variations to their advantage by forming partnerships with Israelis to export products through Jewish settlements. The article concludes by advocating a disaggregated level of analysis that uncovers the dynamic interplay between Israeli spatial constraints and Palestinian agency in response. In the case of furniture exporters, this has led to deepening Palestinian–Israeli economic ties and increased engagement with the infrastructure of Israeli occupation to mitigate its economic impact.