Civilian and military presence as strategies of territorial control: The Arab-Israel conflict

The transformation of sovereignty into effective territorial control may be implemented by a variety of methods, ranging from agreement (based on legitimization) to imposition (based on force). The imposition of control through a combination of military and civilian presence takes place in many societies. Both of these forms of imposed control have been used in Israel during the past 40 years. While civilian settlement is perceived as forming an integral part of the national security and defence policy, recent events in the Golan Heights, Jordan Valley, West Bank and the Galilee would suggest that the basis for such policy-making is faulty. Not only do civilian settlements not always contribute to the security/military objectives, but in many cases make the maintenance of control more difficult.