The Internal Frontier: Territorial Control and Ethnic Relations in Israel 1

Abstract

YIFTACHEL O. (1996) The internal frontier: territorial control and ethnic relations in Israel, Reg. Studies 30, 493–508. In settler societies the development of frontier regions has played an important role in the complementary processes of nation building and state building. However, studies of frontier and regional development have paid little attention to the creation of ‘internal frontier’ regions, where large concentrations of ethnic minorities exist within established multiethnic states. The present study proposes a theoretical framework for the understanding of internal frontiers, drawing on the physical, social and cultural characteristics of frontier colonization and settlement in pre- and post-state periods. It further argues that state policies in such areas are marked by constant attempts to exert territorial control over minority populations. The paper then illustrates the above propositions, by analysing in detail Israel's policies and their impact on a typical Arab village in the Galilee – ...