Landscape under Occupation: Beit El Checkpoint, Palestine

In occupied and colonised lands, landscapes are almost always manipulated as an integral medium for domination, control, and display of power. The same landscapes, however, are often employed as spaces for resistance by the colonised. In this chapter, we explore Israeli occupation of Palestinian lands in the West Bank, where control of land and resources takes place through restricting movement and creating barriers, and by establishing Israeli settlements (colonies) in the West Bank. We analyze the implications of Israeli occupation through the case study of Beit El Checkpoint, where Israeli authorities control entries and exits in and out of Ramallah/al–Bireh cities. Surrounding the checkpoint are restaurants, a small neighborhood park, promenade, and main roads in Ramallah; it is also strategically situated within proximity of Beit El Israeli settlement, which extends on the periphery of Ramallah/al–Bireh, and therefore serves to protect illegal Israeli settlers while disrupting the daily lives of Palestinians on the other side of the checkpoint. The case of Beit El checkpoint offers a layered narrative of life under occupation and contributes to discussions on the right to landscape and land dis/empowerment. Through tracking daily life, resistance activities, and military events around the checkpoint, this chapter aims to uncover landscape use and control by occupying powers while highlighting its reclamations and employment for resistance by the Palestinian people. The research relies on data collected through a literature review, observations, and interviews with key stakeholders. The findings reveal ways in which the Israeli occupation employs landscape to its advantage to disempower the occupied and discuss the implications for Palestinians ’ lives, health, education, and sovereignty. In turn, results reflect on the use of landscape to resist and regain control.