Area C: Taxonomy of An Occupation

This series explores the political degradation of a landscape. Under the Oslo Accords the West Bank is divided into three separate areas: A, B, and C. Within Areas A and B the Palestinians retain a certain degree of autonomy under the Palestinian Authority. But Area C, which accounts for about 5 percent of the Palestinian population, yet is over 60 percent of the entire land in the West Bank, remains under full Israeli control.

With the collapse of the Oslo process Israel has turned Area C into an interlocking matrix of ever-expanding settlements, military bases, checkpoints, roads, and closed security zones with as many as 150,000 Palestinians clinging to life along the periphery. These residents suffer from periodic settler harassment, home demolitions, a lack of basic services, construction freezes, and further land seizures. Area C has become the raw nerve ending for a nearly 50 year old military occupation.

Israeli military outpost.
Israeli military outpost.
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