Military Rule in Israel 1948-1966 (I)108 ”As any colonial project is connected to space; the Israeli one circulates on the issue on how to enlarge the Jewish part of the State of Israel and reduce as much as they can the Palestinian part through containment, by forbidding them to develop or even access some areas. During the military regime, in the 50s and 60s, Israel implemented on the Palestinian population a series of living and geographical restrictions aiming to confine them in small Arabic enclaves. Palestinians inside Israel were not allowed to live and develop their communities naturally, they were put under massive pressure in order to push them to leave; they needed permits in all aspects of their life: permits to work, permits to move and permits to study. Basically, villages were isolated from each other and confined in areas controlled by the Israeli military regime and government. This can easily be compared to the current situation in the West Bank, where Palestinians are contained in restricted areas. Essentially, the geographical containment is the major tool that the Israeli government uses to prevent Palestinian communities from developing inside Israel, by imposing very strict planning and zoning policies on Palestinian areas which limits Palestinian villages from developing. For example, in the cities Tyrehand al-Taybeh the urban development is absurd, they have no infrastructure, no industrial zone and no planning concept at all. This is the actual situation of the entire Palestinian communities inside Israel. In 1966 the military regime ended and with it some restrictions on Palestinian citizens of Israel, such as restrictions to the freedom of movement. But many elements of the military rule are still implemented. Today the military regime is disguised under the umbrella of “legal laws” adopted by the Israeli Knesset. There are specific Knesset laws that have the goal of pursuing the same containment policies implemented during the military regime. For instance, the Judaization of the Galilee is accomplished by containing Palestinian agricultural zones, residential and urban areas and preventing them from developing.” In order to facilitate the policy of “minimal fairness”, during the first 18 years after the creation of Israel, Palestinian citizenry was restricted to “security zones” and had military rule imposed on them. During the period of military rule, Israel imposed strict means of control on Palestinian citizens, restricting their freedom of movement, assembly, work, press and speech, in addition to mass confiscation of land and property. This was made possible by the Emergency Regulations Concerning Absentee Property (1948), and the Absentees’ Property Law (1950).109 These laws served – and continue to 108 BADIL’s interview with Michel Warschawski (Mikado). Israeli anti-Zionist political analyst, activist, and co-founder of the Alternative Information Center (AIC)., “Military Rule in Israel 1948-1966”, October 2015 109 1949 Emergency Regulations Concerning Absentee Property, Laws of the State of Israel, Vol. 1, Ordinances, 5708 (1948), page 8; 1950 Absentees’ Property Law, Laws of the State of Israel, Vol. 4, Ordinances, 5710 (1949/50), pages 68-82 32