Published May 2010
Author: Tali Hatuka
University of Texas Press [English]
(Hebrew Version, Resling, 2008)
This book investigates the ways particular violent acts over the past fifteen years have profoundly altered civic rituals, cultural identity, and the meaning of place in Tel Aviv. It offers a dual interdisciplinary framework of urban theory, on the one hand, and socio-political theory, on the other, shedding light on discourse related to violent events. It also includes an analysis of the physical space where these events take place. More specifically, this book is an examination of three occurrences in Tel Aviv during the last decade and their effects on the urban debate over the development of the city: (1) the assassination of Prime Minister Rabin in 1995 in the municipality square; (2) the suicidal bombing at the Dolphinarium discothèque in 2001, located along the shoreline; and (3) bombings in the Neve Shaanan neighborhood in 2003. These events in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict demonstrate the global role of urban space in the struggle for territory, resources and power. The analysis of these events exposes the complex relationships among local groups, the state, and the city, challenging the national discourse by offering a fresh interpretation of contesting forces and their effect on the urban environment.
Download:
