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Dignity Takings and Dispossession in Israel

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  27 December 2018

Alexandre (Sandy) Kedar
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Abstract

This article examines the concept of dignity takings, as developed by Bernadette Atuahene, and its applicability to the Israeli situation, focusing on takings from the Arab-Palestinian minority in Israel. Although I find dignity takings a valuable concept, as it emphasizes the interconnections between land dispossession and the denial of human dignity, I offer some qualifications and suggestions. I then examine the applicability of the concept to the dispossession of Arabs/Palestinians in Israel through two case studies: one, a close reading of the (in)famous Ikrit villagers' dispossession; the other, an examination of the dispossession of Negev (southern Israel) Bedouin citizens of Israel, which takes place, not unlike terra nullius, simultaneously with a denial of this very taking. The article concludes that with some modifications, the concept of dignity taking applies to the situation of Arab/Palestinian citizens of Israel.

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Law & Social Inquiry , Volume 41 , Issue 4 , Fall 2016 , pp. 866 - 887
Copyright
Copyright © American Bar Foundation, 2016 

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