Blending science and technology studies, sociology, and geography with a host of archival material and gorgeously produced maps, The Politics of Maps explores how the geographical sciences came to be entangled with the politics, territorial claim-making, and nation-state building of Israel/Palestine.

Foreword Acknowledgments Chapter 1: Why Maps Matter Chapter 2: Imagining Nations and Making States: Some Prerequisites Chapter 3: Map-Making and State-Building Chapter 4: Map-Making and Nation-Building: Pre-state and Early State Mapping in Israel Chapter 5: Maps with a Mission post-1967: Securing Jewish Land Chapter 6: Maps with a Mission post-1967: Israeli 'Peace Camp' NGO's on the warpath Chapter 7: Constructing Israel's Borders Chapter 8: Map-Making for Building the Palestinian Nation-State Chapter 9: Conclusion

"This book will benefit readers who are interested in the politicization of culture and science in Middle Eastern conflicts." -- Chaoqun Lian, Peking University, China International Strategy Review "The book provides an excellent survey of how Israelis, and to a much lesser extent, Palestinians, assert their politics through maps. The authors achieve their stated purpose, which is to demonstrate how maps produce reality, rather than reflect it." -- Zachary Foster, The Portolan "This book consistently shows the importance of maps as communication devices, providing insights that could otherwise not be gained, and how information from the field complements potential analyses based on probably unavailable direct observation. Additionally, access to local experts who can provide context to the geographical scene permits a fuller framework of understanding.... Summing Up: Highly recommended." -- CHOICE "The fascinating book written by Christine Leuenberger and Izhak Schnell is the result of longstanding research that took years to appear in the final format of this book. And the result is worth waiting for. Published by Oxford University Press, The Politics of Maps will stay as a reference in the field of cartographic research applied to a rather complex case study, Israel-Palestine." -- Daniel Meier, Borders in Globalization Review "Overall, this fascinating, informative, and critical book is a must-read for anyone interested in political cartography or the Israel/Palestine conflict. The authors reveal a country with a highly professional and technological mapping process, but one that can at times be manipulated as a means of disseminating or emphasising specific political messages. In an era of digitised and Google maps, it is far less easy than in the past to advance one side of the conflict, yet Leuenberger and Schnell make clear just how important mapping and cartography remain within the political process." -- David Newman, Times Higher Education "In this remarkable book, Christine Leuenberger and Izhak Schnell have done a formidable job of demystifying, through the emblematic and concrete case of Israel/Palestine, the role of maps in state building. They establish that maps are merely representations, resulting from the processing of data through cognitive, cultural, and political filters. Their work is essential for understanding how mapping practices, far from being neutral and objective, are formidable tools for defining and legitimizing geographical knowledge and territorial imaginations." -- Élisabeth Vallet, University of Quebec at Montreal "Christine Leuenberger and Izhak Schnell leave no stone unturned as they trace the development and politics of mapping in one of the most contested territories on earth DL Israel/Palestine. The two scholars offer a powerful analysis of central role of mapping in colonialism, nationalism, and Zionist nation-building, as well as in the futile attempts to achieve Palestine statehood. The book is a must for students, scholars and observers of this protracted political and cartographic drama." -- Oren Yiftachel, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev

Selling point: Offers the first systematic analysis of critical cartography, with historical context, in Israel/Palestine Selling point: Includes interview with cartographers that speak first-hand about the designing of maps in complex territories Selling point: Analyzes the role of maps in constituting a national identity in an intractable conflict

Christine Leuenberger, PhD, is Senior Lecturer in the Department of Science & Technology Studies at Cornell University. Her work has been published in various academic journals, as well as in edited volumes and popular news outlets. She was a Fulbright Scholar, a Fulbright Specialist, and an American Association for the Advancement of Science Science & Technology Policy Fellow. Dr. Leuenberger was a recipient of a National Science Foundation Scholar's award to investigate the history and sociology of mapping practices in Israel and the Palestinian Territories. She is also conducting research on issues of migration and borders, and is engaged in peace and educational initiatives in the Middle East and Sub-Saharan Africa. Izhak Schnell, PhD, is Professor Emeritus in the Department of Geography and Human Environment at Tel Aviv University and former President of the Israeli Association of Geographers. His works focus on the analysis of social space under globalization and socio-spatial integration and segregation of social groups in globalized realities, interpretations of the meanings of spaces and places including the representations of spaces and places like art and cartographic pieces and the monitoring of urban environments as risks for health and urban parks as restorative environments.

Selling point: Offers the first systematic analysis of critical cartography, with historical context, in Israel/Palestine Selling point: Includes interview with cartographers that speak first-hand about the designing of maps in complex territories Selling point: Analyzes the role of maps in constituting a national identity in an intractable conflict