---

The Study addresses how Biblical myths are used to legitimize settlement expansions east of Jerusalem since 1967. The thesis here is that Biblical myths govern the transformations in the cultural landscape east of Jerusalem and that these transformations create conditions of marginality for Palestinians. This study takes a look at various political trends in Israel which encourage Israeli claims to the land and territories east of Jerusalem. Lastly, this study discusses how myth governs Israeli´s connections to the landscape in the Occupied Palestinian Territories. Central questions are the following: What is the relationship between Biblical myths and Israel´s expansionist politics? What political and ideological messages do Biblical myths send to the Israel´s Jewish population? How do Biblical myths inform people´s attitudes towards and perception of the Palestinian landscape? How have Zionist Biblical myths been fundamental vehicles in the construction of Palestinian marginality? What is the relationship between settlement expansions in the Occupied Territories and the marginalization of Palestinians in the face of these myths?

---

Mareah Peoples is a researcher on the Middle East. She is a graduate of the American University in Cairo (AUC) and works for the Peace Research Institute Oslo (PRIO), section for Conflict Resalution and Peace Building (CPRB). Peoples was born in Saudi Arabia to American parents and now lives in Oslo, Norway.

---