Almost ten years ago, we were living in Jerusalem, where Jamie was working on a postdoc at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, continuing his PhD research into the role of weapons in civil conflicts, and Sarah was working as a freelance journalist. That’s when we first heard about Rawabi, the first new Palestinian city built in the Israeli-occupied West Bank since the founding of Israel in 1948. Then, it was little more than a big idea still under development. On a drive through the West Bank one morning, on our way to research a story we were writing together about the expansion of the settlements that bordered Jerusalem, we saw only heavy machinery on a hilltop dotted with Palestinian flags. Now, the city boasts condo buildings and public squares, with sand-coloured structures rising out of the rocky scrub.
Rawabi, which means “hills” in Arabic, is financed by a charismatic Palestinian American billionaire named Bashar Masri and founded on a liberal vision that promised the immediate improvement of Palestinian lives. Promotional brochures for the development defy the images of the West Bank and Gaza that have recently become dominant in many people’s newsfeeds. There are no signs of decay, no buildings pockmarked from gun battles, no remnants of artillery or crying parents clutching stunned and bloodied children. There are no checkpoints, no razor wire, no humiliating demonstrations of lopsided power by Israeli settlers. Instead, there are families strolling down wide and tastefully landscaped pedestrian-only corridors, outdoor cafes shaded by wide umbrellas, and a basketball court. The brochures make it look like Rawabi offers the kind of life parents around the world strive to build for their children: modern, safe, clean, and predictable. A place for the aspiring Palestinian middle class, a growing demographic that Masri seemed to be hoping to tap into. And a functional community where the dominant noise of Israel’s occupation of Palestinian territories slides into background chatter.
