The maps are ubiquitous-for phones, flight and automobile displays and in textbooks around the world. While some maps determine territories and boundaries, others show different blocks of voting in elections, and GPS devices help drivers go to the destination.

But no matter the purpose, all maps have something to do: They are political. The maps involve making decisions about what to disregard and what to have in mind. They are subject to selection, classification, abstraction and simplifications. And studying elections that enter the maps, like meHe can reveal various stories about the land and individuals who consider it their very own.

Nowhere is it more true than in the contested regions that today include contemporary Israel and Palestinian territories. Since the establishment of the State of Israel in 1948, various government and non -governmental organizations and political interests have been involved in what’s best to explain as “Maps of wars. “

The region’s maps use the name of places, the position of borders and the inclusion or omission of some territories to present contrasting geopolitical visions. To today, Israel or Palestinian territories may fall from some maps, depending on the policy of their creators.

This doesn’t apply only to the Middle East – “MAP wars” are ongoing around the world. Some of the more known examples include the disputes between Ukraine and Russia, Taiwan and ChinaAND India and China. Everyone is involved in the controversy regarding the territorial integrity of nation -states.

Short history of maps

Traditionally, maps were used to represent cosmology, cultures and beliefs. In the seventeenth century, the maps represented spatial relations on a given territory Beaome vital for the creation of national states. Such official maps helped with an attachment of territories and determine property rights. Indeed, mapping territory that’s to know and control it.

Recently, map creation tools have change into more available. Anyone who has access to the computer and the Internet can now create and share “alternative maps” that present various visions of the territory and make a number of geopolitical claims.

And the maps produced in the conflict region, akin to Israel and Palestinian territories, tell a wealthy story about the relationship between map creation and politics.

Middle East mapping

While The British Palestine Mandate in 1917–1947British inspectors mapped territories to manage the ground and its people. It was an attempt to interchange more informal claims from the Ottoman land of those times.

By Establishment of Israel in 1948IN Only about 20% of the total area of ​​what’s often known as historical Palestine – The undeniable fact that he still fueled disputes about the earth today. The British efforts of mapping and their omission enabled the newly established state of Israel to acknowledge most territories as state lands, thus delegitimizing claims from the Palestinian region.

The maps also helped construct an Israeli state. Surveyors and planners mapped the land to assign land rights and helped construct state infrastructure, including roads and railways.

But the maps also helped to create a sense of nationality. Maps representing the shape of the nation by sketching its national borders are often known as Maps “Logo”. They can increase the sense of national unity and a sense of national belonging.

After establishing, the Israeli state converted the maps of the region. The Israeli government commission invented Hebrew names, which previously replaced Arab and Christian names for various cities and villages on the official map of Israel. At the same time, there have been previously Palestinian topographs and places omitted from the map.

However, some Palestinian map creators still create maps, including the Palestinian named and present the historical Palestine before 1948-which extends from the Jordan River in the East to the Mediterranean in the West. Such maps are used to support the right of Palestinians for landing and supporting the sense of national affiliation.

At the same time, Palestinian cartographers who work with Palestinian authority – The government body, which manages partial civil control over Palestinian enclaves on the west shore – creates official maps of the West Brzeg and Gaza in the hope of creating the future state of Palestine. They adapt their maps to UN efforts to map territories in accordance with international law by winning the West Bank and Gaza as separate from Israel.

After In 1967, the war between Israel and his Arab neighborsIsrael occupied the west and gauze. As a results of the wars of the map, he intensified, especially between different fractions in Israel. The leftist “peace camp”, which was dedicated to territorial compromises with Palestinians, was directed against the Israeli right -wing wing involved in the recovery of the “promised land” for ensuring the security of Israel.

Such incompatible geopolitical visions are still reflected in produced maps. The maps of the “peace camp” adhere to the designation of territories in accordance with international law. For example, they include a green line – a recognized international weapon line between the western shore and Israel. Official maps produced by the Israeli government, while, He stopped setting a green line after 1967.

Wider and border disputes

Various interest groups and political actors not only used the region’s maps to make competitive geopolitical claims, but the maps also played a key role in sporadic efforts to ascertain peace in the region.

. 1993 Oslo contractsThe goal was that after a five -year temporary period, a everlasting peace settlement was negotiated based on the boundaries set out on these maps.

Consequently, Palestinian planners and surveyors he mapped the territory Assigned to the future state of Palestine. Due to the undeniable fact that Oslo guarantees only the future state – but with its borders and the level of sovereignty still uncertain – Palestinian experts are still preparing for the ruling territories by mapping them.

Oslo maps are still used today to stipulate the geopolitical visions of Israel and the future state of Palestine based on international law. But for a lot of Israelis, the vision of Oslo The two -state solution has died – The attack of Hamas, a Palestinian nationalist political organization, which rules gauze, on Israel on October 7, 2023, was his last blow.

Another war between Israel and Hamas, currently being suspended by weapons, from the very starting was related to the maps.

In December 2023, the Israeli army published an internet “Map of evacuation”, which divided the Gaza belt into 623 zones. Palestinians can go to online mode – provided that they’ve access to electricity and the Internet on the territory harassed by browning – to search out out if their area has been called to evacuate. Israeli military commanders I used this map Decide where to shoot raids and perform ground maneuvers.

But the map also served the political goal: to persuade the skeptical world Israel took care of protect civilians. Regardless, its introduction caused it Confusion and fear amongst Palestinians.

Determining the road forward

Maps usually are not only to grasp the past and present – they assist people also imagine the future. Different maps can reveal conflicting geopolitical visions.

For example, in January 2024 Israel’s victory conference. The goal was to plan the resettlement of Gaza and increase Jewish settlements on the west bank. The speakers were in favor of transferring Palestinians from the belt to Sinai through “voluntary emigration”. Because Jewish settlers plan to return to Gaza, and the speakers cite each the safety of the Bible and Israel on justification, the oversized map showed the location of the proposed Jewish settlements.

Similarly, the Israeli Movement for the settlement in Southern Lebanon published Maps of planned Jewish settlements in southern Lebanon.

Such maps reveal the desire for some in Israel for “Larger Israel“-Inzar described in 1904 by Theodor Herzl, considered the father of up to date Zionism, as the stream of Egypt to the Euphrate.

No wonder that Palestinians make different maps to assume the future. Flast appearing – Palestinian and international initiative, which mixes various experts, organizations and founders – uses maps connecting gauze with the west bank and a wider region.

Their goal is to rework gauze in Commercial Hub for Trade, Tourism and Innovation and integrate it with the global economy. Therefore, maps of urban projects, airports and seaports overlap the cartographic contours of Gaza; and the corridor of Bank Gaza-West, which could be sealed for Israeli security, can connect two geographically separate Palestinian territories.

Such maps reflect the efforts of Palestinian stakeholders in order to further study territories, which since the agreement in Oslo were to be the future state of Palestine.

A brand new era of expansion geopolitics

With the current US administration more adapted to the right -wing Israeli policyMaps of a larger Israel can lead what Hagit ofran from Room now calls the starting of the latest “Larger Israel“Politics period.

Seemingly increasing US rule, a long -term policy of supporting a two -state solution in which Gaza could be a part of the Palestinian state, Donald Trump on February 4, 2025. He raised a plan for the United States to “take over” gauzeby leading their current residents and transforming the enclave into “” Riviera Middle East “.

Such a move could be one other try to convert borders in the Middle East. However, this is able to not end the “map of the map” in Israel/Palestine.

Suggestion of the President of the United States Donald Trump that the USA will pass a torn war and create “the Middle East” riviera “ was Immediately condemned by the international communityincluding American allies and opponents.

His threats appear only two weeks in a weapon suspension agreement between Israel and Hamas, and the risk is undermined by regional diplomatic efforts that took Possible offer of weapon suspension.

A weapon suspension agreement organized in three phases includes the exchange of Israeli hostages for some Palestinian prisoners; withdrawal of Israeli forces along the Philadelphi and Netzarim corridors; and the return of significant humanitarian aid needed to rebuild the war-torn Gaza-Nie “Clean it“, As Trump suggested.

In the post-war landscape-among the threats of Trump He stood next to the Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu In the White House – Israel is probably in a paradoxical situation: both higher and worse.

On the one hand, Israel is safer than ever before. He used the shock of attacks of October 7 to remodel the regional balance of power, showing military force and restoring deterrence.

On the other hand, the relentless bombing of Israel in gas, his reluctance to offer public pressure and perceived ignoring international law and order based on the principles They isolated the country, probably transforming it right into a pariah on the world stage.

Use of a disaster

Historically, Israel implemented a counterbalance generally known as “Mowing grass” Designed to weaken their opponents by limited targeted military campaigns, which deliberately don’t stop full destruction.

The strategy never geared toward solving the original causes of the conflict. Rather, he focused on stopping a big -scale Hamas, reliable attacks on Israel.

On October 7, it was exactly what “mowing grass” tried to avoid. However, the passage of security unintentionally created mature conditions so that Israel could justify – even for a limited time – a much larger and more destructive campaign against Palestinian groups of fighters. A window appeared and Israel caught it.

Israel ground and air campaign in the last 15 months significantly weakened The group, though, as the recently shows show of strength, Has not been eliminated.

The control of the Israeli army over key border points, the destruction of tunnels used to perform attacks and weapons of smuggling and targeted murders of political leaders could make Hamas again to use similar levels of sculpture in the near future.

Hezbollah in the north

Like in Gaza, the Israeli government used the relentless rocket attacks of Hezbollah to justify a separate military campaign deeply on Lebanese territory.

Within just a few weeks, the offensive reportedly killed more than 4,000 hezbollah fighters, destroyed key weapons buffers and critical infrastructure and pushed the group North of the Litani RiverAbout 30 kilometers from the Israeli border.

Israel shocked the world even more when at the same time detonated pagers and scrubs Used by Hezbollah fighters. Then there was a number of targeted killings, including the longtime leader of Hezbollah, Hassan Nasrallah and his then success, Hashem Safeddine.

The controlling of the Hezbollah command chain together with the lack of implementation of an efficient contract revealed that the group is much weaker than expected. This, in turn, forced Hezbollah to make significant concessions and give up to Weapon suspension agreement It worked against his interests.

Wider region

Houthi’s movement supported by Iran in Yemen also entered the conflict Grabbing Israeli and Western ships And starting a series of drone and rocket attacks on Israel.

But Israel reacted with greater strength, showing its ability to steer large -scale bullets, drones and aerial kilometers in Yemen.

And for the first time Israel and Iran got involved in direct Tit-for-Tat escalation alternativecausing concerns about the entire regional war. Israel’s defense systems, supported by allies and neighboring countries, successfully thwarted lots of of Iranian missiles.

Israel’s response successfully bypassed the Iranian anti-Misie defense system, sending a decisive message of military superiority. Israel also showed its advantage of intelligence by Hamas leaders’ assassin ismail Haniyeh in Iran, when he lived in a relationship secured by the Islamic Corps of the Revolutionary Guard.

The collapse of the Syria Assad regime also created a vacuum of power, which prompted Israel to behave Hundreds of raids geared toward destroying weapons abandoned by the Syrian army, surface defense rocket systems and take over the strategic territory near its border.

The growing presence of Israel in Syria and the dominance over the airspace is now much easier to capture the supply chain between Iran and Hezbollah.

All for the cost

Israeli striving to stop opponents and restore its position as regional power reached a high price: its popularity.

Diplomatically, some of Israel’s closest allies, including Canada, France and Great Britain, even have Forbidden or limited sales of weapons to Israel.

Once, unified support for Israel in the USA from the Republican and Democratic Parties has develop into Tight. General Assembly of the United Nations He voted for the most part That the Security Council considers the adoption of Palestine as 194. Member – Movement perceived by Israel as a reward for October 7.

Israel is also in the face of the Public Relations crisis in the International Criminal Court, where it is currently subject to the task violation of the genocidal convention In relation to Palestinians in the Gaza Strip. Similarly court issued an order For Netanyahu and the former defense minister Yoava Gallant for “deliberate deprivation of gazantes of food and directing attacks on civilians.”

Israel’s wavy effects spilled abroad, affecting a major part of the world, and especially public opinion of younger generations about the conflict.

For example, in the USA SUF research report They stated that Americans under 30 years of age sympathy with Palestinians than Israelis. The results are similar in Canada, and the youth aged 18 to 24 reported Support for Hamas on Israel Through the margin of two to at least one.

Is Israel more or less secure?

While Israel’s response to Iran and “Axis of resistance” It placed the country in a safer, more military dominant position than before the war, the consequences of this strategy could also be short -lived.

Gaza paintings – loss of civil life, resettled families and ravenous children with out a real perspective of the future – modified public opinion against Israel. This was shred with diplomatic relations with once dependent allies-although apparently not the US under Trump-a wider peace process in the Middle East and fuel the revival of anti-Semitism, especially on university campuses, I didn’t see the Holocaust.

But above all, Israel’s response to October 7 may function the strongest recruitment tool for future cycles of Palestinian violence. For many, especially young people around the world, it is possible that future violence will be seen as a legitimate form of resistance.

And if this is the case, together with the unlikely perspective of Israel, permanently discouraging Iran and his proxies, and with the American president, who is in favor of moving the entire population of Gaza situation than ever before.

Syrians have been for over a decade The world’s largest refugee population.

Has over 6 million Syrians I ran away from the country Since 2011, when the Bashara Assad’s regime was created right into a 13-yr civil war. Most resulted in neighboring countries, corresponding to Türkiye, Lebanon, Jordan, Iraq and Egypt, while there was a big minority in Europe. But the overthrow of the Assad regime at the end of 2024 by opposition forces under the leadership of the Islamist group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham apparently opened the window to their return and Tens of 1000’s of former refugees Since then, they decided to return to their homeland.

How many and who determine to return, and the circumstances during which they’re repeated with Syrian society will have huge consequences for each Syria and the countries during which they resettled. Scholars of migration like us To higher understand what will occur when refugees finally return home.

Previous studies have shown that Syrian refugees who are attempting to determine whether to come back are motivated More by conditions in Syria than on the basis of political decisions during which they moved. But individual experiences also play an vital role. Necessary, refugees who were exposed to violence during the civil war in Syria are in actual fact more tolerant and higher assess the risk of returning to Syria, Studies have been demonstrated.

But such tests were conducted, while Assad was still in power and only a number of weeks have passed since the fall of Assad. As a result, it is not clear how many Syrians will determine to come back. After all, the current government is temporary and the country not fully unified.

Risk of return

A month after Assad’s fall, about 125,000 Syrians faced Home, mainly from Turkey, Jordan and Lebanon. But for most of them which have still returned, vital questions and considerations remain.

First of all, what will management under transitional rule appear like? To date, the rule of Hayat Tahrir Al-Sham under the rule of Ahmed Al-Sharaa suggested that the group would accept the inclusion towards the various range of ethnic and non secular minorities in Syria. Still, some Observers are anxious About the earlier connections of the group with warming Islamist groups, including Al-Qaida.

Similarly, initial fears Restrictions on women’s participation in public life they were mostly satisfied, despite the transitional government appointment only two Women to the office.

Syrians debating whether to return home, in addition they have to face the economic devastation caused over the years of war, improper management of government and corruption and international sanctions placed on the Assad regime.

Sanctions blocking the entry of drugs and equipment, together with the bombing of infrastructure by Assad during the war, it was mutilated country medical system.

In 2024, 16.7 million Syrians – greater than half of the country’s population – was in need Necessary humanitarian aid, even when it was not much available. At the starting of 2025, the USA He announced that he was expanding Partial, six -month sanctions relief to enable humanitarian groups to provide basic services corresponding to water, sanitary and electricity.

But the reconstruction of the country’s infrastructure will last for much longer, and Syrian refugees will have to weigh whether or not they are higher to stay of their receiving countries. This is very true for those that worked on constructing a brand new life for an extended time in exile from Syria.

The Syrian government will even have to solve the problem Return of the property. Many people might want to go home only when it really have a house return to. And the policy of forced real estate transfers and settlements by Alawite and minority groups allied with the Assad regime in former Sunni areas released during the war, they complicate this problem.

Still welcoming in Europe?

Since the starting of the civil war, about 1.3 million Syrians were looking for protection in Europe, most of them arrived in 2015 and 2016 and settled in countries corresponding to Germany and Sweden. From December 2023, 780,000 people He continued to maintain the refugee status and the protection of the subsidiary-the addition form of international protection-the part that received long-term stays or citizenship.

Dependent protection has been granted to individuals who do not meet the rigorous requirements regarding the status of refugee on the basis of Geneva conventions -who requires an affordable fear of persecution based on breed, religion, nationality, political opinion or membership in a particular social group-but “”He would meet with an actual risk of suffering serious damage“If they return to their countries of origin.

Syrian recognition indicators remained consistently high in 2015-2023, but malfunction Between the protection of the subsidiary and the status of the refugee will change over the years, with 81% received refugee status in 2015 compared to 68% protection of a subsidiary in 2023.

In the case of Syrians in the EU, who’ve refugee status or protection of a subsidiary, in addition to for individuals with ongoing asylum claims, the future could be very uncertain. According to the Geneva Conventions, EU law allows governments Return, finish or refuse to renew Their status, if the reason to offer protection, determine what, according to many countries, takes place after the fall of Assad.

From that point no less than 12 European countries Asylum applications of Syria residents suspended. Some nations, corresponding to Austria, threatened to implement the “orderly return and deportation” program.

Conditions in Turkey and Lebanon

A much larger number of Syrians have been protected in neighboring countriesNamely Türkiye (2.9 million), Lebanon (755,000) and Jordan (611,000), although the estimates of unregistered Syrians are much higher. In Turkey, which hosts the largest number of Syrian refugees, Syrians only assurance Temporary protection status.

Theoretically, this status enables them to access work, healthcare and education. But in practice, Syrian refugees in Turkey were not all the time able to enjoy these laws. In combination with anti -migrant moods deteriorated by the earthquake in 2023. AND Presidential electionsLife remained difficult for many.

And while the Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan publicly found that Syrians should return home according to their very own time axis, his Previous scape goat refugee population indicates that he may ultimately want to return them – especially like Many in Turkey Now imagine that Syrian refugees haven’t any reason to stay in the country.

Syrians in Lebanon, during which guests of the largest number of Syrian refugees per capita, face even greater economic and legal challenges. The country is not a signatory to the Geneva Convention and its rigorous national asylum law granted a stay only 17% from over 1,000,000 Syrians living in the country.

Lebanon presses on Syrian refugees to leave the country for years Principles of marginalization and compelled deportationwhich have intensified in recent months with the Syrian’s government deportation program not registered in the UN. From 2023, 84% of Syrian families lived in extreme poverty. Their susceptibility to the susceptibility was tightened by the recent conflict between Hezbollah and Israel in Lebanon. 425,000 Syrians to escape the war Return to Syria again, despite the incontrovertible fact that the conditions were not secure at the moment.

Water testing

Offering visits and seeing-during which one member of the family can return to the native country to assess the situation, after which allow re-entering the host country without losing legal status is the norm In many situations for refugees. Politics is currently used for Ukrainians in Europe and has been utilized in the past for refugees from Bosnian and South.

The same policy can now serve Syrian refugees – in actual fact, Turkey He recently implemented such a plan. But above all, we expect that returning to Syria should be voluntary, not forced. Obtaining conditions for the return of refugees will have huge consequences for the reconstruction of the country and maintaining peace – or not – in the coming years.