Author: David Newman
Until 1967, the boundary between Israel and the West Bank was known as the 'Green Line'. This line, delimited in the armistice agreement of 1949, was formally removed in 1967 following the Israeli occupation of the West Bank. However, it has continued to function as an important boundary between Israel and the Occupied Territories, albeit with different, and constantly changing, formal and functional definitions.
This Briefing examines the history and present characteristics of the Green Line. It shows how the Green Line has been preserved as an important administrative and perceptual boundary since 1967. It also examines, and proposes, scenarios in which the Green Line (or a modified Green Line) will return to become the eventual political boundary separating Israel from a Palestinian state under a final peace agreement between the two parties.
The study also touches on the role of the Green Line within Jerusalem, probably the single most complex and, at this stage, seemingly insoluble aspect of the conflict. The history of the Green Line in Jerusalem closely mirrors the functional changes which have taken place along the remainder of the boundary. While both sides to the conflict see Jerusalem as the political and administrative centre of their respective state/autonomous entities, neither side supports the idea of a city physically redivided.
With the current construction of Israel's security wall fully underway, there has perhaps never been so much world attention focused on the potential boundaries and the 'Green Line' in this volatile region.
This article is available as a free download : Download PDF.
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