The Banality of Occupation: The Politics of Suburbia in Ma’aleh Adumim

Using the theoretical framework for spatial analysis proposed by Henri Lefebvre, this article studies the growth of Ma’aleh Adumim as an intersection of political definitions, professional planning, and everyday space. Whereas the research discourse usually focuses on the ideology of the settlements’ founders and inhabitants and on the settlements’ geopolitical role, this article examines how the settlements are becoming a preferred space for the middle class — a space that offers affordable housing, accessibility, security, modern urban planning, and rich daily life. An examination of the connections between Jerusalem and Ma’aleh Adumim reveals a complex picture: Ma’aleh Adumim is considered part of the Jerusalem metropolis in every functional respect and in many aspects of the daily lives of its inhabitants, but it is still distinguished from Jerusalem in the sense of security it affords. Thus, paradoxically, the inhabitants of Ma’aleh Adumim do not view the Palestinians as their main threat; rather, they find in their city protection and refuge from such urban phenomena as crime, dirt, and uncertainty – and, specifically with regard to Jerusalem, a refuge from what they perceive as the increased ultra-Orthodox control of the urban sphere.