An architecture research based agency located in Goldsmith University of London, Forensic Architecture aims to trace back the series of events that took place using architecture as a tool.
This video covers the ongoing battle between Israel and Palestine through the lens of an architect. Weizman explains that the politics of a country can be seen through its architecture. He explains how architecture in the two countries is central to the Israelis, allowing them to maintain a constant watch over the Palestinians as a form of "slow violence".
"Architecture and the built environment is a kind of a slow violence. The occupation is an environment that was conceived to strangulate Palestinian communities, villages and towns, to create an environment that would be unlivable for the people there," says Weizman.
He mentions the "differentiation in speed and movement" was one form of "slow violence" which stood out to me. The myriad of walls, borders and checkpoints slowed down the movement of Palestinians. While the Israelis are not faced with such divisions frequently, instead they have access to highways and motorways which not only speed up their movement but also overlook the Palestinian settlements. After discussing this further, this aspect of movement was being compared to that of a queue for an amusement park.
The positioning of the settlements on the hilltop was another interesting point to note. Weizman explained that the Israeli settlements were placed on top of a hill
To think that ordinary roads, highways, walls, borders and checkpoints could be used to keep a constant watch and control over the Palestinian people is something I find really disturbing. The fact that people are constantly being singled out and checked is in itself a form of "slow violence", achieved by the presence of walls and other dividing devices. These acts that slowly dehumanise people living there make it easier for the Israelis to use their land almost as a playground. Where public and private areas are constantly "being turned upside down". The sense of privacy and home seems to be lost when there is no security around.
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