New Mapping Technologies, Same Old Politics?

An introduction to the recent history of Jerusalem, underscoring the role of cartography. Here, I explore how maps have been used to support the Zionist project, both symbolically (by presenting Palestine as a land without a people) and materially (by facilitating military expansion and civic administration). I also highlight key technological and social transformations undergone by cartography in recent decades. While it would be naive to think new technologies make maps any less political, my argument is that—in Jerusalem as elsewhere—there is a need to investigate their characteristics and effects. Do web maps ‘repackage’ the same substance in a new form, or do they bring about genuine change, for better (more democratic) or for worse (less transparent)?