PARTITIONED REALITIES: THE UNCANNY, DOUBLE CONSCIOUSNESS, AND THE DISRUPTED SENSE OF HOME AND BELONGING IN HEBRON

Abstract

The Israeli occupation of Palestine affected different aspects of life and resulted in numerous conflicts, mainly religiopolitical. The sensitivity of the conflict is demonstrated in Hebron, the oldest and most populous city in Palestine (Feige, 2001). An Abrahamic landmark, Hebron has witnessed a polarizing sociopolitical division due to its high religious significance, particularly the Ibrahimi Mosque (Tomb of the Patriarchs). In 1994, Baruch Goldstein carried out a massacre in the Ibrahimi Mosque (Paine, 1995). This massacre paved the way for The Hebron Protocol in 1997, which divided the city into H1 under Palestinian Authority (PA) control and H2 under Israeli Military control (Nygren, 2014). This division has not only affected the physical landscape of the city but has also had a profound impact on the social fabric and the sense of belonging among its residents. This study seeks to uncover the effects of division on Hebron residents’ sense of home and belonging and to voice their experience of dislocation in a city of impediments. Moreover, this thesis aims to gain a deeper understanding of the experience and consequences of living in a divided city. The study applies the concepts of the uncanny as theorized by Freud (1919) and Bhabha (1994) and Du Bois’ (1903) double consciousness to analyze how the city’s division creates a space where identities are contested and destabilized, reflecting the tension and the loss of a sense of home the residents experience. Key questions guide the research: How does the division of Hebron into H1 and H2 impact residents’ social interactions and cultural practices? How does this division disrupt the sense of home and belonging among residents? How is the division related to the concepts of the uncanny and double consciousness? And what coping mechanisms do residents use? To address these questions, semi-structured interviews have been conducted with residents of both H1 and H2 areas. This will provide an in-depth exploration of the residents’ experiences and perceptions of living in a divided city. This study may reveal how Hebron’s physical fragmentation produces deep psychological and emotional displacement. It is also likely to uncover how residents experience a split sense of self, shaped by the tension between their internal identity and the external gaze of the occupier, while simultaneously developing resilient strategies to endure and assert belonging.

Date of Award	2025
Original language	American English
Awarding Institution	HBKU College of Humanities and Social Science