ABSTRACT
This chapter explores the theoretical aspects of the emergence and development of internal frontier regions and presents a framework for the understanding of this phenomenon. It evaluates the role of spatial and territorial state policies in facilitating the control of internal frontiers. The chapter examines the case of an urbanizing Arab village situated in Israel's Galilee region, which, for a long time, has been treated by the authorities as an internal frontier. Most Arab villages belong to local planning committees which are responsible for the planning of a large number of villages and are therefore "regional" in practice. The chapter illustrates the use of "territorial control" by focusing on several examples of government policies which dramatically affected the nature of land ownership, settlement patterns, and planning and administrative boundaries. The boundaries of local planning authorities do not always correspond with local government boundaries, thereby creating another layer of intense local-central interaction, and opportunities for control over peripheral areas.
