ABSTRACT
The representation of the past is a major sphere of contestation in Israel/Palestine; more specifically, it is a battleground between the state of Israel and its Palestinian citizens. This chapter deals with the attempts of the state and groups in the mainstream Jewish population to shape the way Palestinians remember their past. In this context, I argue that “surveillance,” as it is commonly conceived in surveillance studies, is insufficient for analyzing the way collective memory is controlled and disciplined. If surveillance is indeed “the focused, systematic, and routine attention to personal details for purposes of influence, management, protection or direction” (Lyon 2007: 14), the term too heavily emphasizes the collection of personal of data, giving only secondary importance to discipline as one of its potential purposes. Discipline, however, can be achieved by alternate means that do not necessarily include the collection of personal data.
