Domination by Design: The Weaponization of Architecture and Urban Planning by the Israel Defense Forces

Abstract

This paper inspects how the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) and the broader Israeli planning system have scientifically weaponized architecture and urban planning to uphold control over Palestinian territories, suppress resistance, and instill fear. Drawing on the frameworks of militarized urbanism and urban warfare theory, the study analyses spatial strategies including settlement design, bypass road networks, the construction of the separation wall, and the development of Urban Warfare Training Centres ('Fake Cities'). Data from field reports, academic literature, and primary evidence drawn from urban warfare doctrines (for example, the work of Shimon Naveh) reveal that the IDF deliberately integrates the built environment into its military strategy. Tactics such as penetrating homes by making holes in walls, fragmenting Palestinian communities with 60-foot-high walls, or training in simulated Muslim cities with Masjids and marketplaces, all demonstrate that architecture itself is transformed into an active weapon of domination. The findings suggest that these spatial practices constitute a form of psychological warfare aimed at breaking down social cohesion and producing long-lasting fear and uncertainty. The paper advocates for a human-centered, rights-based approach to replacing these structures of fear and promoting peace.