The Competition

The story of Ein Hud, south of Haifa, is a typical example of the complex reality of ideological planning in Israel – and how such planning contributes to the Israeli-Palestinian tragedy.

Before the advent of the State of Israel, Ein Hud was an ancient Palestinian village on Mount Carmel. During the War of Independence of 1948, the Israeli army occupied the village, and the 900 villagers became refugees overnight. One group, the extended family of Muhammad Abu al Hayja, fled to nearby family land on the mountain and began building a new village, called Ein Hud after the old one.

Meanwhile, in the early 1950s, the picturesque old village was ‘discovered’ by Jewish artists, who eagerly moved in, calling it Ein Hod. So began the parallel development of Ein Hod / Ein Hud, the Jewish village becoming an exclusive artists’ village and tourist destination, while Palestinian Ein Hud, illegal and unofficial, spent the next 50 years without even basic services such as water and electricity. When finally recognised, in 2004, Ein Hud was subjected to a discriminatory ‘masterplan’ aimed at repressing its Palestinian identity.

More then 300 architects registered for the competition, 107 entries arriving from more then 30 countries, each one outlining a sustainable and livable alternative for the Palestinian village, in contrast to the Israeli government’s unworkable plan.

On 6th February, 2005, an international jury announced the winners of the competition One Land Two Systems.

The members of the jury were:
Muhammad Abu al Hayja (Mayor, Ein Hud); Aaron Betsky (Director, NAI); Petra Blaisse (InsideOutside); Rassem Hamaissi (Geographer, Haifa University); Sandi Hilal (Stateless  Nation); Sandy Kedar (Lawyer, Haifa University); Rachel Leah Jones (maker of the film, 500 Dunam  on the Moon); Malkit Shoshan (Director, FAST); Eyal Weizman (architect, London); Oren  Yiftachel (geographer, Be’er Sheva University), Hana Hamdan (Adalah Legal Centre for Arab Minority Rights in Israel).