Maps of the West Bank in Jordanian Postage Stamps, 1952–1985

Abstract

This article examines Jordanian postage stamp depiction of the West Bank as part of the Hashemite Kingdom from 1952 to 1985. The majority of maps of the West Bank are featured as part of Jordan, both during Jordanian rule of the West Bank (1948–1967) and after Israel conquered the land during the 1967 war. Sometimes the West Bank is delineated from Jordan to suggest a territorial dispute with Israel, while other times, the West Bank is shown as part of Palestine. The ambiguous representations of the West Bank as Jordanian territory, disputed territory, and Palestinian territory reinforce Hashemite sovereignty claims to the West Bank while also supporting Palestinian rights and acknowledging Jordanian rule of the West Bank was conditional upon settlement of the Palestinian issue. Finally, this analysis seeks to explain why stamps stopped showing the West Bank as part of Jordan in 1985, three years before the kingdom formally severed all legal and administrative ties to the land.

Document Details

Document Type
Pub Defense Publication
Publication Date
Nov 07, 2021
Source ID
10.1177/23477989211053177

Entities

People

  • Michael Sharnoff

Organizations

  • National Defense University

Tags

Readers

  • Military History of the United States in the 20th Century.
  • Nuclear Non-Proliferation and International Security
  • Riverine Ecology