Institute for Historical Justice and Reconciliation

The IHJR seeks to dispel public myths about historic legacies
in societies divided by ethnic conflict

• Home
• IHJR in Brief
• Vision & Mission
• Methodology
• News
• Executive Committee
• Advisory Board
• Staff

• Projects Overview
• Armenia-Turkey
• Middle East
• Former Yugoslavia
• Kenya

• East Asia
• India-Pakistan
• Indonesia
• Poland
• Ukraine
• Ambassadors of Remembrance

• Uganda

• Articles on the IHJR
• Bibliographies
• Links

• Contact Information
• How to get there
• Job Postings

• Support the IHJR

Atlas of the 1948 War

This project brings together cartographers and historians from Palestine and Israel to create the first joint Israeli-Palestinian Atlas of the 1948 War, documenting what has become known as the Palestinian ‘Nakhba’ (catastrophe) and Israel’s independence. The Atlas documents the events beginning with the United Nations partition of Palestine in December 1947 and culminating with the arms agreement between Israel and Syria in July 1949, and will consist of ca. 70 maps with accompanying shared narratives. The maps are created using various methods including collecting archival material, drafting new ones and aerial photographs. It includes topics on: the movement of peoples, various division plans of Palestine and the stages of the war and furthermore touches on diverse legal issues, ranging from property claims to alleged human rights violations.

The Atlas includes maps and shared narratives covering the following:

• Palestine 1945-1946
• Palestine 1945-1946: Cities and Towns
• Maps of the United Nations Division Plans
• Battles
• Refugee Movements during the War and Palestinian Refugee Camps
• Wartime Truce and International Agreements
• Immediate Postwar Situation

The Atlas of the 1948 War will be completed within 2010.

During the final phase, work will begin on the public dissemination of the results in various forms, including press releases, and the production of educational materials. The IHJR will also make a digital version of the atlas available, which will include enhanced cartographic and archival materials and provide the basis for a major on-line resource that can serve as a central source of objective, legitimate facts and provide information on the 1948 War, and its impact on the demographics and land use in the region.