Indivisibility of ontic spaces as conflict catalyst: Temple Mount in the Israeli–Palestinian conflict
Cambridge Review of International Affairs, 2026 (SSCI, Scopus)
- Yayın Türü: Makale / Tam Makale
- Basım Tarihi: 2026
- Doi Numarası: 10.1080/09557571.2026.2657512
- Dergi Adı: Cambridge Review of International Affairs
- Derginin Tarandığı İndeksler: Social Sciences Citation Index (SSCI), Scopus, IBZ Online, Index Islamicus, Political Science Complete, Public Affairs Index
- Anahtar Kelimeler: conflict resolution, Israel-Palestinian conflict, ontic indivisibility, ontic space, Ontological security, Temple Mount
- İstanbul Kültür Üniversitesi Adresli: Evet
Özet
This paper examines how sacred sites can become ontic spaces—material extensions of the collective Self that stabilise identity and ontological security. It introduces the concept of ontic indivisibility to explain why spaces that are simultaneously sacred and ontic become existentially non-negotiable. Drawing on a discourse analysis of the Temple Mount across multiple historical crises, the study demonstrates how recurring phrases, such as ‘Al-Aqsa is in danger’ and ‘United Jerusalem,’ function as mythic signifiers that reproduce collective anxiety. The analysis links myth, narratives, and materiality to demonstrate that the Temple Mount’s indivisibility sustains an ontological zero-sum dynamic between Israelis and Palestinians, rendering the conflict structurally and persistently resistant to resolution. The authors would like to thank the editors and the anonymous reviewers of the Cambridge Review of International Affairs for their constructive and insightful feedback, which significantly improved this manuscript. We are also grateful to Prof. Filip Ejdus for reading an early draft and offering valuable suggestions that strengthened the theoretical framing.