About the Database
This interactive database is made available to you by the Economic Cooperation Foundation (ECF), an Israeli policy planning think-tank dedicated to achieving an Israeli-Palestinian two-state solution; to promote peace, security and prosperity for Israel and its Arab neighbors; and to promote Middle East regional stability (you can find more information about ECF here).
The most significant tool offered on this website is its interactive map feature that allows you to engage with more than one hundred digital high-resolution maps by choosing, from a selected list of relevant layers of information, which ones you are interested to apply and combine with others.
This database is also meant to provide a unique “one-stop shop” encompassing the most comprehensive and up-to-date knowledge and materials on all issues that affect current and future economic, security and political relations between Israel and the Palestinians.
The website enables you to use and copy this data in different settings and for different purposes, in user-friendly form, and to share this information through social media. As long as you display the source of this information clearly (© ECF Database), you are free to use it.
How To Use This Database
The information contained in the database is organized around eight major topics, corresponding to the core issues around which the conflict revolves: Political Status, Borders, Security, Jerusalem, Refugees, Israel & the Arab World, and Civil Affairs. Some topics are divided into sub-topics; for example, under Borders you can find information relevant to Israeli settlements, territorial negotiations and more.
The database contains two kinds of pages: term pages and maps.
Term pages display information regarding specific events or documents relating to the conflict, such as agreements, conferences, declarations or wars. The information on the term page includes a short summary of the relevant term, links to relevant media items (usually original documents, images or maps), and access to related terms and tags. In addition, some term pages contain interactive maps, which can also be accessed through the dedicated Maps portal (see below).
Terms can be accessed through the Issues portal, a link to which appears on the top bar of this website. The portal offers two ways to locate terms of interest. If you already know which specific term you wish to search for, such as the 1948 War or the Israel-Egypt Peace Treaty, you can use the search option that appears in the top part of the portal.
Alternatively, you can browse the database in search of interesting terms, like so:
1. First, click on the topic or sub-topic that interests you, such as Refugees or Territorial Exchange.
2. Next, you can filter the terms by category, such as Documents, Declarations or Agreements. A list of terms will appear, and you can click the title to access the relevant term page.
For example, if you are interested in agreements related to Jerusalem, go to the Issues portal, click on Jerusalem, and then on Agreements.
There are several ways to access the interactive maps that utilize the innovative interface especially designed for this website:
1. First, as mentioned above, maps tied to specific terms appear on the relevant term page.
2. Second, when you select a topic from the Issues portal, an overview map will appear on the topic page, containing the most relevant information to that topic. For example, when you enter the sub-topic of Israeli Settlements under Borders, the map will display the current status of Israeli settlements in the West Bank.
3. Third, maps can be accessed directly through the Maps portal, a link to which also appears on the top bar of this website. Through this portal, you can search for maps, or browse the different maps by topic. No matter which way you choose to view the map, you can turn layers on and off using the left toolbar, and zoom, switch between map and satellite view, and share the map using the right toolbar.
As this site is still in the beta phase, we would appreciate any comments regarding the database and its use. You can contact us through e-mail at ecf@ecf.org.il.