ICC Examination of Israeli Settlement Policies as War Crimes in “Palestine”: a Grave Mistake
On 5 December 2019 the Office of the Prosecutor of the
International Criminal Court issued its annual Report on Preliminary Examination Activities 2019. In this report, the Prosecutor, Ms. Fatou
Bensouda, gave a summary of the status of the twelve “situations” under examination by her office. She has indicated strongly that the Office intends to move forward soon to officially investigate Israeli leaders for war crimes and possibly also crimes against humanity relating to the “situation in Palestine”. In our view, the Office of the Prosecutor of the ICC is making a grave mistake.
European Court’s Interpretation of International Law in Psagot Labelling Case Seriously Flawed
A legal analysis of the recent judgment of the European Court of Justice (ECJ) in the Psagot Winery Case, concerning the question how products imported into Europe from the “occupied Palestinian territories” should be labeled, shows that the reasoning of the ECJ is seriously flawed.
Israel on Trial
In 2018, the State of Israel turned 70, but it has never been fully accepted as a member of the international community. Notwithstanding peace agreements with Egypt and Jordan, conflict between Israel and some of its neighbors in the region is looming. And peace between Israel and the Palestinians seems as far away as ever. Why?
BDS, anti-Zionism and anti-Semitism
The Israeli government has called the BDS movement the second most serious existential threat to Israel. Second only to the threats issued by Iran to destroy Israel. Israel is not overreacting. The BDS movement is both dangerous and misleading. As Canadian PM Trudeau recently remarked, it is also anti-Semitic.
Dutch MP proposes ban on ritual slaughter: the freedom of religion at stake
The freedom of religion is being threatened under the pretence of animal welfare.
The Gaza Flotilla Case Continues
In a Judgment of 2 September 2019 the Appeals Chamber of the International Criminal Court orders the Prosecutor to reconsider her decision not to investigate the Gaza flotilla case. The wanderings of this case through the avenues and alleys of the procedural provisions of the Rome Statute of the ICC seems to become a journey without end.
Rebuttal to the Article: “THE IGNORANCE OF TRUMP ENVOY GREENBLATT” by Col. Res. Shaul Arieli, published on August 9, 2019 by HAARETZ.com
Senior Fellow Dr. Cynthia Day Wallace challenges the many misquotes, misrepresentations and misinterpretations by Israeli author Shaul Arieli critiquing U.S. presidential envoy Jason Greenblatt’s address to the UN Security Council. If untruths (or half truths, which are in fact untruths) are allowed to go unchallenged, and the distortion of international law to continue unchecked, a just solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict risks being seriously impeded.
ACLJ to International Criminal Court: Jewish Settlements in Judea and Samaria Are Not “War Crimes”
On May 20, 2019 we reported that the ICC is considering looking into whether Israel has committed war crimes in its dealings with Palestinians. Now, the ICC is even considering initiating an investigation into the legality of Jewish settlements in the so-called “West Bank”, suggesting that such settlements constitute a war crime against Palestinians. The fact is, but for political motives, the ICC would not even be considering these issues.
Lord Denning, Donald Trump and the Golan Heights
In today’s society, there is a prevalent trend when it comes to “equity and justice” as regards the nation of Israel. There is a widespread predisposition against any act or situation involving Israel, which is invariably portrayed in a negative light and all too readily pre-judged as contrary to international law, often with no supporting evidence. Looking at the age-old ties of Israel with the Golan, and considering that the Heights are a strategic necessity for the national defense of Israel, justice would require that Israel’s ancient territory of the Golan be reconstituted under Israeli sovereignty.
thinc. Summer School 2019
International Law and the Israel-Palestine Conflict
The Israeli Products Labelling Controversy – Imposing Politically-Motivated Opinions in the Name of Law
The Opinion of AG Hogan at the ECJ in the Psagot Winery case is scrutinized. Conclusion: the AG’s Opinion seems more an expression of political belief than a correct legal opinion based on a sound interpretation and fair application of international law.
Report of the thinc. Summer School 2019
Report of the thinc. Summer School 2019 including video impressions.
Palestine vs USA – the ICJ should not allow itself to be used in lawfare against Israel
Jerusalem is the subject of proceedings before the International Court of Justice. It is a bizarre case, in which the PLO appears to be trying to rewrite history, and to have that historical revisionism confirmed by the most eminent jurists in the world.
Israel and the WHO, a Complicated Relationship
This blog explores the WHO’s endemic preoccupation with Israel that impairs the organization’s credibility, effectiveness and relevancy.
Jerusalem and the future of the Two-state Solution
From 8 – 9 January 2019, a seminar has taken place in the House of Parliament of the Czech Republic in Prague about the role and policies of the EU vis-a-vis the status of Jerusalem and the future of the Two-state Solution under international law. The Proceedings of the seminar are available from this site.
Anti-BDS Motion Passed by German Federal Parliament
On Friday 17 May, the German Bundestag became the first national parliament in the European Union to adopt a motion denouncing the Boycott Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement for its anti-Semitic ‘pattern of argument and methods’.
Trump’s ‘Deal of the Century’ and the ‘Two-State Solution’
The so-called ‘Two-state Solution’ appears to be up for grabs. Basically, the Two-state Solution says that the Palestinians have a right to a state covering all of the so-called West Bank, including ‘East Jerusalem’ as their capital. Years of failed negotiations have given way to the growing sentiment that the two-state solution is simply no longer feasible.
‘Settlements’: International Criminal Court Considers Prosecuting Israeli Leaders for War Crimes
The Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC) has for some time been looking into whether Israeli leaders are potentially guilty of war crimes, i.a. in relation to Israeli settlement policies. To open an investigation into the settlements issue, she needs to decide that ’Palestine‘ is a state for the purposes of the Rome Statute that governs the ICC.
US Recognition of Israeli Sovereignty over the Golan Heights – An International Law Perspective
President Trump’s recent proclamation recognizing Israeli sovereignty over the Golan Heights has attracted much criticism. The prohibition on the use of force to acquire territory is an important foundation of modern international law, but it does not mean that wars of aggression cannot have territorial consequences.
Former EU Leaders Urge EU to Reject Trump’s ‘Deal of the Century’
In a recent letter titled ‘Europe must stand by the two-state solution for Israel and Palestine’, 37 high-ranking former EU and NATO officials urge the EU to reject President Trump’s ‘deal of the century’ unless this plan commits to the two-state solution and adequately addresses Palestinian demands.