International law and the Arab–Israeli conflict

Arguments about the applicability of various elements of international law underlie the debate around the Arab-Israeli conflict . This article discusses the basis for these arguments.

There is a broad international consensus that the actions of the nations involved in the Arab-Israeli conflict violate prohibitions contained in international law . However, this legality is disputed by some of the nations involved. Both the basis for international law and disagreement over its applicability in the case of the Arab-Israeli conflict is discussed below. The conflict goes back to before the 1948 Arab-Israeli war and the founding of Israel (see History of the Arab-Israeli conflict ). As a result of the Six-Day War in 1967, Israel came to occupy large swaths of land invaded and occupied in 1948 by neighboring Egypt, Syria and Jordan. Following the peace treaties between Israel and Egypt and Israel and Jordan , the conflict today largely revolves around Palestinian statehood. The main points of dispute (also known as the "core issues" or "final status issues") are the following: the legality or otherwise of the Israeli settlements in the Palestinian territories, and their annexation of East Jerusalem and the Israeli West Bank barrier ; how legal borders should be decided between Israel and a Palestinian state ; the legal status of the Palestinian refugees from the 1948 Arab-Israeli war and subsequently. The United Nations General Assembly has voted on a resolution bearing on issues of international law as applied to the conflict every year since 1974. The most recent vote was held on November 26, 2013. The resolution entitled "Peaceful settlement of the question of Palestine" was adopted by a recorded vote of 165 in favor to 6 against with 6 abstentions. Miami Herald . -- "What is most remarkable about the International Court of Justice decision [...] is the strength of the consensus behind it. By a vote of 14-1, the 15 distinguished jurists who make up the highest judicial body on the planet found that the barrier is illegal under international law [...] The International Court of Justice has very rarely reached this degree of unanimity in big cases. The July 9 decision was even supported by the generally conservative British judge Rosalyn Higgins". "Disputed" territories : "[the] international consensus, excepting the U.S. in some cases, is that [the] annexation of the Golan Heights and East Jerusalem are illegal and not recognized by international law" Klapper, Bradley S. (November 13, 2008) "Switzerland says Israel breaking international law" Associated Press . -- "An Israeli Embassy spokeswoman [...] said the decision [...] was sanctioned by law." "United Nations Bibliographic Information System Search Results: Palestine Question" .

The International law bearing on issues of Arab–Israeli conflict , which became a major arena of regional and international tension since the birth of Israel in 1948, resulting in several disputes between a number of Arab countries and Israel. There is an international consensus that some of the actions of the states involved in the Arab–Israeli conflict violate international law, but some of the involved states dispute this. In the Six-Day War in 1967, Israel pre-empted what many Israeli leaders believed to be an imminent Arab attack and invaded and occupied territory that had itself been invaded and occupied by neighboring Egypt , Syria and Jordan in the 1948 Arab–Israeli War . Following the peace treaties between Israel and Egypt and Israel and Jordan , in which the states relinquished their claims to the Israeli-occupied territory, the conflict today mostly revolves around the Palestinians . The main points of dispute (also known as the "core issues" or "final status issues") are the following: Israel's annexation of East Jerusalem (Israel has also annexed the Golan Heights , but that territory isn't claimed by Palestinians), construction of Israeli settlements in the Palestinian territories and the erection of the Israeli West Bank barrier ; how borders should be decided between Israel and a Palestinian state ; the right of return of the Palestinian refugees from the 1948 and 1967 wars.

The International law bearing on issues of Arab–Israeli conflict , which became a major arena of regional and international tension since the birth of Israel in 1948, resulting in several disputes between a number of Arab countries and Israel. There is an international consensus that some of the actions of the states involved in the Arab–Israeli conflict violate international law, but some of the involved states dispute this. In the Six-Day War in 1967, Israel pre-empted what many Israeli leaders believed to be an imminent Arab attack and invaded and occupied territory that had itself been invaded and occupied by neighboring Egypt , Syria and Jordan in the 1948 Arab–Israeli War . Following the peace treaties between Israel and Egypt and Israel and Jordan , in which the states relinquished their claims to the Israeli-occupied territory, the conflict today mostly revolves around the Palestinians . The main points of dispute (also known as the "core issues" or "final status issues") are the following: Israel's annexation of East Jerusalem (Israel has also annexed the Golan Heights , but that territory isn't claimed by Palestinians), construction of Israeli settlements in the Palestinian territories and the erection of the Israeli West Bank barrier ; how borders should be decided between Israel and a Palestinian state ; the right of return of the Palestinian refugees from the 1948 and 1967 wars.