The world court says Israel’s occupation is illegal
But will the International Court of Justice’s ruling have any effect?
FOR FIFTY-SEVEN years Israel has justified its control over the territories it captured in 1967 with a combination of historic, legal, diplomatic and security arguments: The eastern part of Jerusalem and the west bank of the Jordan river were inhabited by Jews from biblical times; Israel had not captured the territory from a sovereign country but from an illegal occupation by the Jordanian kingdom, which attacked Israel first in 1967; as a small country surrounded by enemies, it needed to hold the territory to protect itself and besides, the final status of the area would be decided through negotiations.
More from Middle East and Africa
Africa’s surprising new age of rail
Sino-American tensions are playing out on the tracks
The far-right has captured Israel’s police
Binyamin Netanyahu’s coalition partner is eroding the force’s independence
To see the future of urban warfare, look at Gaza
Western armies are studying the horrifying conflict for tactical lessons