Israel's West Bank annexation
1 July 2020, the target date, came and went without Israel imposing its sovereignty over the Palestinian territories it first occupied in 1967. However, in light of the current Israeli government's policy, this dramatic move may just be a matter of time.
CLICK HERE: New Netanyahu-Gantz coalition agreement stipulates illegal annexation of West Bank
Israel's unilateral annexation of the occupied West Bank contravenes international law, including provisions of the Rome Statute. The International Criminal Court (ICC) is already investigating the commission of war crimes related to West Bank settlement activity. Via its assertion of sovereignty over Palestinian territory, the Israeli regime is placing itself in a state of criminality.
Israel's unilateral annexation would allow it to exercise control and enforce sovereignty in the West Bank while simultaneously denying Palestinians the right to self-determination. This constitutes an "act of aggression", which is considered a crime under the Rome Statute of the ICC. The primary purpose of annexation – the establishment of settlements and the transfer of civilian population to occupied territory – is in itself a war crime. Perhaps most dire, annexation would legally and officially establish Israel as an apartheid regime – and this is a crime against humanity.
Israel's annexation is expected to change the legal framework that it applies to the OPT. Since the occupation of the West Bank in 1967, Israeli authorities have worked zealously to establish settlements and to advance the interests of Israeli settlers, and have not spared any expense to expropriate and exploit Palestinian lands for the benefit of the settlement enterprise.
It must be remembered that Israel's West Bank annexation plan was not conceived with U.S. President Donald Trump's "Deal of the Century", but that it is in fact another stage in Israel's efforts to "legalize" and entrench its takeover of Palestinian land and the establishment additional settlements.
CLICK HERE or on the above map to learn about U.S. President Donald Trump’s “Deal of the Century”. (Map: @realdonaldtrump/Instagram)
Israel's 2017 Settlement Regularization Law allowed the state to retroactively "legalize" the settlements that it had constructed illegally – even according to domestic Israeli law – on private Palestinian lands in the West Bank. The Israeli Supreme Court decided in June 2020 to strike down the law. Notably, this decision was made against the backdrop of statements made by Israel's attorney general that alternative measures could be undertaken, which would serve a similar purpose to the Settlement Regularization Law.
CLICK HERE or on the above image to learn more about how, on 9 June 2020, Israel’s Supreme Court struck down the West Bank Settlement Regularization Law, that had allowed Israel to expropriate private Palestinian lands in the West Bank and to retroactively “legalize” the Israeli settlements built on these lands.
CLICK HERE: Petition against the Settlements Regularization law [English translation]
CLICK HERE: Adalah's briefing paper against the Settlements Regularization Law
CLICK HERE or on the above image to read Adalah’s initial analysis of the Israeli Supreme Court's decision in the Settlements Regularization Law case.
Israel's West Bank annexation move is a direct product of Israel's Jewish Nation-State Law – legislation that has constitutional status – which specified in Article 1 that the "Land of Israel" is the historical homeland of the Jewish people and that the right of self-determination in the State of Israel is exclusive of Jewish citizens. Article 7 of the law provides that Jewish settlement is a national value that must be pursued. Read together, these provisions could provide legal justification for annexation. The Jewish Nation-State Law has enshrined as a colonial regime based on Jewish supremacy and possessing characteristics of apartheid.
Israel’s 2018 Jewish Nation-State Law enshrines Jewish supremacy over Palestinian citizens. The law has distinct apartheid characteristics. CLICK HERE or on the above image to learn more about the Jewish Nation-State Law.
Related press releases
Adalah backs warning from UN human rights experts: Morning after Israel's West Bank annexation will be 'vision of 21st century apartheid' | UN experts: Annexation would be crystallization of already unjust reality: two peoples living in same space, ruled by same state, but with profoundly unequal rights; Adalah and partners: UN and int'l community must oppose annexation, guarantee right of Palestinians to self-determination.
Israeli Supreme Court strikes down law allowing Israel to expropriate private West Bank Palestinian lands for settlements | Adalah, JLAC, and Al Mezan petitioned against 2017 law; Adalah: This is significant achievement against Israel's threatened impending annexation of parts of West Bank; nothing justifies war crimes.
New Netanyahu-Gantz coalition agreement stipulates illegal annexation of West Bank | Government coalition deal imposing Israeli sovereignty in occupied West Bank is violation of both international and Israeli law; Adalah to attorney general: Clarify that you will act against any government or Knesset move to promote annexation of OPT.
Trump plan normalizes Israel's apartheid regime in West Bank, calls for annexation and forced transfer of 260,000 Palestinian citizens of Israel | 'Deal of the Century' gives green light to Israel's illegal annexation of West Bank; Adalah: Plan is no more than joint U.S.-Israel effort to impose Israeli government's vision for territory in flagrant violation of international law, and Palestinian right to self-determination.
Adalah responds to U.S. Secretary of State Pompeo’s statement on Israeli settlements in occupied Palestinian West Bank | U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo: “The establishment of Israeli civilian settlements in the West Bank is not per se inconsistent with international law”.
Related documents
- Briefing paper: Initial analysis of the Israeli Supreme Court's decision in the Settlements Regularization Law Case, 15 June 2020
- Briefing paper: Israel’s use of ‘good faith’ to confiscate private Palestinian land in the Occupied West Bank – in bad faith, 30 December 2019
Related media coverage
- Israel's top court strikes down West Bank land seizure law, AFP (via The National), 10 June 2020
- Israel court strikes down law legalising settlements on private Palestinian land, Middle East Eye, 10 June 2020
- High Court nixes Settlements Law as annexation approaches, The Jerusalem Post, 9 June
2020 - Thousands of Arabs protest in Israel against Trump peace plan, The National, 2 February 2020
