On Tuesday 2nd July, thinc. organized a European Summit in The Hague on Israel, Palestine and the International Courts.
While the horrific images of October 7 are still on our minds, the world is crying out for implementation of the ‘two-state solution’− as if that would be the panacea to resolve the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
Since 1980, the EU has pushed for a ”two-state solution”, envisioning a Palestinian and an Israeli state, living peacefully side by side. Today, 44 years and billions of Euros later, we must conclude that this policy has failed. The Arabs/Palestinians have consistently rejected opportunities to establish a Palestinian state besides Israel, and failed to build institutions of government.
The PLO and its allies in the UN are now using the international legal system to enforce Palestinian statehood unilaterally.
The PLO is driving various cases at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) and International Criminal Court (ICC) in pursuit of this agenda. These cases have far-reaching implications – not just for Israel, but also for Europe. ‘Palestine’ fails the criteria of statehood and will possibly become home for another Iranian proxy, with all its consequences for Israel and the Middle East.
Attended by legal and political 55 leaders, thepurpose of this strategic Summitwas to discuss the current proceedings before the International Court of Justice and the International Criminal Court, in which the “State of Palestine” is being recognized and promoted, and Israel is being pressured to withdraw unilaterally from “occupied territories”; andassess their legal, political and security implications for Israel and for Europe.
Pieter Hoogendoorn (Chair, thinc) opened the meeting and introduced thinc.’s recent studies Two States for Two Peoples? and The Legal Conditions for Listing of the IRGC on the EU Terror List.
Andrew Tucker (Director, thinc.) explained the current Advisory Opinion proceedings before the International Court of Justice (ICJ). He outlined seven reasons why these proceedings are problematic from legal and policy perspectives.
Watch Andrew Tuckers presentation here:
Brig. Gen. (res) Avi Singer (Israel’s Defense & Security Forum) outlined the strategic and military significance of Jerusalem and the West Bank for Israel’s existence. He argued that military and civilian presence in these territories is essential for Israel’s existence, in the context of the threats in the region.
Watch Avi Singers presentation here:
Prof. Dr. Wolfgang Bock, (Senior Fellow, thinc.) explained the legal and political problems of palestinian statehood, and that the “two states” paradigm is based on false legal, historical and policy assumptions.
Watch Prof. Wolgang Bock’s presentation here:
Jonathan Turner (CEO, UK Lawyers for Israel) explained the evidentiary and other problems of the ICJ Advisory opinion proceedings.
Watch Jonathan Turner’s presentation here:
MK Orit Farkash-Hacohen (Israeli Knesset) challenged the ICJ Advisory Opinion proceedings as exceeing the Court’s jurisdiction.
Watch MK Orit Farkash-Hacohen‘s presentation here:
Josias Terschüren (Policy Director, CSI, Germany), Anne-Sophie Sebban-Bécache (Director, AJC, France), Simone Pillon (Lawyer and former Senator, Italy), David Parsons (Vice-President, ICEJ, Jerusalem) and Robert Nicholson (Lawyer, Founder of The Philos Project, USA) all made presentaitons about the likely impact in their country should an an Advisory Opinion be issued along the lines of the demands of the Palestinian delegation.
Watch the video’s of the above mentions speakers in the panel discussion here:
