Israel’s occupation of Palestine coerced denial of national existence

Those who write in defence of Israel’s Palestinian policies rarely address, let alone attempt to justify, the illegal occupation of the territory taken by force in 1967.

The occupation is not an existential threat to the Palestinian people, but an accomplished fact of coerced denial of national existence.

The occupation is a flagrant violation of international humanitarian law, in particular the Fourth Geneva Convention, and international human rights law. The facts of the occupation also present a clear demonstration of bad faith on the part of the state of Israel in its dealings with the Palestinian people, especially its profession of support for their right to self-determination, a prerequisite to the realisation of a meaningful “twostate solution” to the conflict.

The illegal voluntary transfer of parts of the Israeli population to establish permanent settlements; appropriation and destruction of Palestinian property, including houses and ancient olive groves; enclosure of Palestinian land by a “security wall”; and exclusive control of vital water resources can only be understood as elements of a determined effort to maintain a condition of Palestinian statelessness.

The strategy is to deliberately block the possibility of independent existence as a sovereign state.

Hiresh Ramthol Lone Hill, Sandton