23 July 2013

The responsibility of third states concerning the Israeli occupation of the Palestinian Territories

On Thursday evening 13 June 2013, the third SHARES Debate entitled The Israeli occupation of the Palestinian Territories: is there a responsibility for the Netherlands? was held in Amsterdam. This blog post will highlight parts of the debate.

Background

The continuing Israeli occupation of the West Bank, the Gaza Strip and East-Jerusalem, and the expansion of settlements raise the question as to what the responsibility is of other states. Due to the asymmetry of this conflict, it would appear that it can only be resolved through the intervention of third parties.

This SHARES debate addressed the role of third states in general, and the Netherlands in particular. The focus on the Netherlands was justified not only because the Netherlands attaches great importance to the promotion of the international rule of law, but also because it maintains close relations with both Israel and the Palestinian Authority. (more…)