“Lawfare”
Self-Defense and the Dignity of States
Asymmetric Conflicts and the Rules of War
International Law and Military Operations in Practice – III
Is the Palestinian Authority Stable Enough for Peace Talks?
While Prime Minister Salam Fayyad’s stellar reputation in the West as a reformer-statesman continues to inspire confidence among U.S. security officials and donor nations, he does not have the political base to succeed in the long term. Moreover, Washington’s notion that reformed political power can be purchased is naïve. Furthermore, Fayyad has continued to pay monthly salaries to nearly 12,000 Hamas Executive Force members, the same force that fought IDF troops in the recent Gaza war.
Accountability of the Hamas under International Humanitarian Law
The laws of war have historically developed in two separate normative frameworks. The first is known as jus ad bellum, and refers to the legality of the resort to war. This area is governed by the UN Charter, as well as international customary law. The second normative framework is called jus in bello, also known as International Humanitarian Law (IHL). This area regulates the manner in which the fighting is conducted, once the warring parties have entered into an armed conflict. IHL applies in situations of armed conflict, whether international or non-international in nature. Its main goal is to protect civilians and other categories of persons who do not participate in the hostilities, as well as certain objects, from harm inflicted during armed conflicts.1 To achieve this goal, IHL treaties and customary norms define which acts are legitimate and which are prohibited during armed conflicts. IHL applies equally to all parties to an armed conflict, regardless of whether they were justified in resorting to war in the first place.
Local Jewish Community Studies as Planning Tools for the American Jewish Community
More than 50 American Jewish Federations completed local Jewish community studies from 1993 to 2008. The principal purpose of this paper is to illustrate the utility of these studies. Part I cites examples of how the results of these studies have been utilized to guide Jewish community decision-making at the national and local levels. Part II forwards a series of additional arguments in support of completing local Jewish community studies.
Michelle Mazel on De Gaulle/Pétain Règlements de comptes [De Gaulle/Petain: Settling scores], by Herbert Lottman
The End of a Beautiful Friendship
De Gaulle/Pétain Règlements de comptes [De Gaulle/Petain: Settling scores], by Herbert Lottman, Paris : Le Grand Livre du Mois, 2008, 229 pp. [French]
Reviewed by Michelle Mazel
U.S. Policy on Israeli Settlements
In seeking to constrain Israeli settlement activity, the U.S. is essentially trying to obtain additional Israeli concessions that were not formally required according to Israel’s legal obligations under the Oslo Accords. The U.S. and Israel have already negotiated specific guidelines for settlement activity so that it will not diminish the territory of a future Palestinian entity.
Proportionality in Modern Asymmetrical Wars
In Israel’s Gaza operation, Israeli commanders successfully followed the requirements of the principle of proportionality.
The Political Role of the Israeli Chief Rabbinate in the Temple Mount Question
The official Israeli Chief Rabbinate adopted a mostly conservative stance toward the new circumstances created. Halakhic factors interplayed with governmental pressure to avoid hostile reactions from the Muslim world.
Prejudice and Demonization In The Swedish Middle East Debate During The 2006 Lebanon War
Since the beginning of the new millennium increased anti-Semitism has been detected within the political left in some European countries. It is often said to be most pronounced in the media, where criticism of Israel is sometimes tainted by anti-Jewish sentiments. An analysis of the contents of eight different newspapers of the Swedish left, from mainstream Social Democratic to radical Marxist-Leninist, suggests that the situation in Sweden is no different.
Protecting the Contiguity of Israel: The E-1 Area
The completion of the E-1 construction plan would not cut the West Bank in half and undermine Palestinian contiguity.
Israel’s Forgotten Rights in Jerusalem
To protect Jerusalem, Israeli diplomacy must reestablish the unification of the city as a clear national goal, and not abandon the subject of Jerusalem exclusively to Palestinian spokespeople.
Wolfgang G. Schwanitz on Icon of Evil: Hitler’s Mufti and the Rise of Radical Islam, by David G. Dalin and John F. Rothmann
A Mosaic on the Mufti’s Islam
Icon of Evil: Hitler’s Mufti and the Rise of Radical Islam, by David G. Dalin and John F. Rothmann, New York: Random House, 2008, 230 pp.
Reviewed by Wolfgang G. Schwanitz
