On May 25, 2007, UK's THE INDEPENDENT Magazine reported:
A senior legal official who secretly warned the government of Israel after the Six Day War of 1967 that it would be illegal to build Jewish settlements in the occupied Palestinian territories has said, for the first time, that he still believes that he was right.
The declaration by Theodor Meron, the Israeli Foreign Ministry's legal adviser at the time and today one of the world's leading international jurists, is a serious blow to Israel's persistent argument that the settlements do not violate international law, particularly as Israel prepares to commemorate the 40th anniversary of the war in June 1967.
"It's obvious to me that the fact that settlements were established and the pace of the establishment of the settlements made peacemaking much more difficult." -Judge Meron, a holocaust survivor.
Meron also disclosed that Foreign Minister, Abba Eban, understood that the settlements would directly conflict with the Hague and Geneva conventions regarding the responsibilites and conduct of occupying powers.
Despite the legal opinion, there are now 240,000 Jewish settlers in the West Bank, all considered illegal under International Law.
The memorandum, written in September 1967, states that the international community had already rejected the "argument that the West Bank is not 'normal occupied territory'."
The memo also pointed out that the British ambassador to the United Nations, Lord Caradon, had already asserted that Israel 's position was that of an occupier and that military courts would "fulfil Geneva provisions" indicated that Israel thought so too.
Source:
http://news.independent.co.uk/...
"Missing from Israel’s security framing is the very fact of occupation, which Israel both denies exists...and that "security" requires Israel control over the entire country...rendering impossible a just peace based on human rights, international law, reconciliation."- Jeff Halper, page 1, Obstacles to Peace: A Reframing of the Palestinian-Israeli Conflict.
After 40 years - the time has come!
Global June 5th initiative:
http://www.june5thinitiative.org/
June 10-11 March in DC to END THE OCCUPATION!
http://www.endtheoccupation.org/