ACLJ to International Criminal Court: Jewish Settlements in Judea and Samaria Are Not “War Crimes”

BlogAugust 21, 2019

On May 20, 2019 we reported that the ICC is considering looking into whether Israel has committed war…

Lord Denning, Donald Trump and the Golan Heights

BlogAugust 16, 2019

In today’s society, there is a prevalent trend when it comes to “equity and justice” as regards the…

The Israeli Products Labelling Controversy – Imposing Politically-motivated Opinions in the Name of Law

ArticlesJuly 27, 2019

The Opinion of AG Hogan at the ECJ in the Psagot Winery case is scrutinized. Conclusion: the AG’s…

Report of the thinc. Summer School 2019

ReportsJuly 26, 2019

Report of the thinc. Summer School 2019 including video impressions.

Palestine vs USA – the ICJ should not allow itself to be used in lawfare against Israel

BlogJuly 26, 2019

Jerusalem is the subject of proceedings before the International Court of Justice. It is a bizarre case, in…

Déclaration de la Haye de juristes sur le conflit israélo-palestinien

ReportsJuly 19, 2019

Available now: The ‘Déclaration de la Haye de juristes sur le conflit israélo-palestinien’ (in French).

The Hague Initiative for International Cooperation (thinc.) is an initiative dedicated to the promotion of the Rule of Law in international relations to advance peace and security, friendly relations among nations, and the peaceful resolution of conflicts. The focus of our initiative is the Israel-Palestine conflict.

Our goal is to help politicians and policy-makers to make informed decisions on the fair and non-discriminatory application of international law to the Israel-Palestine conflict, and, in doing so, to promote the peaceful resolution of disputes based on UN Charter principles such as the sovereign equality of states, friendly relations between nations, and the Rule of Law.

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Must-See

Aug212019

Blog

ACLJ to International Criminal Court: Jewish Settlements in Judea and Samaria Are Not “War Crimes”

By Skip Ash

On May 20, 2019 we reported that the ICC is considering looking into whether Israel has committed war crimes in its dealings with Palestinians. Now, the ICC is even considering initiating an investigation into the legality of Jewish settlements in the so-called “West Bank”, suggesting that such settlements constitute a war crime against Palestinians. The fact is, but for political motives, the ICC would not even be considering these issues.

Aug162019

Blog

Lord Denning, Donald Trump and the Golan Heights

By Dr. Cynthia Day Wallace

In today’s society, there is a prevalent trend when it comes to “equity and justice” as regards the nation of Israel. There is a widespread predisposition against any act or situation involving Israel, which is invariably portrayed in a negative light and all too readily pre-judged as contrary to international law, often with no supporting evidence. Looking at the age-old ties of Israel with the Golan, and considering that the Heights are a strategic necessity for the national defense of Israel, justice would require that Israel’s ancient territory of the Golan be reconstituted under Israeli sovereignty.

Jul272019

Articles

The Israeli Products Labelling Controversy – Imposing Politically-motivated Opinions in the Name of Law

By Gabriele Kuchenbecker and Andrew Tucker

The Opinion of AG Hogan at the ECJ in the Psagot Winery case is scrutinized. Conclusion: the AG’s Opinion seems more an expression of political belief than a correct legal opinion based on a sound interpretation and fair application of international law.

Jul262019

Reports

Report of the thinc. Summer School 2019

By Pieter Hoogendoorn

Report of the thinc. Summer School 2019 including video impressions.

Jul262019

Blog

Palestine vs USA – the ICJ should not allow itself to be used in lawfare against Israel

By Andrew Tucker

Jerusalem is the subject of proceedings before the International Court of Justice. It is a bizarre case, in which the PLO appears to be trying to rewrite history, and to have that historical revisionism confirmed by the most eminent jurists in the world.

Jul192019

Reports

Déclaration de la Haye de juristes sur le conflit israélo-palestinien

By Pieter Hoogendoorn

Available now: The ‘Déclaration de la Haye de juristes sur le conflit israélo-palestinien’ (in French).

Jun302019

Blog

Israel and the WHO, a complicated relationship

By Gabriele Kuchenbecker

This blog explores the WHO’s endemic preoccupation with Israel that impairs the organization’s credibility, effectiveness and relevancy.

Jun102019

Reports

Jogászok Hágai Nyilatkozata az izraeli-palesztin konfliktusról

By Pieter Hoogendoorn

thinc. is pleased to announce that a translation of ‘The Hague Statement of Jurists on the Israel-Palestine conflict’ is now available in Hungarian. Many thanks to Dr. István Mészáros and Dr. Dávid Surjányi. With this translation the Statement is now available in four languages with a global reach – English, Spanish, Norwegian and Hungarian. Additionally planned…

May312019

Reports

Jerusalem and the future of the Two-state Solution

By Pieter Hoogendoorn

From 8 – 9 January 2019, a seminar has taken place in the House of Parliament of the Czech Republic in Prague about the role and policies of the EU vis-a-vis the status of Jerusalem and the future of the Two-state Solution under international law. The Proceedings of the seminar are available from this site.

May212019

Blog

Trump’s ‘Deal of the Century’ and the ‘Two-state Solution’

By Andrew Tucker

The so-called ‘Two-state Solution’ appears to be up for grabs. Basically, the Two-state Solution says that the Palestinians have a right to a state covering all of the so-called West Bank, including ‘East Jerusalem’ as their capital. Years of failed negotiations have given way to the growing sentiment that the two-state solution is simply no longer feasible.

Apr82019

News

IDC student delegation visits The Hague

By Pieter Hoogendoorn

From 1- 4 April, a group of 20 students from the prestigious Abba Eban Center for International Diplomacy in Herzliya (Israel) visited Paris and the Netherlands. The Abba Eban Center is part of the Interdisciplinary Center (IDC) Herzliya – a private research university in Herzliya, Israel. The IDC is also known internationally for its conferences…

Mar152019

Blog

Wie wind zaait, zal storm oogsten.

By Matthijs de Blois

On 8 January 2019, the Netherlands Institute of International Relations – Clingendael – has sent a Policy Brief to the Permanent Committee of Foreign Affairs of the Dutch Parliament, entitled: ‘Wie wind zaait, zal storm oogsten: bezetting en de Staat Israël’. In this Policy Brief (December 2018), the authors claim that with regard to the…

Jan112019

Blog

The future of the Two-state Solution

By Pieter Hoogendoorn

On 13 September 2018, the 25th anniversary of the ‘Oslo Accords’ was passed. The Dutch government has always been a supporter of these accords. Unfortunately, the implementation of the Oslo Accords has stalled and the belief in the Two-state Solution is waning. Positions on both sides of the conflict harden and the situation among the…

Dec112018

Articles

The Legal Status of Jerusalem: Is Trump Right?

By Pieter Hoogendoorn

President Donald Trump’s decision to move the US embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem has been subject to intense international scrutiny. Amid the debate, what does the law suggest? Read here what Professor Gregory Rose of the School of Law at the University of Wollongong, Australia, already wrote about this question one year ago.

Nov262018

Seminars

Jerusalem and the future of the Two-state Solution

By Pieter Hoogendoorn

Jerusalem and the future of the Two-state Solution A seminar on the legal status of Jerusalem under international law and the future of the Two-state Solution, organized by the William Wilberforce Institute in the Czech Republic in cooperation with The Hague Initiative for International Cooperation (thinc.). 8-9 January 2019, House of Parliament, Prague In 2018, the…

Nov262018

Training programs

Summer School 2019

By Pieter Hoogendoorn

10 DAY SUMMER SCHOOL 2019 For INTERNATIONAL LAW and INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS Students, Graduates and Practitioners International Law and the Israel-Palestine Conflict Wednesday 26 June – Friday 5 July 2019 Jerusalem – Israel The Israel-Palestine conflict is perhaps the oldest and most complex conflict in the world. The State of Israel came…

Oct312018

Conferences

The Hague Conference 2020

By Pieter Hoogendoorn

Winter 2020, The Hague. In connection with the Palestine vs US case currently pending before the Internationl Court of Justice, thinc. plans to organise a conference about The status of Jerusalem under International Law and the case concerning the relocation of the Embassy of the United States of America to the City of Jerusalem. The Conference…

Sep122018

Reports

Haag-uttalelsen fra jurister om den israelsk-palestinske konflikten

By Pieter Hoogendoorn

12 September 2018; thinc. is pleased to announce that on the eve of the 25th anniversary of the “Oslo Accords” the Senter mot antisemittisme (Center Against Anti-Semitism) in Oslo has issued a translation of ‘The Hague Statement of Jurists on the Israel-Palestine conflict’ in Norwegian. With this translation the Statement is now available in the…

Aug22018

Articles

The Status of Jerusalem

By Matthijs de Blois and Andrew Tucker

The status of Jerusalem is one of the main legal issues in the debate on Israel and its relationship to the Palestinian Arabs. The speech of the American President, Donald Trump, and the fierce reactions it provoked, as well as the recent resolutions of the UN General Assembly (GA) illustrate this. In order to address…

Jun122018

Books

Israel on Trial

By Matthijs de Blois and Andrew Tucker

In 2018, the State of Israel turned 70, but it has never been fully accepted as a member of the international community. Notwithstanding peace agreements with Egypt and Jordan, conflict between Israel and some of its neighbors in the region is looming. And peace between Israel and the Palestinians seems as far away as ever. Why?

Jan112018

Blog

The boy who cried wolf?

By Matthijs de Blois

The UNGA’s Emergency Special Session about Resolution A/RES/ES-10/19 on Jerusalem as Israel’s Capital. By Dr. Matthijs de Blois, Senior Fellow, thinc. On the 21st of December, 2017, the General Assembly (GA) of the United Nations (UN) again adopted a resolution on Jerusalem (A/RES/ES-10/19), within a month of its previous resolution on the 30th of November,…

Nov172017

Articles

Palestine, Uti Possidetis Juris, and the borders of Israel

By Avi Bell and Eugene Kontorovich

Israel’s borders and territorial scope are a source of seemingly endless debate. Remarkably, despite the intensity of the debates, little attention has been paid to the relevance of the doctrine of uti possidetis juris to resolving legal aspects of the border dispute. Uti possidetis juris is widely acknowledged as the doctrine of customary international law…

Nov162017

Agenda

Agenda 2018-2020

By Pieter Hoogendoorn

We have chosen one of the oldest powder kegs in the world, the conflict between Israel, the Palestinians and some nations in the region, as point of departure, because we see it as the most glaring case of the consistent and unabated misuse of law, and the pivot of worldwide political action. We are convinced…

Nov142017

Articles

A Report full of dynamite

By Matthijs de Blois

… this is how Dr. Matthijs de Blois, Senior fellow of thinc., characterises the report of the Special Rapporteur of the UN on the situation of human rights in the Palestinian territories, the Canadian law professor S. Michael Lynk. The Report has the clear objective to heighten the pressure of the “international community” on Israel.

Nov102017

Articles

The Hague Initiative for International Cooperation

By Andrew Tucker

Why it is important to study the position of Israel under international law. Every day, media around the world report on the “illegality” of Israeli settlements, and the obligations of Israel under international law to withdraw from the “occupied Palestinian territories”. Time again, Israeli presence in the “Palestinian territories” is claimed to be an “obstacle…

Jun262017

Seminars

Towards A New International Law Paradigm

By Pieter Hoogendoorn

The Hague Seminar ‘Towards A New International Law Paradigm For The Israel/Palestine Conflict’, 28-29 June 2017. The international legal framework applicable to the territorial status of “East Jerusalem” and the “West Bank” must be reviewed. This closed-door seminar is being organized to facilitate a discussion amongst experts from various nations of the legal status of…