Partitioning Palestine Legal Fundamentalism in the Palestinian-Israeli Conflict

Law lies at the heart of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict Israel's creation was rooted in the need for a Jewish homeland, as enshrined in 'public law'. Palestinian rights to return to their homes and livelihoods are also established in law.John Strawson argues that legal tools are being used to undermine Palestinian self-determination. His chronological account of modern Palestinian history shows that the League of Nations and the United Nations are responsible for developing a legal framework which marginalises the Palestinian people.The book focuses on three key moments in the conflict: the League of Nations Mandate, the United Nations partition plan and the Oslo agreements. None of these documents are neutral but rather encode a variety of meanings. The book traces the way in which these legal narratives have shaped national identity. Law, far from offering conflict resolution, has reinforced the trenches from which Palestinians and Israelis confront each other.

John Strawson is Reader in Law at the University of East London. He is the editor of Low After Ground Zero (2002).