The book "Israel High Court Decisions on Palestinian Occupied Territory," written by human rights lawyer Sawsan Zaher, offers a comprehensive overview of the Israeli High Court's role in enabling and maintaining the Israeli occupation.
The book delves into how the Israel High Court justified the legality of military actions by occupying forces and the reasoning behind its decisions. It covers the judges' judgments and the legal facts they considered.
The book is divided into five chapters. The first chapter focuses on land confiscation for settlement projects. The court refused to question the legitimacy of settlements, deeming it a non-justiciable political matter. However, in 1979, it accepted a petition against the Alon Moreh settlement but didn't find it violating Article 49 of the Fourth Geneva Convention.
Chapter two discusses the 2002 separation wall, which the court deemed legal for security reasons. Private land seizures were justified if militarily necessary, and the court legitimized physical boundaries beyond the Green Line.
Chapter three covers the court's judgments on military administration in daily life areas, while Chapter four presents’ decisions on restrictions and collective punishments.
Chapter five continues with demographics and family reunification cases, highlighting the court's role in controlling Palestinian daily lives.
About the author:
Sawsan Zaher is a senior attorney at Adalah - The Legal Center for Arab Minority Rights in Israel, who is director of the Economic and Social Rights Unit.
