The UN's Perpetual Motion Machine of Vague Concern
The context they conveniently omitted: FIRST INSTANCE: The Initial De Facto Grip (1967) The concept of 'de facto annexation' didn't just pop up yesterday. Following the 1967 Six-Day War , Israel occupied the West Bank, Gaza, East Jerusalem, and the Golan Heights. Almost immediately, the process of settlement construction began, a clear indicator of long-term intent beyond mere occupation. UN
Security Council Resolution 242, passed that same year, called for the 'withdrawal of Israeli armed forces from territories occupied in the recent conflict,' a call that has been about as effective as a screen door on a submarine. REPETITIONS: A Half-Century of Verbal Reprimands (1970s-2000s) 1979: The UN Security Council condemned Israeli settlements as a 'serious obstruction to achieving
comprehensive, just and lasting peace' ( UNSC Resolution 446 ). Yet, settlements continued to expand, their population growing steadily from a few thousand to hundreds of thousands. The 'de facto' became increasingly 'de jure' on the ground. 1991-1993 Madrid/Oslo Accords: Despite the creation of the Palestinian Authority and the promise of a two-state solution, settlement expansion accelerated.
The number of settlers in the West Bank more than doubled between 1993 and 2000, from roughly 115,000 to over 200,000 ( B'Tselem, 2023 ). The UN continued to release reports expressing 'grave concern.' 2004: The International Court of Justice (ICJ) ruled that Israel's separation barrier in the West Bank and East Jerusalem was illegal, calling for its dismantling. The UN General Assembly