The Balfour Declaration violated Britain’s legal obligations as set out by the Covenant of the League of Nations. This establishes a legal basis for the Palestinian people to demand reparations from the UK.

On Sunday, January 15, members of the international community will convene in Paris for the ‘Middle East Peace’ conference, which seeks to “fully [end] the Israeli occupation that began in 1967.” Al Haq’s Shawan Jabarin writes, “Tried and tired approaches will not yield new results. With the occupation entering its 50th year, it is time for the international community to learn from the failures of previous peace and negotiation processes that have facilitated Israel’s continued violations of international law and denied Palestinians their fundamental right of self-determination. It is time to take concrete actions that will stop Israel in its tracks.”

Al Haq Director Shawan Jabarin argues that “Ban” should be added to the BDS lexicon: “Products originating from Israeli agricultural and industrial settlements are essential to reinforcing the illegal settlement enterprise, and provide vital revenues that help ensure their viability and growth. Accordingly, states fail to comply with their international legal obligations by allowing settlement products to enter domestic markets. By not implementing a ban on settlement products, states themselves are politicizing a legal issue and shifting the burden to consumers.”