While the world continues to pressure Israel to relinquish control over Judea and Samaria (the West Bank), it is extremely important to understand Israel's international legal rights regarding this land. Many politicians and journalists say that Israel is in this area illegally, but they are actually disregarding international law. Regardless if one believes Israel should remain in Judea and Samaria or not, it is vitally important that people understand the international legal right of Israel to this land. While Israel has tried to make peace, and has continuously offered land for peace initiatives, it is critical that people finally know the facts regarding Israel's legal right to this land, since unfortunately, Israel does not do a good enough job of stating it herself in international forums. Regardless of ones views on a future deal with the Arabs, according to international law the Jewish people have the legal right to settle anywhere West of the Jordan river as decided by the world powers in San Remo in 1920 and then ratified by the international body called the League of Nations in 1922.
The “Mandate for Palestine,” an historical League of Nations document, laid down the Jewish legal right to settle anywhere in western Palestine, a 10,000-square-miles3 area between the Jordan River and the Mediterranean Sea. The legally binding document was conferred on April 24, 1920 at the San Remo Conference, and its terms outlined in the Treaty of Sèvres on August 10, 1920. The Mandate’s terms were finalized and unanimously approved on July 24, 1922, by the Council of the League of Nations, which was comprised at that time of 51 countries,4 and became operational on September 29, 1923.
