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The Right of Self-Determination:
Legal and Human Rights Dimension
of the Palestinian-Israeli Conflict
-- Brijesh Mehrish
The principle of self-determination enshrined in Woodrow
Wilson's 14 Points after World War I, generated controversy and resulted in the break-up of empires and states in
the Europe. An attempt is made to analyze the legal and human rights dimension of the
Palestinian-Israeli conflict and the various
processes to resolve the conflicts and dynamics of the Palestinian society characterized by factionalism and
gang violence as a result of the emergence of Islamic
fundamentalism. The basic question is how to
reconcile the seeming demands for access to power, government and territory. This requires
compromises on the issues of equality, sovereignty, territorial integrity and recession. These issues are discussed in the
context of the Palestinians' demand for the right of self-determination as most of the territories of Palestine
are under Israeli occupation. In 1947, Palestine was partitioned into the Jewish
state of Israel and the Arab state of Palestine which resulted in
several wars between the Jewish state of Israel and Palestine. So
far the Palestinian-Israeli conflict has not been resolved. There are many hurdles and obstacles in the way
of resolving the conflict through negotiations for peace and stability in the Middle East.
The US foreign policy under various Presidents and their diplomatic initiative for dialogue for peaceful negotiation has
been examined.
© 2010 IUP. All Rights Reserved.
The Legality of the Israeli Blockade of Gaza
-- Fred Aja Agwu
This paper contests the view that the Israeli blockade of Gaza is illegal. Those who posit the illegality
of the blockade had premised their argument on the fact that Israel cannot be said to be at war with
the Palestinians in Gaza because the latter does not constitute a state. It had also been argued that
even if Israel was at war with Gaza, the war is not of an international character and as such, the law of
armed conflict cannot apply, especially that of belligerent blockade because Gaza does not have a navy.
In contradicting the opponents of the Gaza blockade, this
paper argues that Israel is at war with the Hamas in Gaza; that by dint of Martens Clause and Article
3, common to the four Geneva Conventions (1949), the law of
armed conflict applies to all circumstances, both
to international and non-international armed conflicts; and that whether or not the Hamas in Gaza
have a naval force, a belligerent blockade can be imposed on Gaza.
This paper concludes that the legality of the Gaza blockade is
given, but it, however, deplores the seeming watertight nature of the blockade, and the excessive force the Israelis deployed
in the interdiction of the Gaza-bound and Turkey-flagged flotilla. Hence, it concludes that much as
the Israelis have the belligerent right to the Gaza blockade, the Palestinians in Gaza also have a
legitimate right to demand the application of humanitarian principles to the blockade, which
entails that the blockade be eased, should not be made absolute, and should rather allow for a mercy corridor. But
the paper finally concludes that the ultimate solution resides in both sides forswearing extreme standpoints
and vowing sincere commitment to a lasting solution to the conflict.
© 2010 IUP. All Rights Reserved.
New Features of the International Industrial Labor
Division and Its Impact on China's Economy
-- Zhang Jianping
This paper studies the new features of international industrial structure adjustment and
transfer, which is driven by economic globalization and scientific and technological
advancements since the 1990s. It mainly analyzes the major impacts
on the economy of China by international
industries' accelerated transfer and intra-product
specialization under globalization. Based on the theory of Modern Dynamic
Comparative Advantage and Vertical Specialization, it uses models and empirical
tests, and proves that China's large trade surplus is
mainly the result of China's international division status and the structural factors of
processing and manufacturing links in the international industrial chain.
And along with other factors, they led to high foreign exchange reserves and high liquidity. Regression analysis
shows that China's exports are mainly pulled by external demands
(75%); the exchange rate has a contribution rate of 20% to trade
surplus, and the RMB exchange rate adjustment cannot change the trade surplus pattern. When
faced with the accelerating international industrial transfer, the deepening international
intra-products' division and sustained global trade and
economic imbalance, etc., in order to play for China's dynamic comparative
advantages and avoid falling into the trap of comparative advantage, in the short term, the expansion of domestic demands is required as an effective way
to control the trade surplus, lower the foreign exchange reserve pressure and reduce the liquidity. China
should increase imports and overseas investment. In the long term, from the national strategic view, China needs
to speed up the implementation of the new type of internationalization
strategy. It should implement a package of foreign economic and structural policy reforms, improve the status of the international industrial division,
and gradually open its capital account with the support of exchange rate policy adjustments, so as to form a
new international competitive advantage.
© 2010 IUP. All Rights Reserved.
International Money Laundering Activities: Sports
to Terrorism
-- Saurabh Kumar
This paper examines the macroeconomic effects of money laundering and
the role of international anti-money laundering mechanism, particularly the works of Financial
Action Task Force (FATF). It posits that the coexistence of free international capital flows and national institutional and regulatory systems
created chaos in which transnational economic and financial delinquency flourished. The legal and
institutional infrastructure that enabled free financial flows across the universe has
made many countries vulnerable to money laundering.
This paper emphasizes that money laundering not
only impacts tax collection, foreign reserve and financial crime but also
hits directly the distribution part of wealth and demand side
of money. It also focuses on the evolution, concept and course of action of money laundering with
certain examples. Further, this paper underlines
how sports have now become a part of money laundering
activities and covers its illegitimate sources. It
stresses that to counter money laundering, joint international
attention is needed. Countries must eliminate unfavorable policies and they should not hesitate to
compromise with their financial confidentiality policies.
© 2010 IUP. All Rights Reserved.
Democracy, Education and the Youth: Botswana's Experience
-- Christopher Ntau, Tidimane Ntsabane and Robert M Molebatsi
This paper, drawing on historical data,
looks at how African societies in general and Botswana in
particular, have prepared their youths for participation in the political process.
It argues that their involvement in politics is rooted in the traditional culture that limits the
youth's participation in public affairs. This
culture is reproduced by the main socializing agents in society such as
family, school, political parties and the media.
© 2010 IUP. All Rights Reserved.
BOOK REVIEW
National Interest, International Law
and Our Shared Destiny
Author: Fred Aja Agwu
Reviewer: Alex Ekeanyanwu
© 2010 The IUP holds the copyright for the review. All Rights Reserved.
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