The misuse of international law to condemn Israel

(JNS) — More than 200 legal scholars have signed a letter on the prominent international law blog, Opinio Juris, condemning Israel’s prospective annexation of West Bank settlements. While this sentiment is backed by many United Nations resolutions, there’s a critical issue that like-minded jurists and institutions refuse to address: Their underlying reasoning leads to the curious conclusion that little, if any, Israeli territory actually belongs to Israel.

We’ve been told numerous times that territory cannot be acquired by force. The West Bank, which fell under Israeli control in the 1967 Six-...