This has effectively changed the nature of the Israeli occupation from a de facto situation to one that is considered de jure, or legally recognized, they added. The term “occupation,” which reflects the reality, is a legal term defined under international law that accurately conveys certain concepts, rights and status for occupied territories and their residents, he added. This direct-negotiation approach ultimately favors the Israeli side given the asymmetrical balance of power between the two sides, Miller said. “This is serving to perpetuate the illegal settlement-building” in the Occupied Territories, Ahmad said. Dahlia Scheindlin, a Tel Aviv-based policy fellow at the Century Foundation and an expert on public opinion, said the recent shift in control of the Occupied Territories was only partly administrative.
