What does #Russia in relation to #Ukraine have in common - from the perspective of (mis)application of international law - with #Israel in relation to #Palestine? The answer is the obscure 'Missing Reversioner Doctrine.' A thread: 
In 1968, with the nascent #Israeli occupation of #Palestinian territory, Prof. Yehuda Blum penned the ‘The Missing Reversioner: Reflections on the Status of Judea and Samaria’. Blum argued that there were no reversionary rights of an ousted legitimate government to the territory
In other words, he concluded that ‘those rules of belligerent occupation directed to safeguarding that sovereign’s reversionary rights had no application to #Israel’s control of the #WestBank and #Gaza. Hence, Israeli possession comes from an absolute title, not an occupation.
Later on, serving as Israel's ambassador to the #UN, Blum would go on to argue that ‘we do not regard ourselves as foreigners in those areas. The Israeli villages in Judea, Samaria, and Gaza are there as of right and are there to stay [...]
[...] No Arab inhabitants have been displaced by the establishment of the villages in question,' he concluded. Blum's position, as articulated in 1968, became Israel's official position, and remains its official position to this very day.
The Missing Reversioner Doctrine was authoritatively rejected by numerous #UN General Assembly, #SecurityCouncil, and Human Right Council resolutions, including in drafts under consideration for #HRC49. Likewise, the @CIJ_ICJ in the 2004 Wall Opinion dismissed it outright.
Rejected by nearly every scholar as a 'less than a serious effort to elucidate the legal questions.' the Missing Reversioner Doctrine enjoys an unfortunate renaissance with @KremlinRussia_E claims in #UkraineInvasion.
#Russia's Putin has pivoted towards a claim - similar to that of #Israel - that in the #Kyiv there is no reversionary, no rightful sovereign, and therefore Russia is not impeding the political independence and territorial integrity of the #Ukraine.
Over coming days #Russia would likely complete its #UkraineInvasion and bring it under belligerent occupation. Taking a page from the proverbial #Israeli textbook in #Palestine, it will claim that a 'missing reversioner' invalidates the law of occupation.
This could be particularly damaging to the protection of #Ukrainian civilians under the military rule of #Russia - an occupying power - that would refuse to give effect to the provisions of #IHL, and could undermine impartial humanitarian organizations seeking to provide relief.
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