The Denial of the displaced Palestinians’ Right of Return

Between ICC & Zionist Ideology

Bibliographic Data

ID21697869
AuthorsMohammad Yousef (0000-0003-4712-7597, Ankara Yıldırım Beyazıt University, corresponding author)
Year2026
Volume25
Issue2
Pages147-172
Publication date2026-01-01
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueJournal of Islamicjerusalem Studies (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 1367-1936 • E-ISSN: 2514-6009
PublisherJournal of Islamicjerusalem Studies (PUBLISHER)
DOI10.31456/beytulmakdis.1767353
OpenAlexW7117892799
LanguageEN
References cited9

Since the Nakba in 1948 and the subsequent occupation of Palestine, the Zionist movement has adopted a policy of forcibly displacing Palestinians, destroying their villages, towns and cities, denationalising them, and denying their right to return to Palestine. These policies are rooted in Zionist ideology, which considers them essential to ensure Jewish demographic superiority, the perceived safety valve of the Zionist occupation state. Successive Israeli governments have implemented these ideologies on the ground by forcibly displacing Palestinians and denying their right to return, in violation of international law and UN resolutions. This article discusses the historical roots of Zionist thought that advocate the displacement of Palestinians and the denial of their right of return, and how these ideas have been transformed into practical policies implemented by successive Israeli governments. It also examines the denial of displaced Palestinians’ right of return under international law and United Nations resolutions. It sheds light on the denial of this right within the framework of the Rome Statute and explores the possibility of it constituting a crime against humanity, citing the Court’s recent decision regarding Rohingya refugees. Additionally, it analyses the role of the international community in strengthening the effectiveness of the ICC and ending Israeli impunity, emphasising the need for collective action to uphold international justice and accountability

Denial · Economic Justice · Ideology · International community · International law · Judaism · Statute · Zionism · Asian Geopolitics and Ethnography · International Law and Human Rights · Jewish and Middle Eastern Studies

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