The Disastrous Relationship Between Israel, Palestinians and the U.N.
b'The international legal system was created to prevent the atrocities of World War II from happening again. The United Nations partitioned historic Palestine to create the states of Israel and Palestine, but also left Palestinians with decades of false promises. The war in Gaza \\u2014 and countless other conflicts, including those in Syria, Yemen and Ethiopia \\u2014 shows how little power the U.N. and international law have to protect civilians in wartime. So what is international law actually for?\\n\\nAsl\\u0131 \\xdc. B\\xe2li is a professor at Yale Law School who specializes in international and comparative law. \\u201cThe fact that people break the law and sometimes get away with it doesn\\u2019t mean the law doesn\\u2019t exist and doesn\\u2019t have force,\\u201d she argues.\\n\\nIn this conversation, B\\xe2li traces the gap between how international law is written on paper and the realpolitik of how countries decide to follow it, the U.N.\\u2019s unique role in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict from its very beginning, how the laws of war have failed Gazans but may be starting to change the conflict\\u2019s course, and more.\\n\\nMentioned:\\n\\n\\u201cWith Schools in Ruins, Education in Gaza Will Be Hobbled for Years\\u201d by Liam Stack and Bilal Shbair\\n\\nBook Recommendations:\\n\\nImperialism, Sovereignty and the Making of International Law by Antony Anghie\\n\\nJustice for Some by Noura Erakat\\n\\nWorldmaking After Empire by Adom Getachew\\n\\nThe Constitutional Bind by Aziz Rana\\n\\nThe United Nations and the Question of Palestine by Ardi Imseis\\n\\nThoughts? Guest suggestions? Email us at ezrakleinshow@nytimes.com.\\n\\nYou can find transcripts (posted midday) and more episodes of \\u201cThe Ezra Klein Show\\u201d at nytimes.com/ezra-klein-podcast. Book recommendations from all our guests are listed at https://www.nytimes.com/article/ezra-klein-show-book-recs.\\n\\nThis episode of \\u201cThe Ezra Klein Show\\u201d was produced by Annie Galvin. Fact-checking by Michelle Harris. Our senior engineer is Jeff Geld, with additional mixing by Aman Sahota and Isaac Jones. Our senior editor is Claire Gordon. The show\\u2019s production team also includes Rollin Hu, Elias Isquith and Kristin Lin. Original music by Isaac Jones. Audience strategy by Kristina Samulewski and Shannon Busta. The executive producer of New York Times Opinion Audio is Annie-Rose Strasser. Special thanks to Carole Sabouraud.'