Researcher Richard McAlexander published a new article in the Journal of Peace Research titled “How do International Borders affect conflict processes? Evidence from the end of Mandate Palestine.”
This article examines the effect of international borders during times of conflict. In order to comply with international law, international borders must not be violated. However, at times rebels violate these borders when they have specific strategic goals. McAlexander presents the question of “When do international borders affect the spatial and temporal distribution of rebel activity in a conflict setting?”
He claims that rebels have a motive to abstain from violating borders, which will decrease their international legitimacy. However, when international legitimacy is not an important goal, rebels will violate borders.
In the context of the 1948 War in Mandate Palestine, McAlexander puts his claim to test by showing how the UN partition line was drawn in 1947.
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