Special - Justice Under Occupation: Michael Sfard on Israel, Palestine, and International Law

In this episode, I speak with Michael Sfard, one of Israel’s most
prominent human rights lawyers. As legal advisor to groups like
Yesh Din and Peace Now, he has spent decades challenging Israel’s
occupation policies — from settlement expansion and land grabs to
military practices — often through Israel’s own courts.


He is the author of The Wall and the Gate, a groundbreaking book
exploring how law can both resist and entrench occupation. For
Sfard, legal tools are no silver bullet — but they can delay
injustice, document abuses, and carry symbolic weight.


Sfard reflects critically on Germany’s crackdown on Palestinian
solidarity, including restrictions on speech and protest. He
warns of the dangers when dissent is silenced — whether in Israel
or abroad.


Guest: Michael SfardHost: Shai
HoffmannListen, share, and subscribe.


Produced by Gesellschaft im Wandel gGmbH and funded by the Robert
Bosch Stiftung.


Special thanks to OFEK: The Israeli Center for
Public Affairs, Simon Eichinger (post-production), Lea Volz &
365 Sherpas (editorial support) and Jordi Kuragari (video), 


Links




Haaretz (2018)




972Mag




Haaretz (2025)




Jewish Voice for Labour




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In dieser Folge spreche ich mit Michael Sfard, einem der
führenden Menschenrechtsanwälte Israels. Er berät NGOs wie Yesh
Din und Peace Now und hat zahlreiche Fälle zu Siedlungen,
Enteignungen und Militärrecht vor Gericht gebracht.


Wir sprechen über Völkerrecht, internationale Gerichte, die
schrumpfende Zivilgesellschaft in Israel und Deutschlands Umgang
mit all dem. Sfard erklärt, warum juristische Arbeit trotz
Rückschlägen weiter wichtig bleibt — und was ihm Hoffnung gibt.


Mit Dank an OFEK, Jordi Kuragari, Simon Eichinger, Lea Volz &
365 Sherpas