'Israel on Trial': US Judge Roy K. Altman takes on accusations against the Jewish state - review

A review of US District Judge Roy K. Altman's book 'Israel on Trial', which applies legal methodology to six accusations against Israel: that Jews are colonists, the state's founding was illegitimate, Israel prevented a Palestinian state, occupied Gaza on October 7, 2023, practices apartheid, and committed genocide. The reviewer praises the book as a fact-based rebuttal to anti-Israel narratives, aimed at ordinary Jews and uncommitted readers.

Neville Teller reviews Roy K. Altman's book 'Israel on Trial: Examining the History, the Evidence, and the Law'. Altman, a US District Judge for the Southern District of Florida, applies legal methodology to six accusations against Israel: that Jews are colonists, the founding of Israel was illegitimate, Israel prevented a Palestinian state, Israel occupied Gaza on October 7, 2023, and turned it into an 'open-air prison', Israel is an apartheid state, and Israel committed genocide in Gaza. The review summarizes Altman's arguments: Jews have historical ties to the land; Israel met the Montevideo criteria for statehood in 1948; Israel offered a Palestinian state six times, each rejected; the 'open-air prison' charge is refuted by historic facts; the apartheid claim is illogical because Palestinians are not Israeli citizens; and genocide requires intent to destroy, which Israel lacked. Teller recommends the book as a fact-based rebuttal to anti-Israel narratives, particularly for ordinary Jews facing antisemitism and uncommitted readers.