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Join us in defending Israel!

June 14, 2023

The Hague Initiative for International Cooperation (thinc.) is a global network of international law academics, practitioners and experts in related disciplines (history, religion etc.).

thinc. was founded in 2017 in The Hague, with the assistance of Christians for Israel, as a non-profit under Dutch law. The thinc. network is managed by its Directors, assisted by Senior Fellows, Associates and an Advisory Board.

Our mission is to challenge the misuse of international law to delegitimize the State of Israel and advocate fair and reasonable use of international law to promote peace and security between Israel and her neighbors.

We are the only international law think tank on the European continent including a broad Christian outreach. Our focus is on rallying the Christian community to join with our Jewish brothers and sisters in our commitment to promote peace and security in the Middle East based on cooperation and mutual respect.

Lawfare has become the prime strategy of those who seek to abolish the Jewish State and Israeli sovereignty over Jerusalem – the eternal, undivided capital of Israel. The State of Israel is under attack in the United Nations, European Union, World Health Organization, and judicial institutions such as the International Court of Justice and the International Criminal Court. The Hague Initiative for International Cooperation has developed a proactive, sound and sensible response to that lawfare.

Our strategy

We achieve our mission through education, research and advocacy:

thinc.Education: equips learners from all over the world through a variety of educational programs that teach practical skills, theoretical frameworks and information relevant to current political and legal debates about Israel.
thinc.Research: Our research explores international law, history, religion and politics in relation to Israel and shines a light on and combats lawfare against Israel by governments and non-governmental organizations. Our research results in articles, blogs, reports and briefing papers that provide context, alternative views and fresh arguments concerning Israel’s legal challenges.
thinc.Advocacy:  provides analyses, briefings and submissions that speak directly to international organizations, national governments and NGOs. We engage with networks of politicians, academics, lawyers and concerned individuals, while building communities of shared expertise and mutual support.

Why thinc. can make a difference

Close ties in the Christian Zionist world across the globe: Europe, Asia, Americas, and Oceania/Pacific.
Active partnerships with global and national organizations having networks in legal, political and religious circles (e.g. UK Lawyers for Israel, UN Watch, NGO Monitor, International Legal Forum, Christians for Israel, and the International Christian Embassy Jerusalem (ICEJ)).
European base; seated in The Hague, the capital of international law, and a European network including i.a. the Israel Allies Foundation and the European Leadership Network (ELNET).
Multidisciplinary approaches to projects to ensure the use of international law in context.
Leveraging a global network with a small management team of committed professionals.

Some key achievements in just 6 six years

2017 – Inaugural seminar in the Peace Palace resulting in the Statement of Jurists on the Israel-Palestine Conflict (available in 7 languages, German and Hebrew in progress).
2018 – Publication of the textbook Israel on Trial.
2019 – Inaugural thinc. Summer School in Israel.
2020 – Submission to the International Criminal Court (ICC) on the Situation in Palestine.
In 2023 so far, we have convened a major educational conference on the theme Israel on Trial, published a 300 pp research book titled Two States for Two Peoples: the Palestinian-Israeli Conflict, International Law and European Union Policy, and engaged in the process of assisting states to make amicus submissions to the International Court of Justice.

Our Priorities for 2023/2024

Our main goals over the next two years:

Influence European policy – prepare and present policy papers and organize workshops in European cities in collaboration with partners like Christians for Israel, ICEJ, ELNET and the Israel Allies Foundation.
Advocate against the misuse of international law – through submissions and reports in tribunals and councils (ICJ, ICC, UNHRC, etc.).
Train the next generation of leaders – Christian and Jewish – in key countries through educational programs and projects, to stand against the delegitimization of Israel.

Immediate Challenges in 2023

We are currently working on these high-priority projects:

The UN General Assembly has requested the International Court of Justice to issue an Advisory Opinion concerning the legal consequences of Israel’s “prolonged occupation.” This is highly threatening for Israel. We have launched a counter-initiative to mobilize UN member states to make submissions to the Court against the requested advice by 25th July 2023. So far, we are liaising with the governments of several European, African and Pacific Island states. We support these states with in-depth international law advice.
Establishing educational hubs in Europe (The Hague), Asia/Pacific (Singapore) and USA. These hubs will offer programs for high-potential young leaders to train them to argue the legal case for Israel in their region including summer schools, webinars, a mentoring salon, and pilot projects.
Disseminate our EU two-state Policy critique, Two States for Two Peoples? via workshops and seminars in European capitals.
Challenging EU labeling laws that stigmatize products from outside the Green Line as illegal.
Establishing a presence in the United States with a 501(c)(3) non-profit named thinc.America.

Join the fight!

The need is great, and our ambitions are high. We invite you to join us in our fight against the anti-Israel lawfare. In fact, we offer you the opportunity to become an Angel Investor or Sentinel of Jerusalem at the level of your choice!

Angel Investor – Investing, impacting and safeguarding the work of thinc.