As Israel's control of the Occupied Palestinian Territory nears its fiftieth anniversary, The Writing on the Wall offers a critical perspective on the international law of occupation. Advocating a normative and functional approach to occupation and to the question of when it exists, it analyzes the the application of humanitarian and human rights law, pointing to the risk of using the law of occupation in its current version to legitimize new variations of conquest and colonialism. The book points to the need for reconsidering the law of occupation in light of changing forms of control, such as those evident in Gaza. Although the Israeli occupation is a main focal point, the book broadens its compass to look at other cases, such as Iraq, Northern Cyprus, and Western Sahara, highlighting the role that international law plays in all of these cases.

随着以色列对巴勒斯坦被占领土的控制接近50周年，《墙上的文字》对占领的国际法提出了批评的观点。该书主张对占领和占领何时存在的问题采取规范性和功能性的方法，分析了人道主义和人权法律的应用，指出了使用当前版本的占领法来使新的征服和殖民主义变种合法化的风险。该书指出，需要根据不断变化的控制形式重新考虑占领法，例如在加沙明显的控制形式。虽然以色列的占领是一个主要的焦点，但该书扩大了它的范围，考察了其他案例，如伊拉克、北塞浦路斯和西撒哈拉，强调了国际法在所有这些案例中发挥的作用。