''Facts on the ground'' is a diplomatic and
geopolitical
Geopolitics () is the study of the effects of Earth's geography on politics and international relations. Geopolitics usually refers to countries and relations between them, it may also focus on two other kinds of states: ''de facto'' independen ...
term that means the situation in reality as opposed to in the abstract. The term was popularised in the 1970s in discussions of the
Israeli–Palestinian conflict
The Israeli–Palestinian conflict is an ongoing military and political conflict about Territory, land and self-determination within the territory of the former Mandatory Palestine. Key aspects of the conflict include the Israeli occupation ...
to refer to
Israeli settlements
Israeli settlements, also called Israeli colonies, are the civilian communities built by Israel throughout the Israeli-occupied territories. They are populated by Israeli citizens, almost exclusively of Jewish identity or ethnicity, and hav ...
built in the
occupied West Bank
The West Bank is located on the western bank of the Jordan River and is the larger of the two Palestinian territories (the other being the Gaza Strip) that make up the State of Palestine. A landlocked territory near the coast of the Mediter ...
, which were intended to establish permanent Israeli footholds in Palestinian territory.
Rashid Khalidi wrote in 2010:
See also
* ''
De facto''
* ''
Ex factis jus oritur''
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Glossary of French words and expressions in English § ''Fait accompli''
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Ground truth
Ground truth is information that is known to be real or true, provided by direct observation and measurement (i.e. empirical evidence) as opposed to information provided by inference.
Etymology
The ''Oxford English Dictionary'' (s.v. ''ground ...
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Realpolitik
''Realpolitik'' ( ; ) is the approach of conducting diplomatic or political policies based primarily on considerations of given circumstances and factors, rather than strictly following ideological, moral, or ethical premises. In this respect, ...
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Revanchism
Revanchism (, from ''revanche'', "revenge") is the political manifestation of the will to reverse the territorial losses which are incurred by a country, frequently after a war or after a social movement. As a term, ''revanchism'' originated i ...
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Operation Uvda
Operation Uvda (, ''Mivtza Uvda'') was an operation conducted by the Israel Defense Forces during the 1948 Arab–Israeli War, from 5 March to 10 March 1949. It was the last campaign undertaken by the IDF during the war and its objective was to ...
* ''
Status quo ante bellum
The term is a Latin phrase meaning 'the situation as it existed before the war'.
The term was originally used in treaties to refer to the withdrawal of enemy troops and the restoration of prewar leadership. When used as such, it means that no ...
''
References
Footnotes
Bibliography
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Further reading
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External links
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Geopolitical terminology
Metaphors referring to places
Political realism
Political terminology
Territorial evolution
Treaties involving territorial changes
Phrases related to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict
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da:Ex factis jus oritur