Gaza legal proceedings: gains and necessity
Legal action relating to the situation in Gaza is now being taken in various countries and courts around the world. In a podcast for ‘NPO-Radio1’, Larissa van Herik, Professor of Public International Law, outlines what is gained from these cases and the relationship between law, activism and politics.
A common goal
Legal proceedings concerning the situation in Gaza are gaining momentum, as cases are being filed and prepared on all sides both in the Netherlands and abroad. These cases vary in nature but share a common goal of ending the war. Some are based on the humanitarian law of war, for example, while others are centred around the Genocide Convention or – on the contrary – the Arms Trade Treaty. Others, including the South African case, are being brought directly against Israel. As Van den Herik explains in the podcast (in Dutch), others are more indirect, such as the Nicaraguan case accusing Germany of facilitating or failing to prevent genocide through its provision of political, financial and military support to Israel.
In the podcast, Van den Herik goes on to discuss countries’ interests when it comes to initiating legal proceedings, whether or not judges engage in politics, how the Dutch case compares to those of other countries and what is actually gained from these cases.
More information
Listen to the podcast on NPO-Radio1 (in Dutch)
Photo above: John Cameron
Photo in text: Candice Seplow through Unsplash