For whom are you filming? For whom? For the world that has been watching us and our kids getting torn into pieces!
shouted the Gazan woman at the cameraman filming the casualties of the Israeli strike on al-Mawasi in Khan Younis on July 14th, 2024. This call has been countlessly repeated by Gazan mothers, elderlies, and even kids, having lost hope in the international community and the world at large. The Gaza Tribunal is, to a very small extent, another humble effort to answer their calls.
Gaza represents a breaking point in the historical journey of humanity, where a global system based on power, not justice, prevails. Based on this perspective, the need to address what is happening in Gaza through its historical, political, philosophical, and legal dimensions is becoming an urgent, necessary duty for humanity. Composed of world-renowned intellectuals, jurists, artists, and leaders, the Gaza Tribunal is a People’s Tribunal that aims to fulfill this duty. Why have a People’s Tribunal when an official one had already been conducted by the International Court of Justice? The international order’s failure in fulfilling its duty is exactly why a people’s tribunal is needed. The International Court of Justice, despite designating Israel’s current war as a genocide, is unable to enforce its rulings.
The Gaza Tribunal has two main objectives: one particular and one universal. The particular goal is to assist in bringing the tragic events to an end as soon as possible and to hold the perpetrators accountable in the public conscience.
The universal aim is to issue a decision grounded in humanity’s intellectual and moral values, one that can serve as a reference to prevent future atrocities worldwide. Dwelling on the multi-dimensional underpinnings of the fact that such grave events can, have, and still occur at this point in human history, the Tribunal aims to explain why humanity has been unable to put a stop to such atrocities/how humanity can put a stop to such atrocities. The Tribunal’s legitimacy comes from addressing the long-standing wounds of the Palestinian issue, with a focus on the ongoing tragedy in Gaza.
The comprehensive document to be created by the Tribunal after all these investigations and evaluations will fill a critical gap that the nations have realized and will serve as a guiding document for all the world’s nations.