Istanbul: The final session of the international forum Gaza Tribunal opened Thursday in Istanbul, marking the culmination of a year-long effort by international jurists, scholars, and civil society figures to document and evaluate alleged crimes committed against the Palestinian people. The four-day public session, held from Thursday to Sunday at Istanbul University, builds on earlier hearings in Sarajevo and other global forums, aiming to consolidate findings across its three chambers: International Law, International Relations and World Order, as well as History, Ethics, and Philosophy.
According to Anadolu Agency, the tribunal is presided over by Richard Falk, former UN special rapporteur on human rights in the Palestinian territories, and aims to produce a comprehensive 'people's record' of what participants describe as genocide, apartheid, and systemic violations of international law in Gaza. The jury of conscience includes Kenize Mourad, Christine Chinkin, Chandra Muzaffar, Ghada Karmi, Sami Al-Arian, and Biljana Vankovska.
Susan Akram, a professor of law and director of the International Human Rights Clinic at Boston University School of Law, leads Chamber 1 on International Law. This chamber focused on gaps in existing international legal frameworks, including those of the International Criminal Court (ICC) and the International Court of Justice (ICJ). Akram emphasized the tribunal's goal to identify weaknesses in the existing legal systems, particularly in framing issues of genocide, ethnic cleansing, and the targeted use of technology against civilian populations. The chamber presented extensive testimony from Palestinian, regional, and international civil society organizations, detailing the root causes of genocide and ongoing oppression in Gaza.
Chamber 2, chaired by Craig Mokhiber, examined the response-or lack thereof-of the international community. Mokhiber criticized systemic inaction and complicit powers, noting that international institutions have reinforced Israeli legitimacy, which is a key root cause of the ongoing conflict. The chamber explored decades of colonial dispossession and the ongoing impact of global political structures, highlighting the entrenched nature of settler-colonial power. Research by Gianni Pinoni and Phyllis Bennis brought attention to the complicity of global powers and the potential of civil society to pressure governments.
Chamber 3, led by Cemil Aydin, analyzed the historical and philosophical foundations of the conflict. Experts in this chamber detailed the long-standing logic of genocide underpinning Israeli policies. The chamber rejected the framing of the conflict as a 'clash of civilizations,' highlighting it instead as a continuation of systemic dispossession and colonialism. Aydin concluded by stressing the tribunal's commitment to documenting crimes and advocating for justice.
The tribunal also recapped a prior meeting held in May in Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina, emphasizing the global significance of Palestine's struggle. Penny Green highlighted the failure of the UN and other institutions to prevent genocide, calling for immediate action and stressing the role of civil society in challenging state violence. The Sarajevo Declaration called for immediate measures, including the withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza and the resumption of unrestricted humanitarian aid.