Latest news with #InternationalCentreofJusticeforPalestinians
Middle East Eye
18-07-2025
- Politics
- Middle East Eye
ICJP writes to UK authorities over woman threatened with arrest for opposing genocide
The International Centre of Justice for Palestinians (ICJP) has written to a local police authority and the UK Home Secretary, demanding a formal investigation as to why a woman was threatened with arrest on terror charges for holding up anti-genocide signs, after rejecting that she supported proscribed organisations when asked. ICJP said armed police threatened peaceful protester Laura Murton, 42, for holding a Palestinian flag and having signs saying 'Free Gaza' and 'Israel is committing genocide'. She was threatened with arrest under terrorism laws, despite not saying anything or holding any signs that denoted support for any proscribed groups. When explicitly asked if she supported any proscribed organisations, she replied 'I do not.' ICJP said on Friday that it had brought a formal complaint to Kent Police, asking for clarity regarding the conduct of officers who attempted to make unfounded allegations against Murton for her protest. It also asked the Home Secretary for clarity on what guidance the Home Office has issued to police officers regarding protests that do not relate to Palestine Action, a group that was recently proscribed by the UK government. "This incident represents the sought chilling effect on speech and assembly of those who wish to speak out against Israel's violations of international law, that arises from misuse and misinterpretation of terror laws since the proscription of Palestine Action," ICJP said. It accused UK authorities of misusing the ban "to police the support for Palestine more generally, and any opposition to Israel's genocide in Gaza".
Days of Palestine
05-07-2025
- Politics
- Days of Palestine
Experts Say Western Media Is Enabling Gaza Genocide and Rewriting History
As Israel's war on Gaza continues to expand across the region, media analysts, historians, and human rights advocates are sounding the alarm over how Western media outlets are shaping global perception—and potentially helping erase evidence of what they describe as genocide. At a powerful panel hosted by the International Centre of Justice for Palestinians (ICJP) in London, speakers accused mainstream Western news organisations of minimising, distorting, or outright denying the scale of atrocities in Gaza. They warned that this could have devastating consequences for historical truth and future accountability. 'This isn't just a media failure—it's a war on memory,' said Dr. Omar al-Ghazzi, an associate professor at the London School of Economics. 'How this war is covered now will become the history future generations inherit.' Systematic Media Bias New findings from the Centre for Media Monitoring (CFMM) highlighted widespread editorial patterns that soften or sideline Palestinian suffering. Media analyst Faisal Hanif said the BBC alone removed references to genocide in Gaza over 100 times in the past year. The use of emotionally charged words also revealed a double standard. The term 'massacre,' for instance, was found to be used 18 times more when describing Hamas attacks than Israeli attacks, even when Palestinian death tolls were far higher. 'That's not accidental,' said Hanif. 'It reflects a systemic bias and an uncritical acceptance of Israeli government narratives, especially those targeting Palestinian journalists.' Palestinian Voices Dismissed or Put 'On Trial' Rachel Shabi, a British-Israeli journalist, aimed at international media outlets to echo Israel's justification for banning foreign reporters from Gaza under the pretext of 'safety.' Meanwhile, she said, Palestinian journalists are often smeared as Hamas sympathisers. 'They [Western media] fall into the trap without calling it out,' Shabi said. 'And even when Palestinian voices are included, their grief and testimony are often discredited—as if they're unreliable narrators of their own trauma.' Genocide Denial in Real Time Prominent historian Avi Shlaim called Israel's media strategy a form of aggressive propaganda that suppresses criticism by labelling it antisemitic. Professor Martin Shaw, a leading genocide scholar, said the world is witnessing a form of 'implicatory denial'—a chilling concept where atrocities are acknowledged but not acted upon. 'The media is starting to shift, but still lags behind the reality on the ground,' Shaw warned. 'Even when there's recognition of genocide, we're not seeing any meaningful action to stop it.' He added that the era of Western-led 'humanitarian intervention' is over: 'Today, the powerful do what they want—and they don't even bother dressing it up.' Media as a Tool of Geopolitics Wadah Khanfar, former Director General of Al Jazeera, connected the media narrative to broader Western geopolitical agendas. He accused Western powers of using the war to reshape the Middle East while silencing Arab perspectives in the process. 'This is about more than Gaza. It's about designing a future for the region without the people who live in it,' Khanfar said. He specifically criticised Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, calling him 'arrogant' for believing he can dictate the future unilaterally. Khanfar warned that unchecked Israeli impunity, especially with recent airstrikes on Iran, could ignite wider instability and possibly push the region towards nuclear brinkmanship. 'We are being dragged into a new dark age,' he said. Cracks Within Israel Adding a rare internal perspective, Daniel Levy, a former Israeli peace negotiator, questioned whether Israel's strategy is sustainable at all. 'Is this the third Jewish kingdom?' he asked, implying that Israel could be repeating cycles of overreach and collapse seen in ancient times. Levy noted growing disillusionment inside Israel itself, with more reservists refusing to report for duty and doubts rising even among staunch supporters. 'More and more Israelis are starting to see these endless wars as leading the country toward a place of no return.' International Law: Powerful in Theory, Weak in Practice Tayab Ali, director of the ICJP, said the failure to apply international legal frameworks consistently is feeding Israel's sense of impunity. 'The legal systems are excellent in theory—but they're selectively applied in practice,' he said. 'And that reinforces Israel's belief that its actions, no matter how extreme, will be shielded.' Levy also rejected Western narratives suggesting peace will follow Iran's elimination, calling such thinking 'legally flawed and strategically naïve.' A Moment of Reckoning As the war drags on, one thing became clear in the panel's final message: this is not just a humanitarian crisis—it's a crisis of truth, memory, and justice. And if the media fails to uphold its duty, future generations may never know what really happened. Shortlink for this post:
Morocco World
19-03-2025
- Politics
- Morocco World
Lawyers Establish ‘Global 195' Coalition to Cease Israeli Impunity in Palestine
Rabat – The International Centre of Justice for Palestinians (ICJP) announced on March 18 the launch of the 'Global 195' initiative; which aims to establish a 'global network of accountability' against Israelis and dual nationals involved in committing war crimes in Gaza through domestic and international legal mechanisms. Global 195 will focus on individuals from the Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF) as well as key Israeli political and military figures, including policymakers and operational personnel responsible for violations of international law. Countries participating in the coalition include Malaysia, Türkiye, Norway, Canada, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and the United Kingdom. The coalition plans on applying for private arrest warrants and initiating legal proceedings in various jurisdictions. According to the announcement, preparations are already underway in the United Kingdom to pursue legal action against British citizens suspected of involvement in war crimes in Gaza and the West Bank. The evidence for the initiative comes from ICJP's 'Justice for Gaza' investigation, which has collected over 135 eyewitness testimonies from across Gaza corroborated by open-source material, all meeting criminal legal standards required by UK and international courts. The evidence shows patterns of systematic violations, including indiscriminate bombardments of civilians, targeting of vital infrastructure, and attacks on refugee camps. The coalition has also gathered data showing attacks on designated 'safe zones' and the use of starvation as a weapon of war were part of a coordinated strategy. At a launch event in London, ICJP Director Tayab Ali paid tribute to the 404 Palestinians killed in Israel's latest attacks on Gaza, earlier on the same day. 'Today's events are a reminder of why initiatives like Global 195 are essential towards creating some form of accountability as this genocide continued unabated and supported by western governments and global corporations,' said Ali. Ali pointed out the failure of international institutions to prosecute Israeli war criminals and the role of civil society in filling this gap. 'Impunity for grave international crimes is not legally sustainable,' Ali said. 'Where states fail to act, we must ensure justice is pursued.' ICJP's efforts are supported by various civil society organizations, including ICJ Norway and Defend International Law, who issued a joint statement calling for an independent investigation in order to 'combat impunity for atrocity crimes regardless of the nationality of the perpetrator or the victim.' 'We are convinced that such crimes have been committed in Gaza. This complaint should now lead to independent and impartial investigations of the alleged war crimes, also by prosecutors in third States assigned with extraterritorial jurisdiction,' stated the civil society organizations. The coalition's efforts echo previous initiatives like those of the Belgium based Hind Rajab Foundation (HRF); which focuses on 'offensive legal action against perpetrators, accomplices and inciters of war crimes and crimes against humanity in Palestine.' The foundation's name and work are a eulogy to the memory of Hind Rajab, a Palestinian child who was brutally and deliberately murdered by Israel last year. Hind's entire family was killed before her eyes, and she was murdered shortly after while she was emergency services for help on the phone. The HRF had previously filed complaints against several IOF soldiers while they are outside of Israel in order to insure that those involved in the genocide in Gaza are held accountable for their crimes; including Ghassan Alian who allegedly supervised and implemented the humanitarian aid and electricity blockade to the enclave.
Middle East Eye
18-03-2025
- Politics
- Middle East Eye
Legal coalition to pursue Israelis accused of war crimes around the world
Lawyers have launched a global coalition to pursue legal action around the world against Israelis and Israeli dual nationals accused of involvement in suspected war crimes in Gaza. At a launch event in London on Tuesday, the International Centre of Justice for Palestinians (ICJP) said the Global 195 initiative would seek to use domestic and international legal mechanisms to seek justice against Israeli soldiers and others 'spanning the entire Israeli military and political chain of command'. Speaking at a press conference, Tayab Ali, director of the ICJP, began his remarks by paying tribute to the hundreds of Palestinians killed in Israeli air strikes after it broke the ceasefire with Hamas in the early hours of Tuesday morning. 'Today's events are a reminder of why initiatives like Global 195 are essential towards creating some form of accountability as this genocide continued unabated and supported by western governments and global corporations,' Ali said. 'The obstruction of international legal institutions in pursuing individuals responsible for war crimes in Palestine, coupled with the failure of national police forces to fulfil their obligations under humanitarian law and universal jurisdiction principles, has allowed impunity for Israeli suspected war criminals to persist. New MEE newsletter: Jerusalem Dispatch Sign up to get the latest insights and analysis on Israel-Palestine, alongside Turkey Unpacked and other MEE newsletters 'Under international law, states have a duty to investigate and prosecute war crimes, yet these obligations have been systematically neglected. The launch of Global 195 is a necessary legal intervention to remedy this failure.' Ali added that the Global 195 initiative would target figures ranging 'from senior policymakers to operational personnel, who are directly or indirectly responsible for violations of international law'. Eyewitness testimonies He noted that the ICJP had collected 135 eyewitness testimonies from Gaza that corroborated open-source material taken across the besieged enclave. The evidence, according to Ali, includes individuals who may have perpetrated war crimes that include indiscriminate bombardment of civilian areas, destruction of civilian infrastructure, attacks on designated 'safe zones', mass displacement policies and use of starvation against a civilian population. The ICJP added that it had been working with former detectives from London's Metropolitan Police to ensure that the evidence it collects meets a high standard and can be used in future cases. The press conference included legal scholars from Bosnia, Canada, Malaysia, Norway and Turkey, who will be working with the ICJP in bringing cases against nationals suspected of committing war crimes in Gaza. The Hind Rajab Foundation: Pursuing Israeli soldiers worldwide for Gaza war crimes Read More » Shane Martinez, who heads the ICJP's branch in Canada, said several Canadian lawyers were working to prosecute Canadian nationals and charities who are fundraising or fighting for the Israeli army. This latest project is one of several that have been launched since Israel began its bombardment of Gaza in 2023. Last month, MEE spoke to Dyab Abou Jahjah, president of the Hind Rajab Foundation, which has been pursuing legal cases against Israeli soldiers suspected of perpetrating war crimes. Like the ICJP, Jahjah said their foundation had compiled over 8,000 pieces of evidence from social media related to alleged war crimes by Israeli soldiers in Gaza. The Hind Rajab Foundation is named in honour of a six-year-old Palestinian girl whose tragic death at the hands of Israeli soldiers on 29 January 2024 has become symbolic of the widespread violations of international humanitarian law committed by Israeli forces. An investigation in June revealed that Rajab and six of her family members were targeted with 335 Israeli army bullets as they attempted to flee northern Gaza in their car.
