Gaza and the Crime of Genocide: Legal and Political Dimensions of Accountability

ACW webinar recording. Features a panel of legal scholars and advocates discussing South Africa’s genocide case against Israel at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) and the broader legal and political ramifications of the conflict in Gaza.

The panelists, Michael Barnett, Noura Erakat, Raz Segal, Phyllis Bennis, and Maria LaHood, debate whether Israel’s actions meet the legal definition of genocide, examine the "exceptionalism" often granted to Israel in international discourse, and ground the present-day domestic legal action currently ongoing in the United States.

The panel concludes that this legal step is a culmination of decades of political tension. It represents a significant effort by international actors to enforce accountability within a "genocide framework" that has historically been difficult to apply.