Gaza Tribunal Final Session – Day 3 – The Response of the International System, Craig Mokhiber
Craig Mokhiber addresses critique of UN system, explaining how senior UN officials adopted rhetorical shield claiming only court can determine genocide to avoid principled stand, fearing backlash from perpetrator, powerful allies and abusive Israel proxy organizations. In his speech Craig Mokhiber explains coincidence in 1948 of adoption of Universal Declaration of Human Rights and Genocide Convention alongside Nakba horror birthed virus of Israel exception to international law that haunted organization for decades, buttressed Israeli impunity, carved space for genocide and eroded UN legitimacy.
There are two UNs: first is UN of charter norms constitutionally grounded in human rights, peace, development and international law, including human rights treaties, independent monitors and International Court of Justice where colonialism, apartheid and genocide are prohibited. Second darker UN permitted colonization of Palestine, partitioned land against indigenous will, ratified ethnic cleansing by recognizing Israel in 1948, suspended international law for three decades favoring disingenuous Oslo political process, and remained silent as genocide raged.
Veto power of five permanent Security Council members is most obvious failure by design, with United States exercising six successive vetoes since October 2023, bringing total US vetoes protecting Israeli impunity to 50. No sanctions imposed on perpetrator regime despite ongoing genocide, apartheid status, denial of Palestinian self-determination, serial acts of aggression, unlawful occupation of three nations’ territory, transnational terrorist attack with booby-trapped pagers and attacks on UN itself. General Assembly deadline for Israeli compliance expired five weeks ago without meaningful action, with Israel’s friends creating strategy of distraction through French-Saudi proposal making no mention of genocide or apartheid.
Independent human rights mechanisms maintained principled law-based approach, especially Special Rapporteur Francesca Albanese producing meticulously documented reports despite sustained harassment campaign, death threats and official US sanctions.