Gerhard Kemp
@GerhardKempICL
Professor of International Criminal Law; EXCO Institute for Justice & Reconciliation @_IJR_ http://ijr.org.za/board/. tweet in private capacity.
Thank you, @AmnestyUK for hosting us this past week in London. Productive & thoughtful engagements with UK Gov. officials & MPs. Much work to do, re implementation of #ICJ A.O. on #Palestine & related int. law matters. Great working with @zahahassan @VictorKattan @EpshtainItay
The UK gov and parliamentarians are taking their responsibility to comply with #ICJ opinions & rulings regarding #Israel/#Palestine seriously. How and if the UK will create daylight between its policy toward the Mideast and that of the US is far from clear.
“Slow death” as genocide. Read John Quigley, again: opiniojuris.org/2024/10/14/slo… #Gaza theguardian.com/world/2025/jul…
The Climate Change Advisory Opinion of the #ICJ promotes a universalist approach to international law. States have far-reaching customary obligations, including to cooperate to protect the commons. No cherry picking, no rules-based order à la carte. icj-cij.org/case/187 1/
The ICJ's Advisory Opinion on Climate Change is unanimous on all points.
Thank you, @kitmalthouse for your principled stance on Gaza, Palestine & international law.
Politics at its most cynical. Cabinet ministers spinning their own handwringing as courage to avoid the rap… This isn’t moral conviction, it’s performative angst from a cabinet putting their jobs first.
Terrible piece by Bret Stephens. Total misunderstanding of the crime of genocide (and of South Africa’s case against Israel). And all the red herrings: not enough deaths in Gaza; no Wannsee Conference… nytimes.com/2025/07/22/opi…
Piers knows the answer, of course. Those parts of the world (mainly Global South states) that are trying to stop the genocide, are punished by the US (viz. the treatment meted out to 🇿🇦). So no, it is not correct to say “the world” is doing nothing. Blame should be specific.
The world is watching this happen and doing nothing to stop it. WHY?
I.e., apartheid.
For a state to be a true democracy it must have universal suffrage. Israel's political classes want to keep the West Bank forever, yet will never grant citizenship or voting rights to its Palestinian inhabitants. They want Greater Israel without democracy. timesofisrael.com/knesset-votes-…
If a defender of Palestinian lives/rights or intl law said Israel was racing to "wipe out Gaza" & "make it Jewish" they'd be accused of antisemitic blood libel. But when an actual minister in the Israeli govt says it? Meh.
#BREAKING French President Macron says he will formally announce France's recognition of Palestine at UN General Assembly in September
We're now, predictably, seeing so much of this, from amoral rats who cheered all of this on for 20 months -- despite knowing exactly what it would cause -- and now finally want to distance themselves from it to cleanse it from their conscience and legacy:
.@SenAmyKlobuchar: "Acute malnutrition is rising. Hundreds of Palestinians have been killed in recent weeks while seeking food, most in the vicinity of Gaza Humanitarian Foundation distribution sites and others on the routes of aid convoys. This is simply unacceptable."
Signed & fully support: “309 Experts Urges UN Action to Prevent Repeat of Iran's 1988 Massacre of Political Prisoners - Iran 1988 Massacre” iran1988.org/experts-urges-…
As starvation grips Gaza and the world looks on, @trtworld publishes my latest commentary: "Crime and punishment: Are Israel’s days of impunity over?" You can read it (with no paywall) here: trt.global/world/article/… #Gaza #Crimes #Starvation #Israel #Impunitynomore
The UK should immediately recognise Palestine, but there is also a great risk this becomes a way for London (and others) to say it 'did something'. The issue is not simply the recognition of Palestinian statehood - it's taking measures to force Israel to end the occupation.
NEW: Mayor of London @SadiqKhan backs calls for immediate UK recognition of Palestinian statehood. It’s a rapidly growing demand within the Labour Party which may prove harder and harder for Keir Starmer to resist.
Mass starvation is stalking Gaza and children are starving before our eyes. We need an immediate and permanent ceasefire now. Israel must lift its blockade on aid and Hamas must release the hostages. The genocide must stop.
As predicted.
Doctors and health officials report wave of hunger deaths in Gaza on.ft.com/46iUoK6
A few months ago I mentioned to a reporter that subjecting civilians to a subsistence diet can be a genocidal act according to the Rwanda Tribunal. They were perplexed so I explained that "slow death" can quickly turn into rapid mass death. I fear that's where we are.
When people start dying from starvation it comes as a flood, not a trickle. And it looks like it's already starting. crisisgroup.org/middle-east-no…
Mass starvation in Gaza and over 1,000 Palestinians killed while seeking aid since May. The government says the situation is intolerable yet they continue to tolerate it. The UK needs to stop all arms exports to the Israeli Government - today.
Your charity, your words of shock after the genocide, won’t make a difference. We will not accept your apology after the genocide. What has been done, has been done. I want you to look in the mirror, and ask: where was I when Gaza was going through a genocide?