Humanity on Trial – Part 1: The ‘Rules-Based Order’ Fairytale Ended in Istanbul

For more than two years now, we have been witnessing one of the most brutal moments in human history — live. What has been happening in Gaza is not only the systematic abandonment of an entire people to death, but also the declaration of the complete collapse of the moral and legal order of the 21st century.

Looking at the International Court of Justice’s (ICJ) provisional measures, the International Criminal Court’s (ICC) weak attempts, and the paralysis of the entire United Nations system, we face a bitter truth: the current global order has not only “failed” to stop genocide, but the institutions meant to bring order to the world also clearly did not want to stop the atrocities in Gaza. In this dark age, where states and institutions have collapsed, the pursuit of justice has inevitably passed on to civil society — to humanity’s collective conscience.

That collective conscience came together last week (October 23–26) in the historic halls of Istanbul University under the title “The Gaza Tribunal: Final Session.” This was more than just a “people’s tribunal” — it was a historic step toward documenting the truth and filling the void left by international institutions.

The Gaza Tribunal first held its opening session last November in London, followed by a general session in Sarajevo, and its final hearing took place at Istanbul University’s Prof. Dr. Cemil Birsel Conference Hall. Chaired by former UN Special Rapporteur on Palestine Prof. Dr. Richard Falk, the tribunal conducted a four-day marathon of justice. From education and healthcare to the right to shelter and the targeting of the press, every aspect of the genocide was examined. The heartbreaking testimonies of more than 150 witnesses were combined with the field observations of academics and activists.

“ISRAEL MUST BE ISOLATED”

After these intense sessions, the Gaza Tribunal announced its final verdict on behalf of all humanity. The demand stated in the ruling was clear:

“We call for accountability for perpetrators and accomplices, reparations for victims and survivors, the dismantling of the root causes of Zionist colonization, occupation and apartheid, the rejection of all efforts to normalize the criminal regime, and ultimately, the freedom of Palestine. In short, we demand justice.”

The verdict also backed this call for justice with concrete action points: isolating the Israeli regime, rejecting normalization, and enforcing accountability through boycotts, divestments, sanctions, arms embargoes, criminal prosecutions, civil litigation, public awareness campaigns, and acts of civil disobedience.

THE END OF THE FAIRYTALE: THE RULES-BASED ORDER HAS COLLAPSED

Having attended the opening session of the Gaza Tribunal in London and followed its subsequent process, I can say it emerged as the most powerful mechanism yet to hold Israel accountable. While the pro-Israel global media ignored the hearings, the tribunal’s jury signed onto rulings that bore witness to humanity with great courage and dedication. Because this tribunal shattered the “rules-based order” myth built by Western powers and their accomplices.

I was present in the hall on the first day, when reports were read and witnesses testified before the final verdict. Over the following three days, I followed all sessions remotely and took notes. In this and the next two articles, I aim to contribute to the record by sharing excerpts from the Gaza Tribunal — a landmark in the name of humanity. The tribunal’s proceedings now stand as a primary source for future historians.

THE JURY OF CONSCIENCE: UNITED FOR PALESTINE

The tribunal and its sessions were chaired by Prof. Dr. Richard Falk, one of the most devoted figures to the Palestinian cause, who at 94 years old took on this historic responsibility. But the true weight of this tribunal lay in the identity of its “Jury of Conscience.” And what a jury it was: writer Kenizé Mourad, scholar and activist Chandra Muzaffar, one of the world’s most respected experts in international law Prof. Christine Chinkin, Dr. Ghada Karmi, activist Sami Al-Arian, poet Tamim Al-Barghouti, and academic Biljana Vankovska... These were not just academics with titles — many had paid personal and professional prices for their integrity, embodying what it truly means to be an activist.

Coming from different corners of the world, these individuals listened with deep attention to the experts, lawyers, and witnesses who filled the hall over four days.

ISRAEL HAS NOT ABANDONED ITS “BLOODY GOAL” DESPITE THE CEASEFIRE

In his opening remarks, Prof. Dr. Richard Falk clearly outlined why such a tribunal was necessary. “This is a time when we must stay awake,” Falk said, emphasizing that the genocide in Gaza has now become a “historical issue.”

According to Falk, despite ceasefire talks, Israel has not abandoned its goal of a “Greater Israel,” and we are in a period where attacks could resume at any moment. He stated plainly that behind this “deceptive diplomacy,” Israel continues its campaign to eliminate Palestinians.

The most striking point made by the President of the Gaza Tribunal was about the hypocrisy of the existing order: “There is no mechanism under which Israel can be held accountable for its crimes. On the contrary, both the perpetrator of genocide and its biggest supporter have suddenly assumed the role of ‘peace envoy’ before the stunned eyes of the world.”

Falk also noted that even the different images shown in news reports of hostages released from both sides were part of Israel’s ongoing effort to portray itself not as the perpetrator, but as the victim. Stating that the UN system has remained “paralyzed” during this process, Falk described the Gaza Tribunal as “a form of social resistance against state propaganda and media institutions.”

WHY HAS THE LEGAL SYSTEM FAILED?

The tribunal’s first session, titled “An Overview of the Work of the Assemblies,” focused precisely on this issue — why the global justice system has broken down.

Prof. Susan Akram from Boston University School of Law highlighted the “gaps” and “weaknesses” in international legal frameworks, including the ICC and ICJ. She emphasized that one of the tribunal’s goals was to identify these deficiencies. Akram presented evidence showing how crimes such as “apartheid” and “ethnic cleansing” have been diluted by international courts, and how existing legal frameworks have failed to define and confront systematic oppression.

American human rights lawyer and former UN official Craig Mokhiber offered an even sharper assessment: “Despite the live broadcast of Israel’s crimes, the international system has openly failed to stop the genocide in Palestine,” he said. Mokhiber argued this failure was no accident — it was the direct result of the entrenched structure of “colonial dispossession” and “settler-colonial power” that has persisted for decades. As Mokhiber pointed out, global powers such as the United States have actively blocked “effective ceasefire measures.”

JUSTICE NOW RESTS ON CIVIL SOCIETY’S SHOULDERS

Summarizing the previous session held in Sarajevo, Prof. Dr. Penny Green perhaps offered the clearest picture of all. She stressed the UN’s and other institutions’ “total failure” to prevent genocide, concluding:

“Civil society has proven to be a far more effective force than international law in identifying, collecting, analyzing, naming, and challenging the destructive violence of states.”

Green, a law professor at Queen Mary University of London, said documents gathered over decades by Palestinian NGOs and independent journalists had already proven the nature of this colonial project — yet “institutions deliberately turned a blind eye to this evidence.” She added: “The struggle for justice is now the responsibility of conscientious people, civil society, and social movements everywhere. We cannot fail.”

“WHOSE GENOCIDE IS THIS?”

The first day wasn’t limited to legal analysis. In the session titled “Expressions of Global Conscience,” notable figures from around the world sent their messages to the tribunal. Palestinian lawyer Raji Sourani, speaking via video from Gaza, said that “the word peace remains a dream,” and pointed out that for the first time in its history, the ICC has been subjected to such an “unprecedented attack” by a superpower like the United States.

Indian author Arundhati Roy, in her written statement, said the defining role in this genocide belonged to the U.S. and European governments. “Of course, the U.S. could stop this massacre in an afternoon,” she wrote. “So the question is: whose genocide is this, and who must be held accountable?”

American actress Marcia Cross described how 85 percent of Gaza has been destroyed and how hospitals have been looted, calling the Gaza Tribunal “the organized conscience of civil society.” British musician Roger Waters called the tribunal “a moral imperative,” renewing his call for global solidarity against oppression.

The first day of the tribunal was, in itself, a summary of how the current global order has abandoned Palestine and how justice has become gridlocked.

So what is the ideological foundation behind this genocide? How do international lawyers and historians define Zionism? And what are the economic and capitalist motivations driving it? The Jury of Conscience began exploring these questions on the second day, in the session titled “The Hearing on Root Causes.”

Tomorrow, I will share these root causes and the experts’ striking analyses.