Amnesty International’s secretary general, Agnes Callamard, warned that Israel’s offensive on Gaza is threatening the post-World War Two international rules-based order, potentially leading to its collapse. Speaking at the Balfour Project annual conference in London, she criticized the US and UK for supporting Israel’s actions, which she deemed a mockery of international law.
The conference aimed to address how “peace with justice” can be achieved in Palestine, yet highlighted the contradictory actions of Western governments. Both the Biden administration and the UK government have opposed rulings against Israel and continued arms sales, risking the acceleration of genocide in Gaza.
Callamard emphasized the urgent need for transformation to prevent further global anger. Meanwhile, Palestinian speakers stressed the importance of political autonomy for achieving peace with justice, calling attention to the absence of Palestinian voices in post-war reconstruction plans for Gaza.
The Balfour Project focused on the UK’s historical role in Palestine and issued demands to the government to halt arms sales to Israel and support the ICJ’s rulings. However, the Council for Arab-British Understanding noted that Israel-Palestine may not be a major election issue in the UK, except in areas with high Muslim populations.