LIVE: Jordanian Queen Rania Slams Western Hypocrisy: If Russia Sanctioned, Why Not Israel For Gaza?'

like you mentioned I last joined this forum in 2005 some of you may remember that year armed conflict was roing Afghanistan and Iraq terrorists carried out terrific bombings in London shes and Aman a devastating earthquake hit Kashmir and a hurricane thrashed New Orleans I never imagined that look back on those days and think those were simpler times and yet today we come together in a moment of profound uncertainty it seems like everywhere we turn we're met with something worse conflicts raging climate changing disruptive Technologies emerging faster than even their creators can understand economies struggling to provide opportunity for Rising generations and all of this against a backdrop of deep and divisive mistrust of course trust in leaders and governments has been declining for years but today we are seeing something far more alarming a loss of faith in the rules and moral standards meant to govern our world many of those global rules and standards were forged in response to BR brutal Wars and bloodshed here in Europe from the United Nations to the international court of justice to the UN Declaration of Human Rights the world came together to establish norms for a future better than its past a future based on the values of the UN Charter peace justice and human rights this global system remains a work in progress but for for the for people to trust in the Enterprise they need to believe in its integrity and right now for much of the global public that Integrity is in shreds looking at Israel's war in Gaza they see a glaring double standard or worse yet a seeming abdication of any standards at all the events of the past year are known to us all on October 7th Israel was attacked by Hamas a violent escalation that shocked the world 1,00 people were killed more than 250 taken hostage as the International Community has affirmed Israelis like all peoples have the right to live in peace and security since that time time Israel has responded by taking its blockade of Gaza to new inhumane levels and pummeling it with devastating Force the Gaza Strip an area barely a third the size of Rome has been hit with an estimated 70,000 bombs that's more than all the bombs dropped on London Hamburg and Dron throughout all of World War II over 40,000 Palestinians have been killed the majority women and children nearly 100,000 more have been injured this war has produced the largest cohort of child amputees in history doctors describe the horror of amputating on children too young to walk according to say the children over 20,000 children are estimated to be lost detained buried under the rubble or in Mass Graves Israel has put almost 90% of the gaza's STP under evacuation orders while repeatedly targeting areas it had declared to be safe nearly entire population has been displaced at least once almost the entire population is facing acute food insecurity Israel restricts and obstructs access to humanitarian aid while Palestinian children starve it has been nearly eight months since the international court of justice the world's highest court determined it was plausible that Israel is committing genocide in Gaza and it has been 10 days since Israel launched a widescale military assault on the West Bank inflicting further destruction and displacement on Palestinians living far from the Gaza Strip for decades beginning before last October Palestinians have been subjected to a crushing criminal occupation Palestinians too have the right to live in security and peace and yet here we are still unimaginable civilian suffering is being normalized every day but I ask you try to imagine what it must be like to be got to not be gathering here beside beautiful Lake Kom but to be a parent in Gaza you've lost your home and I don't just me in your house but the photo albums the well-worn armchair Your Child's favorite blank and first toy everything that is familiar and comforting to you you've moved your family again and again so many times you've lost count and yet nowhere is safe you've buried a child another has lost a leg and half their weight your whole family is starving you look toward the future and see a bleak Horizon no hospitals no schools not a single University Still Standing almost every neighborhood is wreckage and rubble and ruin you spend your days waiting for meager food RS for a ceasefire that never comes for your turn to die in the midst of a crisis it can be difficult to see beyond it but that is what this pivotal moment demands last year the Washington Post columnist Karen Atia wrote the last time millions of people people were targeted and trapped based on their identity the world said never again what is the world saying now I ask you would any Western population be expected to tolerate Decades of occupation oppression and violence yet in Palestine this Injustice has been rationalized and allowed to go on in full view of the global Community is the world saying that Israel's security is more important than anyone else's and therefore nothing is of limits in its Pursuit that no level of Palestinian suffering is too high a price to pay this devaluation of Life must be called out what it is anti-palestinian racism and if never again singles out some based on identity then that promise has been broken this failure cannot stand the International Community must ask and answer what next and then it must act the Bloodshed must stop but that's not enough we must BL a better path one wide enough for everyone to walk and I call on our friends here in Europe to play a prominent active role to weigh their responses to this conflict against long espoused European values for years Europe has positioned itself as a champion of international law law and human rights earning a Goodwill respect and soft power around the world yet what is the global South supposed to think when they see the West stand up for the people of Ukraine while leaving innocent civilians in Gaza to unprecedented Collective punishment what are they to think when global leaders Express outrage at air strikes on foreign humanitarian workers but not on the desperate Palestinians those same Aid workers are trying to support what are they to think when the icj's advisory opinion that Israel's occupation is illegal is ignored by some and dismissed by others even as gaza's displaced children are being bombed in tents or killed by Israeli bullets to the Head what conclusions are people to draw about who matters who doesn't and why more than hypocritical the double standard is dehumanizing it is cruel and if it isn't racist I don't know it is it sends the message that many powerful Nations see some people as less than and it suggests that the global Community is sanctioning a world to borrow the words of ICC Chief prosecutor Kareem G Khan of grab what you can do what you want take what you will coming to you from the Middle East I can tell you this is the world many in my region see today and that is a very dangerous world because when International humanitarian laws applied selectively when un resolutions are discounted when International courts are bullied and belittled we have entered a new era of global disorder in which none of us are truly safe will the global Community course correct or continue to Edge toward chaos what next the people of the world deserve a global system they can trust free of prejudice moral loopholes and deadly blind spots and Trust in that system has become intrinsically tied to the fate of the Palestinian people that's why rejecting double standards demanding accountability and finding a common path to peace are necessary to create the future Palestinians Israelis and all of us deserve this is no simple task after all failed peace talks have been a recurrent feature of this conflict and the lasting resolution has never felt farther away but we cannot resign ourselves to an intolerable reality if we are to forge a just sustainable peace that honors both people's rights and aspirations we need to start from a shared Foundation one that trust on a number of basic principles we can all agree on and adhere to our Vantage points may vary so let us begin with the Common Ground five indisputable principles that should underpin all genuine Enterprises for peace first international law must Prevail without exception it's human nature to let emotions color our judgment but the law is reason without passion and its application is Guided by evidence not emotion and I'll be honest I'm not neutral i' guess none of us truly are no matter how hard we try that's why we need the law we will never resolve the Palestinian Israeli conflict which inflames passions across generations and borders unless we anchor the effort in a Bedrock of impartiality and while compromise is key to any peace process international law must set the floor that means enforcing legally binding un security resolutions and resp the opinions and rulings of international courts even when they're politically inconvenient second autonomy dignity and human rights are Universal and unconditional the right to self-determination to equality to freedom from persecution and discriminations these are human rights they do not need to be earned and they are non-negotiable irrespective of how much Global influence Ence political leverage or military power moan side might have peace cannot be created by strong arming a weaker party into unequal terms Palestinians and Israelis have an equal right to security and self-determination a number of European countries have acknowledged this by recognizing a Palestinian State I hope that more countries in Europe and elsewhere will do the same third for justice to Prevail there must be accountability in a just Global Society individuals institutions and nations are Guided by the knowledge that they are answerable for their actions that checks to their power will be enforced and any wrongdoing will be met with repercussions without equally enforced accountability justice is impossible trust erod the entire system falls out of balance in Gaza we see the catastrophic consequences of that imbalance a powerful Nation creating conditions of mass hunger and displacement facing little push back the flip side of accountability is impunity and a sense of impunity doesn't develop overnight for the past 57 years Israel has not only sustained but entrenched its illegal occupation of Palestinian territory through an Ever growing network of settlements the International Community has been vocal in its rejection of this but words are not enough condemnation is an expression of ideals not policy to achieve Justice we must bridge the gap between principle and practice ultimately without accountability talk of international law of justice and of Human Rights is reduced to hollow rhetoric fourth true security is not Zero Sum a just peace makes Security Mutual the late Shimon Perez was a longtime participant in this forum listen to what he had to say in a speech a decade ago Israel will not have permanent security without peace Israel will be giving up its future if it sees the status quo as its desire end quote for decades Israel has sought to ensure its citizens safety by denying Palestinians right to the same but that trout is unsustainable it has brutalized Palestinians and failed to keep Israelis safe neither side's insecurity serves the other it only perpetuates the problem an endless cycle of repression resentment and retaliation only a just peace can break that cycle my fifth point is a simple one voices on the Very extreme must be blocked from the conversation the future cannot be held hostage to those who advocate for Mass starvation extermination and expulsion who applaud Collective punishment who defend the indefensible they must be called out and shut down because incitement against an entire population is not an exercise of free speech it is a vile breach of decent human conduct for my part I have no illusion that restoring Hope For Peace will be easy the points of contention are many but surely these are five principles we all know to be true that upholding the law is a must not a may be that human rights are not open to negotiation that without accountability Injustice is not only sustained it is normalized that peace real lasting life affir in peace is key to security and that extreme voices cannot be allowed to dictate the conversation we cannot go back to the days before this war as we ask what next the answer cannot be more of the same Europe can help promote A Better Way Forward one in which our International System yields fairness not favoritism where mutable ideas outweigh short-term interests and where all stakeholders are more concerned with the human cost of War than the political political cost of Peace imagine reaping the benefits of that future imagine being a parent in that Palestine in that Israel no empty stomachs or empty seats at the table no crippling sense of uncertainty no reason for animosity between two peoples living side by side in the Holy Light of of Peace in the words of Palestinian American poet Naomi shahib n it's late but everything comes next thank you all very much [Music] it's a pleasure to be here like you mentioned I last joined this forum in 2005 some of you may remember that year armed conflict was roing Afghanistan and Iraq terrorists carried out terrific bombings in London shes and Aman a devastating earthquake hit Kashmir and a hurricane thrashed new or Orleans I never imagined i' look back on those days and think those were simpler times and yet today we come together in a moment of profound uncertainty it seems like everywhere we turn we're met with something worse conflicts raging climate changing disruptive Technologies emerging faster than even their creators can understand economies struggling to provide opportunity for Rising generations and all of this against a backdrop of deep and divisive mistrust of course trust in leaders and governments has been declining for years but today we are seeing something far more alarming a loss of faith in the rules and moral standards meant to govern our world many of those global rules and standards were forged in response to brutal Wars and bloodshed here in Europe from the the United Nations to the international court of justice to the UN Declaration of Human Rights the world came together to establish norms for a future better than its past a future based on the values of the UN Charter peace justice and human rights this global system remains a work in progress but for for the for people to trust in the Enterprise they need to believe in its integrity and right now for much of the global public that Integrity is in shreds looking at Israel's war in Gaza they see a glaring double standard or worse yet a seeming abdication of any standards at all the events of the past year are known to us all on October 7th Israel was attacked by Hamas a violent escalation that shocked the world 1200 people were killed more than 250 taken hostage as the International Community has affirmed Israelis like all peoples have the right to live in peace and security since that time Israel has responded by taking its blockade of Gaza to new inhumane levels and pummeling it with devastating Force the Gaza Strip an area barely a third the size of Rome has been hit with an estimated 70,000 bombs that's more than all the bombs dropped on London hamb ber and Dron throughout all of World War II over 40,000 Palestinians have been killed the majority women and children nearly 100,000 more have been injured this war has produced the largest cohort of child amputees in history doctors describe the horror of amputating on children too young to walk according to save the children over 20,000 children are estimated to be lost detained buried under the rubble or in Mass Graves Israel has put almost 90% of the Gaza STP under evacuation orders while repeatedly targeting areas it had declared to be safe near the entire population has been displaced at least once almost the entire population is facing acute food insecurity Israel restricts and obstructs access to humanitarian aid while Palestinian children starve it has been nearly 8 months since the international court of justice the world's highest court determined it was plausible that Israel is committing genocide in Gaza and it has been 10 days since Israel launched a widescale military assault on the West Bank inflicting further destruction and displacement on Palestinians living far from the Gaza Strip for decades beginning before last October Palestinians have been subjected to a crushing criminal occupation Palestinians too have the right to live in security and peace and yet here we are still un imaginable civilian suffering is being normalized every day but I ask you try to imagine what it must be like to be GA to not be gathering here beside beautiful Lake Kom but to be a parent in Gaza you've lost your home and I don't just mean your house but the photo albums the well-worn armchair Your Child's favorite blanket and first toy everything that is familiar and comforting to you you've moved your family again and again so many times you've lost count and yet nowhere is safe you've buried a child another has lost a leg and half their weight your whole family is starving you look toward the future and see a bleak Horizon no hospitals no schools not a single University Still Standing almost every neighborhood is wreckage and rubble and ruin you spend your days waiting for meager food rations for a ceasefire that never comes for your turn to die in the midst of a crisis it can be difficult to see beyond it but that is what this pivot moment demands last year the Washington Post columnist Karen AA wrote the last time millions of people were targeted and trapped based on their identity the world said never again what is the world saying now I ask you would any Western population be expected to tolerate Decades of occupation oppression and violence yet in Palestine this Injustice has been rationalized and allowed to go on in full view of the global Community is the world saying that Israel's security is more important than anyone else's and therefore nothing is of limits in its Pursuit that no level of Palestinian suffering is too high a price to pay this devaluation of Life must be called out what it is anti-palestinian racism and if never again singles out some based on identity then that promise has been broken this failure cannot stand the International Community must ask and answer what next and then it must act the Bloodshed must stop but that's not enough we must BL a better path one wide enough for everyone to walk and I call on our friends here in Europe to play a prominent active role to weigh their respons to this conflict against long espoused European values for years Europe has positioned itself as a champion of international law and human rights earning a Goodwill respect and soft power around the world yet what is the global South supposed to think when they see the West stand up for the people of Ukraine while leaving innocent civilians in Gaza to unprecedented Collective punishment what are they to think when when global leaders Express outrage at air strikes on foreign humanitarian workers but not on the desperate Palestinians those same Aid workers are trying to support what are they to think when the icj's advisory opinion that Israel's occupation is illegal is ignored by some and dismissed by others even as gaza's displaced children are being bombed in tents or killed by Israeli bullets to the Head what concl Illusions are people to draw about who matters who doesn't and why more than hypocritical the double standard is dehumanizing it is cruel and if it isn't racist I don't know what is it sends the message that many powerful Nations see some people as less than and it suggests that the global Community is sanctioning a world to borrow the words of ICC Chief prosecutor Kareem G Khan of grab what you can do what you want take what you will coming to you from the Middle East I can tell you this is the world many in my region see today and that is a very dangerous world because when International humanitarian laws appli selectively when un resolutions are discounted when International courts are bullied and belittled we have entered a new era of global disorder in which none of us are truly safe will the global Community course correct or continue to Edge toward chaos what next the people of the world deserve a global system they can trust free of prejudice moral loopholes and deadly blind spots and Trust in that system has become intrinsically tied to the fate of the Palestinian people that's why rejecting double standards demanding accountability and finding a common path to peace are necessary to create the future Palestinians Israelis and all of us deserve this is no simple task after all failed peace talks have been a recurrent feature of this conflict and the lasting resolution has never felt farther away but we cannot resign ourselves to an intolerable reality if we are to forge a just sustainable peace that honors both people's rights and aspirations we need need to start from a shared Foundation one that rests on a number of basic principles we can all agree on and adhere to our Vantage points may vary so let us begin with the Common Ground five indisputable principles that should underpin all genuine Enterprises for peace first international law must Prevail without exception it's human nature to let emotions color our our judgment but the law is reason without passion and its application is Guided by evidence not emotion and I'll be honest I'm not neutral i' guess none of us truly are no matter how hard we try that's why we need the law we will never resolve the Palestinian Israeli conflict which inflames passions across generations and borders unless we anchor the effort in a Bedrock of impartiality and while compromise is key to any peace process international law must set the floor that means enforcing legally binding un security resolutions and respecting the opinions and rulings of international courts even when they're politically inconvenient second autonomy dignity and human rights are Universal and unconditional the right to self-determination to equality to freedom from persecution and discrimin Nations these are human rights they do not need to be earned and they are non-negotiable irrespective of how much Global influence political leverage or military power moan side might have peace cannot be created by strong arming a weaker party into unequal terms Palestinians and Israelis have an equal right to security and self-determination a number of European countries have acknowledged this by recognizing a pales Ian State I hope that more countries in Europe and elsewhere will do the same third for justice to Prevail there must be accountability in a just Global Society individuals institutions and nations are Guided by the knowledge that they are answerable for their actions that checks to their power will be enforced and any wrongdoing will be met with repercussions without equally enforced accountability justice is impossible trust erods the entire system falls out of balance in Gaza we see the catastrophic consequences of that imbalance a powerful Nation creating conditions of mass hunger and displacement facing little push back the flip side of accountability is impunity and a sense of impunity doesn't develop overnight for the past 57 years Israel has no only sustained but entrenched its illegal occupation of Palestinian territory through an Ever growing network of settlements the International Community has been vocal in its rejection of this but words are not enough condemnation is an expression of ideals not policy to achieve Justice we must bridge the gap between principle and practice ultimately without accountability talk of inter international law of justice and of Human Rights is reduced to hollow rhetoric fourth true security is not Zero Sum a just peace makes Security Mutual the late Shimon Perez was a longtime participant in this forum listen to what he had to say in a speech a decade ago Israel will not have permanent security without peace Israel will be giving up its future if it sees the status quo as its desire end quote for decades Israel has sought to ensure its citizens safety by denying Palestinians right to the same but that route is unsustainable it has brutalized Palestinians and failed to keep Israeli safe neither side's insecurity serves the other it only perpetuates the problem an endless cycle of repression resentment and r retaliation only a just piece can break that cycle my fifth point is a simple one voices on the Very extreme must be blocked from the conversation the future cannot be held hostage to those who advocate for Mass starvation extermination and expulsion who applaud Collective punishment who defend the indefensible they must be called out and shut down because incitement against an entire population is not an exercise of free speech it is a vile breach of decent human conduct for my part I have no illusion that restoring Hope For Peace will be easy the points of contention are many but surely these are five principles we all know to be true that upholding the law is a must not a maybe that human rights are not open to negotiation that without accountability Injustice is not only sustained it is normalized that peace real lasting life affirming peace is key to security and that extreme voices cannot be allowed to dictate the conversation we cannot go back to the days before this war as we ask what next the answer cannot be more of the same Europe can help promote a better way forward one in which our International System yields fairness not favoritism where mutable ideas outweigh short-term interests and where all stakeholders are more concerned with the human cost of War than the political political cost of Peace imagine reaping the benefits of that future imagine being a parent in that Palestine and that Israel no empty stomachs or empty seats at the table no crippling sense of uncertainty no reason for animosity between two peoples living side by side in the Holy Light of Peace in the words of Palestinian American poet Naomi shahib na it's late but everything comes next thank you all very much [Music] it's a pleasure to be here like you mentioned I last joined this forum in 2005 some of you may remember that year armed conflict was roolling Afghanistan and Iraq terrorists carried out terrific bombings in London shes and Aman a devastating earthquake hit Kashmir and a hurricane thrashed New Orleans I never imagined I'd look back on those days and think those were simpler times and yet today we come together in a moment of profound uncertainty it seems like everywhere we turn we're met with something worse conflicts raging climate changing disruptive Technologies emerging faster than even their creators can understand economies struggling to provide opportunity for Rising generations and all of this against a backdrop of deep and divisive mistrust of course trust in leaders and governments has been declining for years but today we are seeing something far more alarming a loss of faith in the rules and moral standards meant to govern our world many of those global rules and standards were forged in response to brutal Wars and bloodshed here in Europe from the United Nations to the international court of justice to the UN Declaration of Human Rights the world came together to establish norms for a future better than its past a future based on the values of the UN Charter peace justice and human rights this global system remains a work in progress but for for the for people to trust in the Enterprise they need to believe in its integrity and right now for much of the global public that Integrity is in shreds looking at Israel's war in Gaza they see a glaring double standard or worse yet a seeming abdication of any standards at all the events of the past year are known to us all on October 7 Israel was attacked by Hamas a violent escalation that shocked the world 1,200 people were killed more than 250 taken hostage as the International Community has affirmed Israelis like all peoples have the right to live in peace and security since that time Israel has responded by taking its blockade of Gaza to new inhumane levels un pummeling it with devastating Force the Gaza Strip an area barely a third the size of Rome has been hit with an estimated 70,000 bombs that's more than all the bombs dropped on London Hamburg and Dron throughout all of World War II over 40,000 Palestinians have been killed the majority women and children nearly 100,000 more have been injured this war has produced a largest cohort of child amputees in history doctors describe the horror amputating on children too young to walk according to say the children over 20,000 children are estimated to be lost detained buried under the rubble or in Mass Graves Israel has put almost 90% of the gaza's trip under evacuation orders while repeatedly targeting areas it had declared to be safe near the entire population has been displaced at least once almost the entire entire population is facing acute food insecurity Israel restricts and obstructs access to humanitarian aid while Palestinian children starve it has been nearly eight months since the international court of justice the world's highest court determined it was plausible that Israel is committing genocide in Gaza and it has been 10 days since Israel launched a widescale military assault on the West Bank inflicting further destruction and displacement on Palestinians living far from the Gaza Strip for decades beginning before last October Palestinians have been subjected to a crushing criminal occupation Palestinians too have the right to live in security and peace and yet here we are still unimaginable civilian suffering is being normalized every day but I ask you try to imagine what it must be like to be GA to not be gathering here beside beautiful Lake Kom but to be a parent in Gaza you've lost your home and I don't just mean your house but the photo albums the well-worn armchair Your Child's favorite blanket and first toy everything that is familiar and comforting to you you've moved your family again and again so many times you've lost count and yet nowhere is safe you've buried a child another has lost a leg and half their weight your whole family is starving you look toward the future and see a bleak Horizon no hospitals no schools not a single University Still Standing almost every neighborhood is wreckage and rubble and ruin you spend your days waiting for meager food rations for a ceasefire That Never Comes for your turn to die in the midst of a crisis it can be difficult to see beyond it but that is what this pivotal moment demands last year the Washington Post columnist Karen AA wrote the last time millions of people were targeted and trapped based on their identity the world said never again what is the world saying now I ask you would any Western population be expected to tolerate Decades of occupation oppression and violence yet in Palestine this Injustice has been rationalized and allowed to go on in full view of the global Community is the world saying that Israel's security is more important than anyone else's and therefore nothing is of limits in its Pursuit that no level of Palestinian suffering is too high a price to pay this devaluation of Life must be called out what it is anti-palestinian racism and if never again singles out some based on identity then that promise has been broken this failure cannot stand the International Community must ask and answer what next and then it must act the Bloodshed must stop but that's not enough we must place a better path one wide enough for everyone to walk and I call on our friends here in Europe to play a prominent active role to we their responses to this conflict against long espoused European values for years Europe has positioned itself as a champion of international law and human rights earning a Goodwill respect and soft power around the world yet what is the global South supposed to think when they see the West stand up for to the people of Ukraine while leaving innocent civilians in Gaza to unprecedented Collective punishment what are they to think when global leaders Express outrage at air strikes on foreign humanitarian workers but not on the desperate Palestinians those same Aid workers are trying to support what are they to think when the icj's advisory opinion that Israel's occupation is illegal is ignored by some and dismissed by others even as gaza's displaced children are being bombed in tents or killed by Israeli bullets to the Head what conclusions are people to draw about who matters who doesn't and why more than hypocritical the double standard is dehumanizing it is cruel and if it isn't racist I don't know what is it sends the message that many powerful Nations see some people as less than and it suggests that the global Community is sanctioning a world to borrow the words of ICC Chief prosecutor kareim G Khan of grab what you can do what you want take what you will coming to you from the Middle East I can tell you this is the world many in my region see today and that is a very dangerous world because when International humanitarian laws appli selectively when un resolutions are discount Ed when International courts are bullied and belittled we have entered a new era of global disorder in which none of us are truly safe will the global Community course correct or continue to Edge toward chaos what next the people of the world deserve a global system they can trust free of prejudice moral loopholes and deadly blind spots and Trust in that system has become intrinsically tied to the fate of the Palestinian people that's why rejecting double standards demanding accountability and finding a common path to peace are necessary to create the future Palestinians Israelis and all of us deserve this is no simple task after all failed peace talks have been a recurrent feature of this conflict and the lasting resolution has never felt farther away but we cannot resign ourselves to an intolerable reality if we are to forge a just sustainable peace that honors both people's rights and aspirations we need to start from a shared Foundation one that TRS on a number of basic principles we can all agree on and adhere to our Vantage points may vary so let us begin with the Common Ground five indisputable principles that should underpin all genuine Enterprises for peace first international law must Prevail without exception it's human nature to let emotions color our judgment but the law is reason without passion and its application is Guided by evidence not emotion and I'll be honest I'm not neutral I'd guess none of us truly are no matter how hard we try that's why we need the law we will never resolve the Palestinian Israeli conflict which inflames passion across generations and borders unless we anchor the effort in a Bedrock of impartiality and while compromise is key to any peace process international law must set the floor that means enforcing legally binding un security resolutions and respecting the opinions and rulings of international courts even when they're politically inconvenient second autonomy dignity and human rights are Universal and unconditional the right to self-determination to equality to freedom from persecution and discriminations these are human rights they do not need to be earned and they are non-negotiable irrespective of how much Global influence political leverage or military power side might have peace cannot be created by strong arming a weaker party into unequal terms pal Ians and Israelis have an equal right to security and self-determination a number of European countries have acknowledged this by recognizing a Palestinian State I hope that more countries in Europe and elsewhere will do the same third for justice to Prevail there must be accountability in a just Global Society individuals institutions and nations are Guided by the knowledge of that they are answerable for their actions that checks to their power will be enforced and any wrongdoing will be met with repercussions without equally enforced accountability justice is impossible trust erods the entire system falls out of balance in Gaza we see the catastrophic consequences of that imbalance a powerful Nation creating conditions of mass hunger and displacement facing little push back the flip side of a accountability is impunity and a sense of impunity doesn't develop overnight for the past 57 years Israel has not only sustained but entrenched its illegal occupation of Palestinian territory through an Ever growing network of settlements the International Community has been vocal in its rejection of this but words are not enough condemnation is an expression of ideals not policy to achieve Justice we must bridge the gap between principle and practice ultimately without accountability talk of international law of justice and of Human Rights is reduced to hollow rhetoric fourth true security is not Zero Sum a just peace makes Security Mutual the late Shimon Perez was a longtime participant in this forum listen to what he had to say in a speech a decade ago Israel will not have permanent security without peace Israel will be giving up its future if it sees the status quo as its desire end quote for decades Israel has sought to ensure its citizens safety by denying Palestinians right to the same but that trout is unsustainable it has brutalized Palestinians and failed to keep Israeli safe neither side's insecurity serves the other it only perpetuates the problem an endless cycle of repression resentment and retaliation only a just peace can break that cycle my fifth point is a simple one voices on the Very extreme must be blocked from the conversation the future cannot be held hostage to those who advocate for Mass starvation extermination and expulsion who applaud Collective punishment who defend the indefensible they must be called out and shut down because incitement against an entire population is not an exercise of free speech it is a vile breach of decent human conduct for my part I have no illusion that restoring Hope For Peace will be easy the points of contention are many but surely these are five principles we all know to be true that upholding the law is a must not a maybe that human rights are not open to negotiation that without accountability Injustice is not only sustained it is normalized that peace real lasting life affirming peace is key to security and that extreme voices cannot be allowed to dictate the conversation we cannot go back to the days before this War as we ask what next the answer cannot be more of the same Europe can help promote A Better Way Forward one in which our International System yields fairness not favoritism where mutable ideas outweigh short-term interests and where all stakeholders are more concerned with the human cost of War than the political political cost of Peace imagine reaping the benefits of that future imagine being a parent in that Palestine in that Israel no empty stomachs or empty seats at the table no crippling sense of uncertainty no reason for animosity between two peoples living side by side in the Holy Light of Peace in the words of Palestinian American poet Naomi shahib n it's late but everything comes next thank you all very [Music] much it's a pleasure to be here like you mentioned I last joined this forum in 2005 some of you may remember that year armed conflict was roing Afghanistan and Iraq terrorists carried out terrific bombings in London Sharm and Aman a devastating earthquake hit Kashmir and a hurricane thrashed New Orleans I never imagined i' look back on those days and think those were simpler times and yet today we come together in a moment of profound uncertainty it seems like everywhere we turn we're met with something worse conflicts raging climate changing disruptive Technologies emerging faster than even their creators can understand economies struggling to provide opportunity for Rising generations and all of this against a backdrop of deep and divisive mistrust of course trust in leaders and governments has been declining for years but today we are seeing something far more alarming a loss of faith in the rules and moral standards meant to govern our world many of those global rules and standards were forged in response to brutal Wars and bloodshed here in Europe from the United Nations to the international court of justice to the UN Declaration of Human Rights the world came together to establish norms for a future better than its past a future based on the values of the UN Charter peace justice and human rights this global system remains a work in progress but for for the for people to trust in the Enterprise they need to believe in its integrity and right now for much of the global public that Integrity is in shreds looking at Israel's war in Gaza they see a glaring double standard or worse yet a seeming abdication of any standards at all the events of the past year are known to us all on October 7th Israel was attacked by Hamas a violent escalation that shocked the world 1200 people were killed more than 250 taken hostage as the International Community has affirmed Israelis like all peoples have the right to live in peace and security since that time Israel has responded by taking its blockage of Gaza to new inhumane levels and pummeling it with devastating Force the Gaza Strip an area barely a third the size of Rome has been hit with an estimated 70,000 bombs that's more than all the bombs dropped on London Hamburg and Dron throughout all of World War II over 40,000 Palestinians have been killed the majority women and children nearly 100,000 more have been injured this war has produced the largest cohort of child amputees in history doctors describe the horror of amputating on children too young to walk according to say the children over 20,000 children are estimated to be lost detained buried under the rubble or in Mass Graves Israel has put almost 90% of the gaza's trip under evacuation orders while while repeatedly targeting areas it had declared to be safe nearly entire population has been displaced at least once almost the entire population is facing acute food insecurity Israel restricts and obstructs access to humanitarian aid while Palestinian children starve it has been nearly eight months since the international court of justice the world's highest court determined it was plausible that Israel is committing genocide in Gaza and it has been 10 days since Israel launched a widescale military it's a pleasure to population has been displaced at least once almost the entire population is facing acute food insecurity Israel restricts and obstructs access to humanitarian aid while Palestinian children starve it has been nearly 8 months since the international court of justice the world's highest court determined it was plausible that Israel is committing genocide in Gaza and it has been 10 days since Israel launched a widescale military assault on the West Bank inflicting further destruction and displacement on Palestinians living far from the Gaza Strip for decades beginning before last October Palestinians have been subjected to a crushing criminal occupation Palestinians too have the right to live in security and peace and yet here we are still unimaginable civilian suffering is being normalized every day but I ask you try to imagine what it must be like to be GA to not be gathering here beside beautiful Lake KOMO but to be a parent in Gaza you've lost your home and I don't just mean your house but the photo albums the well worn armchair Your Child's favorite blanket and first toy everything that is familiar and comforting to you you've moved your family again and again so many times you've lost count and yet nowhere is safe you've bued a child another has lost a leg and half their weight your whole family is starving you look toward the future and see a bleak Horizon no hospitals no schools not a single University Still Standing almost every neighborhood is wreckage and rubble and ruin you spend your days waiting for meager food rations for a ceasefire that never comes for your turn to die in the midst of a crisis it can be difficult to see beyond it but that is what this pivotal moment demands last year the Washington Post columnist Karen AA wrote the last time millions of people were targeted and trapped based on their identity the world said never again what is the world saying now I ask you would any Western population be expected to tolerate Decades of occupation oppression and violence yet in Palestine this Injustice has been rationalized and allowed to go on in full view of the global community is the world saying that Israel's security is more important than anyone else's and therefore nothing is of limits in its Pursuit that no level of Palestinian suffering is too high a price to pay this devaluation of Life must be called out what it is anti-palestinian racism and if never again singles out some based on identity then that promise has been broken this failure cannot stand the International Community must ask and answer what next and then it must act the Bloodshed must stop but that's not enough we must place a better path one wide enough for everyone to walk and I call on our friends here in Europe to play a prominent active role to weigh their responses to this conflict against long espoused European values for years Europe has positioned itself as a champion of international law and human rights earning a Goodwill respect and soft power around the world yet what is the global South supposed to think when they see the West stand up for the people of Ukraine while leaving innocent civilians in Gaza to unprecedented Collective punishment what are they to think when global leaders Express outrage at air strikes on foreign humanitarian workers but not on the desperate pales Ians those same Aid workers are trying to support what are they to think when the icj's advisory opinion that Israel's occupation is illegal is ignored by some and dismissed by others even as gaza's displaced children are being bombed in tents or killed by Israeli bullets to the Head what conclusions are people to draw about who matters who doesn't and why more more than hypocritical the double standard is dehumanizing it is cruel and if it isn't racist I don't know what is it sends the message that many powerful Nations see some people as less than and it suggests that the global Community is sanctioning a world to borrow the words of ICC Chief prosecutor Kareem G Khan of grab what you can do what you want take what you will coming to you from the Middle East I can tell you this is the world many in my region see today and that is a very dangerous world because when International humanitarian laws applied selectively when un resolutions are discounted when International courts are bullied and belittled we have entered a new era of global disorder in which none of us are truly safe will the global Community course correct or continue to Edge toward chaos but next the people of the world deserve a global system they can trust free of prejudice moral loopholes and deadly blind spots and Trust in that system has become intrinsically tied to the fate of the Palestinian people that's why rejecting double standards demanding accountability and finding a common path to peace are necessary to create the future Palestinians Israelis and all of us deserve this is no simple task after all failed peace talks have been a recurrent feature of this conflict and the lasting resolution has never felt farther away but we cannot resign ourselves to an intolerable reality if we are to forge a just sustainable peace that honors both people's rights and aspirations we need to start from a shared Foundation one that rests on a number of basic principles we can all agree on and adhere to our Vantage points may vary so let us begin with the Common Ground five indisputable principles that should underpin all genuine Enterprises for peace first international law must Prevail without exception it's human nature to let emotions color our judgment but the law is reason without passion and its application is Guided by evidence not emot motion and I'll be honest I'm not neutral i' guess none of us truly are no matter how hard we try that's why we need the law we will never resolve the Palestinian Israeli conflict which inflames passions across generations and borders unless we anchor the effort in a Bedrock of impartiality and while compromise is key to any peace process international law must set the floor that means enforcing legally binding un security resolutions and respecting the opinions and rulings of international courts even when they're politically inconvenient second autonomy dignity and human rights are Universal and unconditional the right to self-determination to equality to freedom from persecution and discriminations these are human rights they do not need to be earned and they are non-negotiable irrespective of how much Global influence political leverage or military power moan side might have peace cannot be created by strong arming a weaker party into unequal terms Palestinians and Israelis have an equal right to security and self-determination a number of European countries have acknowledged this by recognizing a Palestinian State I hope that more countries in Europe and elsewhere will do the same third for justice to Prevail there must be accountability in a just Global Society individuals institutions and nations are Guided by the knowledge that they are answerable for their actions that checks to their power will be enforced and any wrongdoing will be met with repercussions without equally enforced accountability justice is impossible trust erods the entire system falls out of balance in Gaza we see the catastrophic consequences of that imbalance a powerful Nation creating conditions of mass hunger and displacement facing little push back the flip side of accountability is impunity and a sense of impunity doesn't develop overnight for the past 57 years Israel has not only sustained but entrenched its illegal occupation of Palestinian territory through an Ever growing n netw work of settlements the International Community has been vocal in its rejection of this but words are not enough condemnation is an expression of ideals not policy to achieve Justice we must bridge the gap between principle and practice ultimately without accountability talk of international law of justice and of Human Rights is reduced to hollow rhetoric fourth true security is not Zero Sum a just peace makes Security Mutual the late Shimon Perez was a longtime participant in this forum listen to what he had to say in the speech a decade ago Israel will not have permanent security without peace Israel will be giving up its future if it sees the status quo as its desire end quote for decades Israel has sought to ensure its citizens safety by denying Palestinians right to the same but that trout is unsustainable it has brutalized Palestinians and failed to keep Israeli safe neither side's insecurity serves the other it only perpetuates the problem an endless cycle of repression resentment and retaliation only a just peace can break that cycle my fifth point is a simple one voices on the Very extreme must be blocked from the conversation the future cannot be held hostage to those who advocate for Mass starvation extermination and expulsion who applaud Collective punishment who defend the indefensible they must be called out and shut down because incitement against an entire population is not an exercise of free speech it is a vile breach of decent human conduct for my part I have no illusion that restoring Hope For Peace will be easy the points of contention are many but surely these are five principles we all know to be true that upholding the law is a must not a maybe that human rights are not open to negotiation that without accountability Injustice is not only sustained it is normalized that peace real lasting life affirming peace is key to security and that extreme voices cannot be allowed to dictate the conversation we cannot go back to the days before this war as we ask what next the answer cannot be more of the same Europe can help promote A Better Way Forward one in which our International System yields fairness not favoritism we're mutable ideas outweigh short-term interests and where all stakeholders are more concerned with the human cost of War than the political political cost of Peace imagine reaping the benefits of that future imagine being apparent in that Palestine in that Israel no empty stomachs or empty seats at the table no crippling sense of uncertainty no reason for animosity between two peoples living side by side in the Holy Light of Peace in the words of Palestinian American poet Naomi shahib nigh it's late but everything comes next thank you all very [Music] much it's a to be here like you mentioned I last joined this forum in 2005 some of you may remember that year armed conflict was roing Afghanistan and Iraq terrorists carried out terrific bombings in London shes and Aman a devastating earthquake hit Kashmir and a hurricane thrashed New Orleans I never imagined that look back on those days and think those were simpler times and yet today we come together in a moment of profound uncertainty it seems like everywhere we turn we're met with something worse conflicts raging climate changing disruptive Technologies emerging faster than even their creators can understand economies struggling to provide opportunity for Rising generations and all of this against a backdrop of deep and divisive mistrust of course trust in leaders and governments has been declining for years but today we are seeing something far more alarming a loss of faith in the rules and moral standards meant to govern our world many of those global rules and standards were forged in response to BR brutal Wars and bloodshed here in Europe from the United Nations to the international court of justice to the UN Declaration of Human Rights the world came together to establish norms for a future better than its past a future based on the values of the UN Charter peace Justice and human rights this global system remains a work in progress but for for the for people to trust in the Enterprise they need to believe in its integrity and right now for much of the global public that Integrity is in shreds looking at Israel's war in Gaza they see a glaring double standard or worse yet a seeming abdication of any standards at all the events of the past year are known to us all on October 7th Israel was attacked by Hamas a violent escalation that shocked the world 1,00 people were killed more than 250 taken hostage as the International Community has affirmed Israelis like all peoples have the right to live in peace and security since that time Israel has responded by taking its blockade of Gaza to new inhumane levels and pummeling it with the devastating Force the Gaza Strip an area barely a third the size of Rome has been hit with an estimated 70,000 bombs that's more than all the bombs dropped on London Hamburg and Dron throughout all of World War I over 40,000 Palestinians have been killed the majority women and children nearly 100,000 more have been injured this war has produced the largest cohort of child amputees in history doctors describe the horror of amputating on children too young to walk according to say the children over 20,000 children are estimated to be lost detained buried under the rubble or in Mass Graves Israel has put almost 90% of the gaza's STP under evacuation orders while repeatedly targeting areas it had declared to be safe near the entire population has been displaced at least once almost the entire population is facing acute food insecurity Israel restricts and obstructs access to humanitarian aid while Palestinian children starve it has been nearly eight months since the international court of justice the world's highest court determined it was plausible that Israel is committing genocide in Gaza and it has been 10 days since is Israel launched a widescale military assault on the West Bank inflicting further destruction and displacement on Palestinians living far from the Gaza Strip for decades beginning before last October Palestinians have been subjected to a crushing criminal occupation Palestinians too have the right to live in security and peace and yet here we are still unimaginable civilian suffering is being normalized every day but I ask you try to imagine what it must be like to be GA to not be gathering here beside beautiful Lake KOMO but to be a parent in Gaza you've lost your home and I don't just mean your house but the photo albums the well-worn armchair Your Child's favorite blanket and first toy everything that is familiar and comforting to you you've moved your family again and again so many times you've lost count and yet nowhere is safe you've buried a child another has lost a leg and half their weight your whole family is starving you look toward the future and see a bleak Horizon no hospitals no schools not a single University Still Standing almost every neighborhood is wreckage and rubble and ruin you spend your days waiting for meager food rations for a ceasefire that never comes for your turn to die in the midst of a crisis it can be difficult to see beyond it but that is what this pivotal moment demands last year the Washington Post columnist Karen AA wrote the last time millions of people were targeted and trapped based on their identity the world said never again what is the saying now I ask you would any Western population be expected to tolerate Decades of occupation oppression and violence yet in Palestine this Injustice has been rationalized and allowed to go on in full view of the global Community is the world saying that Israel's security is more important than anyone else's and therefore nothing is of limits in its Pursuit that no level of Palestinian suffering is too high a price to pay this devaluation of Life must be called out what it is anti-palestinian racism and if never again singles out some based on identity then that promise has been broken this failure cannot stand the International Community must ask and answer what next and then it must act the Bloodshed must stop stop but that's not enough we must BL a better path one wide enough for everyone to walk and I call on our friends here in Europe to play a prominent active role to weigh their responses to this conflict against long espoused European values for years Europe has positioned itself as a champion of international law and human rights earning a good will respect and soft power around the world yet what is the global South supposed to think when they see the West stand up for the people of Ukraine while leaving innocent civilians in Gaza to unprecedented Collective punishment what are they to think when global leaders Express outrage at air strikes on foreign humanitarian workers but not on the desperate Palestinians those same Aid workers are trying to support what are they to think when the icj's advisory opinion that Israel's occupation is legal is ignored by some and dismissed by others even as gaza's displaced children are being bombed in tents or killed by Israeli bullets to the Head what conclusions are people to draw about who matters who doesn't and why more than hypocritical the double standard is dehumanizing it is cruel and if it isn't racist I don't know it is it sends the message that many powerful Nations see some people as less than and it suggests that the global Community is sanctioning a world to borrow the words of ICC Chief prosecutor Kareem G Khan of grab what you can do what you want take what you will coming to you from the Middle East I can tell you this is the world many in my region see today and that is a very dangerous world because when International humanitarian laws applied selectively when un resolutions are discounted when International courts are bullied and belittled we have entered a new era of global disorder in which none of us are truly safe will the global Community course correct or continue to Edge toward chaos what next the people of the world deserve a global system they can trust free of prejudice moral loopholes and deadly blind spots and Trust in that system has become intrinsically tied to the fate of the Palestinian people that's why rejecting double standards demanding accountability and finding a common path to peace are necessary to create the future Palestinians Israelis and all of us deserve this is no simple task after all failed peace talks have been a recurrent feature of this conflict and the lasting resolution has never felt farther away but we cannot resign ourselves to an intolerable reality if we are to forge a just sustainable pece that honors both people's rights and aspirations we need to start from a shared Foundation one that trusts on a number of basic principles we can all agree on and adhere to our Vantage points may vary so let us begin with the Common Ground five indisputable principles that should underpin all genuine Enterprises for peace first international law must Prevail without exception it's human nature to let emotions color our judgment but the law is reason without passion and its application is Guided by evidence not emotion and I'll be honest I'm not neutral I'd guess none of us truly are no matter how hard we try that's why we need the law we will never resolve the Palestinian Israeli conflict which inflames passions across generations and borders unless we anchor the effort in a Bedrock of impartiality and while compromise is key to any peace process international law must set the floor that means enforcing legally binding un security resolutions and respecting the opinions and rulings of international courts even when they're politically inconvenient second autonomy dignity and human rights are Universal and unconditional the right to self-determination to equality to freedom from persecution and discriminations these are human rights they do not need to be earned and they are non-negotiable irrespective of how much Global influence political leverage or military power what my one side might have peace cannot be created by strong arming a weaker party into unequal terms Palestinians and Israelis have an equal right to security and self-determination a number of European countries have acknowledged this by recognizing a Palestinian State I hope that more countries in Europe and elsewhere will do the same third for justice to Prevail there must be accountability in a just Global Society individual institutions and nations are Guided by the knowledge that they are answerable for their actions that checks to their power will be enforced and any wrongdoing will be met with repercussions without equally enforced accountability justice is impossible trust erods the entire system falls out of balance in Gaza we see the catastrophic consequences of that imbalance a powerful Nation creating conditions of mass hunger and displacement facing little push back the flip side of accountability is impunity and a sense of impunity doesn't develop overnight for the past 57 years Israel has not only sustained but entrenched its illegal occupation of Palestinian territory through an Ever growing network of settlements the International Community has been vocal in its rejection of this but words are not enough condemnation is an expression of ideals not policy to achieve Justice we must bridge the gap between principle and practice ultimately without accountability talk of international law of justice and of Human Rights is reduced to hollow rhetoric fourth true security is not Zero Sum a just peace makes Security Mutual the late Shimon Perez was a longtime participant in this forum listen to what he had to say in a speech a decade ago Israel will not have permanent security without peace Israel will be giving up its future if it sees the status quo as its desire end quote for decades Israel has sought to ensure its citizens safety by denying Palestinians right to the same but that trout is unsustainable it has brutalized Palestinians and failed to keep Israeli safe neither side's insecurity serves the other it only perpetuates the problem an endless cycle of repression resentment and retaliation only a just peace can break that cycle my fifth point is a simple one voices on the Very extreme must be blocked from the conversation the future cannot be held hostage to the those who advocate for Mass starvation extermination and expulsion who applaud Collective punishment who defend the indefensible they must be called out and shut down because incitement against an entire population is not an extracise of free speech it is a vile breach of decent human conduct for my part I have no illusion that restoring Hope For Peace will be easy the points of contention are many but surely these are five principles we all know to be true that upholding the law is a must not a may be that human rights are not open to negotiation that without accountability Injustice is not only sustained it is normalized that peace real lasting life affirming peace is key to security and that extreme voices cannot be allowed to dictate the conversation we cannot go back to the days before this war as we ask what next the answer cannot be more of the same Europe can help promote A Better Way Forward one in which our International System yields fairness not favoritism where mutable ideas outweigh short-term interests and where all stakeholders are more concerned with the human cost of War than the political political cost of peace imagine reaping the benefits of that future imagine being a parent in that Palestine in that Israel no empty stomachs or empty seats at the table no crippling sense of uncertainty no reason for animosity between two peoples living side by side in the Holy Light of Peace in the words of Palestinian American poet Naomi shahib na it's late but everything comes next thank you all very much it's a pleasure to be here like you mentioned I last joined this forum in 2005 some of you may remember that year armed conflict was roing Afghanistan and Iraq terrorists carried out terrific bombings in London shes and Aman a devastating earthquake hit Kashmir and a hurricane thrash New Orleans I never imagined i' look back on those days and think those were simpler times and yet today we come together in a moment of profound uncertainty it seems like everywhere we turn we're met with something worse conflicts raging climate changing disruptive Technologies emerging faster than even their creators can understand economies struggling to provide opportunity for Rising generations and all of this against a backdrop of deep and divisive mistrust of course trust in leaders and governments has been declining for years but today we are seeing something far more alarming a loss of faith in the rules and moral standards meant to govern our world many of those global rules and standards were forged in response to BR brutal Wars and blood shed here in Europe from the United Nations to the international court of justice to the UN Declaration of Human Rights the world came together to establish norms for a future better than its past a future based on the values of the UN Charter peace justice and human rights this global system remains a work in progress but for for the for people to trust in the Enterprise they need to believe in its integ integrity and right now for much of the global public that Integrity is in shreds looking at Israel's war in Gaza they see a glaring double standard or worse yet a seeming abdication of any standards at all the events of the past year are known to us all on October 7th Israel was attacked by Hamas a violent escalation that shocked the world 12200 people were killed more than 250 taken hostage as the International Community has affirmed Israelis like all peoples have the right to live in peace and security since that time Israel has responded by taking its blockade of Gaza to new inhumane levels un pummeling it with devastating Force the Gaza Strip an area barely a third the size of Rome has been hit with an estimated 70,000 bombs that's more than all the bombs dropped on London Hamburg and Dron throughout all of World War II over 40,000 Palestinians have been killed the majority women and children nearly 100,000 more have been injured this war has produced the largest cohort of child amputees in history doctors describe the horror of amputating on children to Young to walk according to say the children over 20,000 children are estimated to be lost detained buried under the rubble or in Mass Graves Israel has put almost 90% of the gaza's trip under evacuation orders while repeatedly targeting areas it had declared to be safe near the entire population has been displaced at least once almost the entire population is facing acute food insecurity Israel restricts and obstructs access to humanitarian Aid while Palestinian children starve it has been nearly 8 months since the international court of justice the world's highest court determined it was plausible that Israel is committing genocide in Gaza and it has been 10 days since Israel launched a widescale military assault on the West Bank inflicting further destruction and displacement on Palestinians living far from the Gaza Strip for decades beginning before last October Palestinians have been subjected to a crushing criminal occupation Palestinians too have the right to live in security and peace and yet here we are still unimaginable civilian suffering is being normalized every day but I ask you try to imagine what it must be like to be GA to not be gathering here beside beautiful Lake Kom but to be a parent in Gaza you've lost your home and I don't just mean your house but the photo albums the well-worn armchair Your Child's favorite blanket and first toy everything that is familiar and comforting to you you've moved your family again and again so many times you've lost count and yet nowhere is safe you've buried a child another has lost a leg and half their weight your whole family is starving you look toward the future and see a bleak Horizon no hospitals no schools not a single University Still Standing almost every neighborhood is wreckage and rubble and ruin you spend your days waiting for meager food rations for a ceasefire that never comes for your turn to die in the midst of a crisis it can be difficult to see beyond it but that is what this pivotal moment demands last year the Washington Post columnist Karen AA wrote the last time millions of people were targeted and trapped based on their identity the world said never again what is the world saying now I ask you would any Western population be expected to tolerate Decades of occupation oppression and violence yet in Palestine this Injustice has been rationalized and allowed to go on in full view of the global Community is the world saying that Israel's security is more important than anyone else's and therefore nothing is of limits in its Pursuit that no level of Palestinian suffering is too high a price to pay this devaluation of Life must be called out what it is anti-palestinian racism and if never again singles out some based on identity then that promise has been broken this failure cannot stand the International Community must ask and answer what next and then it must act the Bloodshed must stop but that's not enough we must place a better path one wide enough for everyone to walk and I call on our friends here in Europe to play a prominent Act role to weigh their responses to this conflict against long espoused European values for years Europe has positioned itself as a champion of international law and human rights earning a Goodwill respect and soft power around the world yet what is the global South supposed to think when they see the West stand up for the people of Ukraine while leaving innocent civilians in Gaza to unprecedented Collective punishment what are they to think when global leaders Express outrage at air strikes on foreign humanitarian workers but not on the desperate Palestinians those same Aid workers are trying to support what are they to think when the icj's advisory opinion that Israel's occupation is illegal is ignored by some and dismissed by others even as gaza's displaced children are being bombed in tents or killed by Israeli bullets to the Head what conclusions are people to draw about who matters who doesn't and why more than hypocritical the double standard is dehumanizing it is cruel and if it isn't racist I don't know it is it sends the message that many powerful Nations see some people as less than and it suggest that the global Community is sanctioning a world to borrow the words of ICC Chief prosecutor kareim can of grab what you can do what you want take what you will coming to you from the Middle East I can tell you this is the world many in my region see today and that is a very dangerous world because when International humanitarian laws applied selectively when un resolutions are discounted when International courts are bullied and belittled we have entered a new era of global disorder order in which none of us are truly safe will the global Community course correct or continue to Edge toward chaos what next the people of the world deserve a global system they can trust free of prejudice moral loopholes and deadly blind spots and Trust in that system has become intrinsically tied to the fate of the Palestinian people that's why rejecting double standards demand handing accountability and finding a common path to peace are necessary to create the future Palestinians Israelis and all of us deserve this is no simple task after all failed peace talks have been a recurrent feature of this conflict and the lasting resolution has never felt farther away but we cannot resign ourselves to an intolerable reality if we are to forge a just sustainable peace that honors both people's rights and aspirations we need to start from a shared Foundation one that rests on a number of basic principles we can all agree on and adhere to our Vantage points may vary so let us begin with the Common Ground five indisputable principles that should underpin all genuine Enterprises for peace first international law must Prevail without exception it's human nature to let emotions color our judgment but the law is reason without passion and its application is Guided by evidence not emotion and I'll be honest I'm not neutral I'd guess none of us truly are no matter how hard we try that's why we need the law we will never resolve the Palestinian Israeli conflict which inflames passions across generations and borders unless we anchor the effort in a Bedrock of impartiality and while compromise is key to any peace process international law must set the floor that means enforcing legally binding un security resolutions and respecting the opinions and rulings of international courts even when they're politically inconvenient second autonomy dignity and human rights are Universal and unconditional the right to self-determination to equality to freedom from persecution and discriminations these are human rights they do not need to be earned and they are non-negotiable irrespective of how much Global influence political leverage or military power side might have peace cannot be created by strong arming a weaker party into unequal terms Palestinians and Israelis have an equal right to security and self-determination a number of European countries have acknowledged this by recognizing a Palestinian State I hope that more countries in Europe and elsewhere will do the same third for justice to Prevail there must be accountability in a just Global Society individuals institutions and nations are Guided by the knowledge that they are answerable for their actions the checks to their power will be