The Gaza Tribunal Charts a New Path
TRANSCEND VIDEOS, 3 Nov 2025
Gaza & the World | Just World International - TRANSCEND Media Service
28 Oct 2025
Prof. Richard Falk reflected on the final session of the Gaza People’s Tribunal held in Istanbul and described how it began in London, continued in Sarajevo, and gathered evidence and testimonies from witnesses and experts to document the ongoing genocide in Gaza. He explained that the tribunal’s findings were captured in the Sarajevo Declaration, a detailed account of the legal and moral case against Israel’s actions. He noted how participants, including survivors and scholars such as Haider Eid, exposed the depth of Gaza’s suffering before and after October 7. Falk also discussed how Israel’s manipulation of global narratives—through decontextualizing events and denying Palestinian provocation—has distorted public understanding of Gaza’s reality. The conversation highlighted the importance of confronting these distortions and recognizing the genocide as both incremental and ongoing.
Prof. Richard Falk is a member of the TRANSCEND Network, of the TRANSCEND Media Service Editorial Committee, Albert G. Milbank Professor Emeritus of International Law at Princeton University, Chair of Global Law, Faculty of Law, at Queen Mary University London, Research Associate the Orfalea Center of Global Studies at the University of California, Santa Barbara, and Fellow of the Tellus Institute. He directed the project on Global Climate Change, Human Security, and Democracy at UCSB and formerly served as director the North American group in the World Order Models Project. He also is a member of the editorial board of the magazine The Nation. Between 2008 and 2014, Falk served as UN Special Rapporteur on Human Rights in Occupied Palestine. His book, (Re)Imagining Humane Global Governance (2014), proposes a value-oriented assessment of world order and future trends. His most recent books are Power Shift (2016); Revisiting the Vietnam War (2017); On Nuclear Weapons: Denuclearization, Demilitarization and Disarmament (2019); and On Public Imagination: A Political & Ethical Imperative, ed. with Victor Faessel & Michael Curtin (2019). He is the author or coauthor of other books, including Religion and Humane Global Governance (2001), Explorations at the Edge of Time (1993), Revolutionaries and Functionaries (1988), The Promise of World Order (1988), Indefensible Weapons (with Robert Jay Lifton, 1983), A Study of Future Worlds (1975), and This Endangered Planet (1972). His memoir, Public Intellectual: The Life of a Citizen Pilgrim was published in March 2021 and received an award from Global Policy Institute at Loyala Marymount University as ‘the best book of 2021.’ He has been nominated frequently for the Nobel Peace Prize since 2009.
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Tags: Crimes against Humanity, Gaza Tribunal, Genocide, Israel, Official Lies and Narratives, Palestine, Richard Falk, USA, War crimes
This article originally appeared on Transcend Media Service (TMS) on 3 Nov 2025.
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One Response to “The Gaza Tribunal Charts a New Path”
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The Esteemed Chair, Professor Richrd Falk of the Gazaian Tribunal, October 2025
I write to you with deep admiration for the moral clarity and courageous witness embodied in the recent proceedings of the Gaza People’s Tribunal held in Istanbul. The testimonies presented, the legal framing articulated, and the collective conscience invoked, have all contributed to a powerful indictment of the ongoing atrocities unfolding in Gaza, even after the so called “ceasefire”.
As a fellow advocate for peace, justice, and interfaith solidarity, I wish to offer a reflection, not as a critique, but as a respectful plea for continuity and strategic follow-through. The Tribunal has succeeded in illuminating the truth. The challenge now is to ensure that this truth becomes a catalyst for tangible legal and political action, nationwide and across the globe, without obfuscation and material distraction.
It is well understood that civil society tribunals, by their nature, do not possess the coercive power of state institutions. Yet their moral authority can, and must, be harnessed to influence international legal mechanisms, mobilise public opinion, and support survivors in their pursuit of justice. The Tribunal’s findings, if strategically disseminated and legally integrated, can serve as a vital evidentiary and ethical resource for the International Court of Justice, the International Criminal Court, and national jurisdictions invoking universal tenets of peace, justice and an ethos of “anti-hegemony”
I also acknowledge the complexity of convening such a Tribunal in a world where surveillance, infiltration, and disinformation are real threats. That the Tribunal proceeded with dignity and resolve despite these risks is a testament to the integrity of its participants.
In this spirit, I respectfully propose that the Tribunal considers the following forward-looking strategic steps:
• Establish a permanent legal and advocacy task force to liaise with international courts and human rights bodies.
• Create a publicly accessible digital archive of testimonies and findings.
• Engage interfaith and civil society networks to amplify the Tribunal’s moral message.
• Encourage states to act under their obligations to prevent and punish genocide.
• Convene virtual meetings on available digital platforms at least once a month to galvanise civil society’s support and social cohesion against a re-enactment of colonial imperialism and targeted tyranny against voice of Gazaians, I prefer to call them and not the “people of Gaza”, which is demeaning.
Let this Tribunal not be remembered solely as a moment of eloquence, aptly demonstrated in the historic city of Istanbul, at the hallowed University of Istanbul, Cemil Birsel Conference Hall, which was built shortly after the conquest of Constantinople by Sultan Mehmet’s 11, on 29th May 1453, fulling a religious prophecy. The Tribunal is a milestone in the global movement for justice and human dignity, which has been collectively denied by the global north, to appease the tyrants of Israel and its equally discriminative allies.
With profound respect and solidarity,
Kindest regards
Hoosen Vawda
Global: +27 82 291 4546
e-mail: vawda@ukzn.ac.za
Durban, South Africa
Fellow Peace Propagator