Comments by danterzian
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- michelleg30: Transitional Justice as an Alternative to Prosecution in the Israel–Palestine Conflict I. Introduction War is not “pareto optimal.”1 According to the “bargaining theory of war,” a sustainable peace agreement is more beneficial to both sides than continued conflict.2 Transitional justice, the “processes and mechanisms associated with a society’s attempt to come to terms with a legacy of... (more)
- huangz2024: The Matter of Statehood on the Palestine Issue I. Introduction In 2021, the Pre-Trial Chamber (PTC) of the International Criminal Court (ICC) received a request from the Prosecutor related to territorial jurisdiction over Palestine and issued its response and decision to the request. The main conclusion of the decision was to extend the jurisdiction to “the territories occupied by Israel since 1967, namely Gaza and the West Bank,... (more)
- Katharina Schapfeld: Preventing Genocide: What Are the Duties of State Parties Under the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide and How Could They Be Fulfilled in the Current Situation? I. Introduction “There can be no more important issue, no more binding obligation, than the prevention of genocide.”1 The year 2023 doesn’t only mark the 75th anniversary of the... (more)
- freyaschmidt: How Can Israel Ensure Proportionality in its Response to Hamas’ Attacks? I. Introduction With Hamas’ attack on Israel on October 7, 2023, the situation that has been smoldering for decades has entered the next round. It is accompanied by countless legal questions that revolve around the legal classification of Palestine and thus the admissibility of the International Criminal Court (ICC) and the role of international (... (more)
- Jordan Murphy: The Claim of Genocide Filed Against Israel: The Elements of a Genocide Charge and its Application to the Situation in Palestine Speaking on the claim of genocide filed against Israel at the International Criminal Court (ICC) in November 2023, Palestine representative Gilles Devers asserted that the requisite criteria having been established in Gaza is not an opinion but “a reality of law.”1 Such a claim is a strong one: only two cases have... (more)
- AA375: The Israel/Hamas Situation Through the Lens of the ICC Introduction The International Criminal Court (ICC) was established to investigate, prosecute, and try individuals for the most serious crimes, namely the crimes of genocide, crimes against humanity, war crimes, and the crime of aggression.1 The ICC has a responsibility to tackle situations of high gravity affecting the interests of the international community... (more)
- Pilgrim: Palestinian Statehood Under the Montevideo Convention: An Unconventional Approach I. Introduction For the International Criminal Court (ICC) to have jurisdiction over the situation in Gaza and Israel after the Hamas terror attacks of October 7, 2023, Palestine must be a State.1 The Montevideo Convention on the Rights and Duties of States (Montevideo Convention) provides a four-element test for Statehood.2 To be a State under... (more)
- Kellan Grant: I. Introduction On October 7, 2023, a widespread surprise attack on Israel was launched by Hamas leaders, commanders, and militants in which they invaded Israeli towns from the Gaza Strip. Since then, an ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas has ensued. Devastatingly, many civilians in both Israel and the Palestine area have lost their lives as a result. Since October 7, 2023, there have been numerous assertions made that various crimes are being,... (more)
- Joan Komolafe: What is the Threshold of the Right to Defend Oneself? An Analysis of the Current Israeli–Palestine Conflict, Under the Legal Definitions of the Rome Statute I. Abstract Few hostilities have consumed the international psyche and caused as much polarization as the Israel and Palestine conflict. In particular, the intensification of violence between Israel and Gaza in October of 2023 has caused a global re-examination of... (more)
- MelissaHernandez: The October 7th attacks launched what appears to be one of the worst humanitarian crises in the last decades. With more than 1,200 deaths in Israel, mostly civilians, killed in a single day, and about 240 hostages, this day is being characterized as “the deadliest day for Jews since the holocaust.”1 On the other hand, the Hamas attack triggered an Israeli response that has resulted in more than 11,000 deaths in Gaza, which would surpass the total number of... (more)
- msperling: Palestine at the International Criminal Court: Overzealous Jurisdiction Preventing Peacemaking Introduction On October 7, 2023, fighters affiliated with the Hamas government of the Gaza Strip attacked Israel, raping, torturing, and kidnapping Israeli men, women, and children. Around 1200 people, a vast majority of whom were civilians, were killed, and 240 were taken hostage. More than 130 of the hostages are still in captivity or have since been... (more)
Mass Rape issue
Professor MacKinnon, you write that the Trial Chamber's decision on witness proofing "cuts survivors off from the support of lawyers." Without this support and in a foreign environment, you continue...libya issue
I should have been more explicit. I meant that maybe Article 17 should not be the point of reference for when the Security Council refers matters to the ICC. Nothing in the Rome Statute states what...libya issue
One thing I've been thinking about (but haven't researched): Why must Article 17 govern whether the ICC can hear the case, or whether it must defer to the Libyan government? One of the ICC's purposes...prevention issue
Professor Goldstone praises the ICC as the world's best hope for preventing crimes against humanity. But it's just that: A hope. He argues that the key to achieving justice and preventing crimes is...prevention issue
Argument The ICC’s threat of punishment, while disincentivizing prospective criminals from committing crimes, ineffectively disincentives current...oversight issue
I take your point regarding ICJ decisions; maybe many take these non-binding decisions as law. But ultimately, I disagree on construing "recommendations" as obligations. Though some may desire a more...oversight issue
The oversight mechanism allows the Assembly to meddle in the Court's affairs. This is absolutely true. But this meddling poses little danger to the Court's functioning. Like the ICJ's advisory...oversight issue
The IOM Operational Mandate’s proposed oversight mechanism is a constitutional restriction of prosecutorial independence. Introduction...darfur issue
Scott McDonald, I disagree. The Security Council created the ICTY and ICTR. Because of that, there is neither state practice nor opinio juris for the customary law that heads of state generally do...darfur issue
The Peace and Justice Initiative argues that customary international law lifts Head of State immunity in cases of international crimes before international tribunals. I disagree. I do not believe...gaza issue
I find part of Herzberg's argument troubling. She essentially argues that because (1) the Rome Statute must not allow grave crimes to go unpunished and (2) the PNA and Arab League frequently commit...darfur issue
Professor Paust, I disagree. I believe current heads of state like Al Bashir still possess immunity for international crimes before international tribunals under customary international law....darfur issue
I would argue that this conflates the issue: Whether sitting heads of state have immunity for genocide and whether they have immunity for international crimes generally are two separate questions....darfur issue
Professor Gaeta, I would argue that the Security Council’s referral of the Darfur matter to the ICC removed the immunities of incumbent foreign heads of state in the Darfur matter....darfur issue
Professor Schabas, I agree with you that Article VI of the Genocide Convention controls which courts have jurisdiction to adjudicate violations of the Genocide Convention. I also believe that...darfur issue
I agree, in part, with Professor Schabas: I do not believe genocide has occurred in The Sudan. I ground my belief in the fact that the Commission of Inquiry on Darfur “concluded that the...darfur issue
Personal Immunity and President Omar Al Bashir: An Analysis Under Customary International Law and Security Council Resolution 1593 Argument...gaza issue
Alma, I agree that Professor Tomuschat’s impartiality was compromised by his legal work for the PLO; however, absent that legal work, I’m unsure if Tomuschat’s academic work...gaza issue
The recent UN Watch report “Goldstone II: Questions on the Impartiality of the U.N. Tomuschat Committee”argues Professor Tomuschat violated his U.N.-imposed impartiality obligations by...gaza issue
Professor Bassiouni asserts that the PLO withdrew its claim of statehood in the 1993 Oslo Accords. I’m hesitant to agree. Two principles of the Oslo Accords were that (1) Israel would withdraw its...gaza issue
Although I generally agree with Professor Quigley, especially regarding institutions impliedly treating Palestine as a state (e.g., “[t]he U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights mak[ing] services...gaza issue
To me, the UN’s analyzing the obligation of the “de facto Gaza authorities” (i.e., Hamas) and Palestinian Authority to investigate war crimes in the Gaza Strip implies an acknowledgment of...gaza issue
Does anybody think Palestine’s request for ICC jurisdiction over crimes in the Gaza Strip is playing a role in the resumption of Israeli-Palestinian peace talk? My intuition says “yes,...gaza issue
You argued that ICC’s purpose is to ensure that crimes don’t go unpunished, while simultaneously arguing that the ICC wasn’t designed “to pass judgment and determine which side is right and which is...gaza issue
Even though Palestinians may not have satisfied the statehood requirements at the time of its independence proclamation, what if we view fulfilling the statehood requirements as a process, as opposed...gaza issue
Professor Yaël Ronen argues that the main obstacle to establishing a Palestinian state is that “neither the [Palestine Liberation Organization (“PLO”)] nor the [Palestinian National Authority] claims...