6-year old Hind has been missing for over a week. She was last heard from on the phone with the Red Crescent rescue team after her family had been murdered around her as she was trapped in a car, surrounded by Israeli tanks. Lara and Michael discuss what we know of Hind and attempts at rescuing her. This event, among other heinous crimes, continue even after the ICJ ruling last week calling on Israel to take all measures to prevent genocidal acts. The pod touches on the blocking of humanitarian aid trucks into Gaza, ongoing raids in the occupied West Bank, attacks on hospitals, and the increasing flight departures from Ben Gurion airport. The cracks are causing the structure to crumble, but at what cost to Palestinian lives?

The groundbreaking ICJ case proposed by South Africa against Israel has just closed, and Lara and Michael (mostly Lara) break down what it means. It’s important to remember that South Africa didn’t call for a ceasefire, as this is not legal terminology. All six counts brought against Israel were ruled in South Africa’s favor; these are 1) Israel must take all measures within it’s power to stop murdering & harming Palestinians and preventing their birth, 2) Israel must ensure that it’s military follow all measures from point 1, 3) Israel must prevent and punish all genocidal intent, 4) Israel shall ensure humanitarian aid to Gaza, 5) Israel must not destroy evidence related to these allegations, and 6) Israel must report back to the court in one month’s time. Lara does an excellent job of summarizing the court’s findings, and highlighting the myriad wins that stem from this case. This is among the first legal decisions to attempt to hold Israel accountable for their actions. Michael and Lara speak about how legislation + activism + boycotting as a unified force is the only way to ensure the Palestinian right of return and the end of apartheid and violence against Palestinians.

This week Lara and Michael sit down with human rights attorney, American activist, university professor, and legal scholar Dr. Noura Erakat. Dr. Erakat discusses the legal structure of Palestine from the Balfour Declaration to the Oslo Accords through ongoing UN claims and treaties. She touches on the four types of international law as defined by the International Court of Justice; 1) international conventions, 2) international custom, 3) the general principles of law, & 4) judicial decisions. Dr. Erakat frames the Palestinian resistance movement through the lens of legal precedents and examines ways in which the international court has failed to guarantee Palestinians basic human rights.