The World is talking about the lose of legitimacy of International System’s reactions in Israel-Palestine crisis, in other words it is “bankruptcy”.

SHORT HISTORY OF THE CONFLICT:

Already the oppressions and prosecutions have been continue until October 7. October 7 was a reactions against this condition and Israel increased intensity of the attacks and started a genocide openly.

Palestine was a peaceful land during the Ottoman Empire. Yet in the late 1800s, the Zionist movement started around the world. They wanted to establish a Jewish state in Palestine. In 1917, Britain supported this idea with the Balfour Declaration. In 1920, Britain took control of Palestine.

In 1947, the United Nations said Palestine should be split into two parts: one for Jews and one for Arabs. This plan was unfair, and Palestinians rejected it. Despite this, in 1948, Israel became a state. More than 700,000 Palestinians were forced to leave their homes, and many villages were destroyed. This event is called the Nakba, which means “catastrophe” in Arabic.

In 1967, Israel took more land: East Jerusalem, the West Bank, Gaza, the Golan Heights, and the Sinai. The UN said it was illegal, but Israel did not stop. No real punishment was given by the UN or other states.

After this, Israel built illegal homes (called “settlements”) on Palestinian land. Palestinians lost more land and homes. They lived under checkpoints, military control, and daily problems.

In 2006, after Hamas won elections in Gaza, but Israel started a full blockade. People in Gaza did not have enough food, medicine, or clean water. Israel attacked Gaza in 2008, 2012, 2014, and 2023–2024. Thousands of civilians were killed. Many groups said war crimes happened but nothing changed.

The United Nations made many reports. Human rights groups spoke out. But powerful countries like the USA, protected Israel. This shows the failure of international justice and the double standards in the world.

This history is not only about the pain of the Palestinian people, also shows how the world has stayed silent. It proves that the current international system is weak, unfair, and broken when it comes to protecting human rights.

International System:

International system is regulating the interactions and relations between the international actors such as UN, NATO, EU, and states. This system operates balance of power, international law rules, diplomatic relations and institutions.
Shortly: International system = rules of the game between states + institutions and balances of power that enforce these rules

Why Is Not International Law Effective?

The main aim of International law is regulation of state’s behaviours and provide peace. But, for Israel-Palestine conflict, it only stayed like a written text.

Especially we can see uneffectivenes of international law openly when strong states become an issue. This bankrupcy is defined as  “an order that is not implemented despite the existence of international law”

Breaches of Geneva and Hague Conventions:

According to Geneva, targeting civilians is prohibited, the wounded and sick must be protected but Israel, get target civilians directly many times in Gaza and the West Bank.

Collective punishment aginst all society is prohibited but Israel cutted water and electric and blockaded all stricts. Israel has been blocking main aids for years.

Civilians cannot be forcibly displaced but Israel is implementing forced evictions and settlement policies.

According to Hague, states must seek war rules and materials.

Civilians must be protected and a state cannot attack to without military targets but Israel bombed schools, hospitals, religional buildings and other public areas.

Some destroyable weapons are prohibited but Israel used phosphorus bomb and other forbiden materials.

A state cannot give a harm to infrastructure and society but Israel destroyed pipelines, roads, and other all infrastructural systems.

While the Geneva and Hague conventions are to protect human rights in war, Israel policies violate these fundemantal policies. Also, there is a serious breach of international human rights. Israel killed over 136.000 civilians since 1948, it came step by step with breaching all rules.

There are some examples about important breaches of international conventions

• 4. Geneva Convention, article 49
• UN Universal Declaration of Human Rights (art. 3 – right to life)
• UN Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (art. 12)
• Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (art. 11 – right to a standard of living)
• Convention on the Rights of the Child
• UN Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (arts. 19, 21)

These violations by Israel are not just individual crimes. It is a systematic state policy of Israel for Zionist ideology.

There is a lack of the sanctions in International Community against these crimes. Because of the slince of international organizations, this breaches are legitimated and international human right system is weakened.

There is no punishment or application against Israel by the International Community. The International Criminal Court issued an arrest warrant for Netanyahu but it is not being implemented. As we know, he visited Hungary and was not arrested.

The main reasons for the lack of enforcement of international law

• There is no strong global police force to make countries follow the rules.
• The UN Security Council often cannot make decisions because some countries block them.
• The International Criminal Court (ICC) gives decisions, but they are not followed.
• Some countries do not accept the court’s decisions if it goes against their own interests.
• The UN has made over 100 decisions against Israel, but most of them were never used. The United States used its veto power to stop any action against Israel in the Security Council.
• The ICC started investigations about Israel, but nothing happened because Israel and its allies do not accept the court.
• Because Israel has not been punished for many years, international law has become just a set of rules without punishment. This is dangerous not only for Palestine, it for the whole world.

DOUBLE STANDARTS AND SELECTIVE INTERVENTIONISM

We can see, International Society get concrete reflex for Ukraine, but for Palesinte there is no any concrete help or action.  This is a double standart clearly.  Also, while the West claim to protect human rights, they sell weapons to Israel.

This situation shows that foreign policy is based on interests, not values, and has moved away from moral ground. There is military support for Israel despite human rights violations.

Right now we are looking Humantiarian Intervention and R2P;

The UN and many human rights organizations have reported many times that this situation has caused a serious humanitarian crisis. However, because of the U.S. veto in the UN Security Council, no strong decision could be made against Israel.

There is a limited humanitarian aid in Palestine. There has not been a real humanitarian intervention under international law, especially one that includes force. Humanitarian aid (such as food, health, and shelter) is sometimes given by different countries and NGOs (like UNRWA, the Red Crescent/Red Cross, İHH etc.).

In 2005, the UN accepted the Responsibility to Protect (R2P) principle. It says that if a state cannot protect its people from genocide, war crimes, ethnic cleansing, or crimes against humanity or if it commits these crimes itself, then the international community has a responsibility to act.

Thousands of civilians being killed in Gaza, children are dying from hunger, and cities being destroyed are clear crimes against humanity under R2P. But still, no strong action has been taken. The UN and the international community only say they are "worried." So, the system exists, but the will does not.

THE BANKRUPTCY OF INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS

The UN and Office of the High Commissioner announced there is a breach of the human rights but reality is that there is no any concrete steps.

The United Nations (UN)

About Security council the main problems are deathlocks and veto failes. UN General Assembly resolutions are not binding, they are only advisory.
The UN was created to keep international peace and security. But it is not effective in Palestine.

Arab League and Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC)

• They say that support Palestine, but in reality, they are silent. Even though the Palestine issue is very important for the Muslim world, Arab countries cannot act together because of their own interests.
• Normalization with Israel (for example: UAE, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia) makes these organizations even weaker. They cannot make joint decisions or take real action.
• And some Arab countries so friendly to Abraham Shield.

International Criminal Court (ICC)

• The ICC started an investigation into crimes in Palestine. But Israel does not accept the ICC.
• The ICC has no power to enforce its decisions. International organizations can act against weak states.
• But for strong states with allies (like Israel), these organizations are powerless.
• “International organizations produce conscience, but cannot act.”

NATO

• NATO has done military operations in many regions of the world. But in this case, it does nothing.

HUMAN RIGHTS RHETORİC

The Universal Declaration of Human Rights (1948) promises equal rights for everyone. Yet, these rights only work when they do not go against powerful countries. So, are they really universal or selective?

Rhetoric (just words): In every crises, we hear the same things:
“We condemn”, “Be calm”, “Respect international law” But there is no real action to stop the genocide. Israel has broken human rights rules for years but is not punished. Instead, it is seen as “self-defense.”

• - If Russia does it, it is called a “war crime.” If Israel does it, it is “self-defense.” -

Even with many civilian deaths, Western countries continue to send weapons to Israel more than before.

EPISTEMOLOGICAL CRISIS AND THE INTERNATIONAL SYSTEM

Today’s international system (UN, ICC, NATO, etc.) was created by the West and serves Western interests. Places like Somalia, East Turkestan, and Palestine are outside the system and are victims of it.

Islamic Critique and Civil Morality

          Islamic thought values justice, mercy, and unity. But most Muslim countries do not act with these values anymore. Iran, Saudi Arabia, Türkiye, and other Muslim countries are corrupt. Iran and Hezbollah also make unnecessary threats, which make the U.S. and Israel more aggressive. They give people hope, but do nothing real for Palestine. They even leave Yemen alone. The criticism is not only for the West, also for the silence of the Muslim world.

         Even if governments are silent, civil society (NGOs, academics, media, and people) has a big responsibility. We cannot change the system, but we can keep our conscience alive.
All these examples show us one thing:
The international system has mostly lost its ability to bring justice, peace, and human rights. It is clear that we need more voices, regional solutions, and new ideas based on values.

We know wars and conflicts will keep through forever, they will not end never but we must talk about and seek for implementing rules and principles for all. We must reform international system.