ARDD’s Senior Advisor on the Question of Palestine, Dr. Lex Takkenberg, was one of the speakers at an event, "Defending Palestinian Rights: Humanitarian and Legal Perspectives," on Tuesday at the House of Commons of the UK Parliament. The event was organised by the Palestinian Return Centre to mark the International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People and hosted by Shockat Adam, Member of Parliament for Leicester South in the House of Commons. In addition to Lex Takkenberg, the speakers included Avi Shlaim, Emeritus Professor of International Relations at the University of Oxford, Penny Green, Professor of Law and Globalisation at Queen Mary University of London, Ruba Salih, Professor of Anthropology at the University of Bologna and Dr. Shahd Hammouri, Lecturer in International Law at the University of Kent. Ruba Salih and Shahd Hammouri are also members of ARDD’s Global Network on the Question of Palestine.
The panel addressed the event theme from different angles. Professor Shlaim provided the context of the Question of Palestine highlighting that it was “made in Britain” and that successive British Governments have never acknowledged responsibility for the injustices inflicted to the Palestinian People. Professor Green focused on the limitations of international law in addressing the Palestinian struggle for justice with an emphasis on the significant role of civil society in driving accountability. Dr. Takkenberg focused on protection of Palestinian refugees in light of Israel’s ban on UNRWA, highlighting that it constitutes a fundamental rupture with respect to the international community’s response to the Palestinian refugee issue since the agency’s establishment in 1950, with wide-ranging legal, political, institutional, humanitarian, financial and other implications.
Professor Salih gave voice to Palestinian perspectives with respect to the ongoing genocide in Gaza, including those of survivors as well as Palestinians in the diaspora bearing daily witness to the atrocities. Based on this she examined policy, accountability and broader implications for the Question of Palestine. Last but not least, Dr. Hammouri spoke passionately about the implications of the recent judgments of the International Court of Justice in both the Genocide case launched by South Africa and the Advisory Opinion on the illegality of the occupation, including the duty to implement an arms embargo, the right of return, and the prevention of genocide, as well as the role of third states in addressing complicity and accountability.
On the occasion of the International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People, ARDD extends its greetings and solidarity to the steadfast Palestinian People in occupied Palestine and elsewhere in the world and renews its pledge to work relentlessly towards justice, accountability and decolonisation.
