Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen

It is an honour to speak to you today as a member of the Elders, the group of independent leaders founded by Nelson Mandela in 2007. I would like to thank the Co-Chairs, France and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, for convening today’s Conference.

Since the Elders’ founding, we have worked to support a peaceful and just resolution of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

I share the anger and despair felt by so many around the world who feel powerless to stop the atrocities we are witnessing in Gaza.  The level of human suffering and destruction is unconscionable.

Occupation and violence have reached new depths of inhumanity over the past two years, from the horrific Hamas attacks of 7 October 2023 and the taking of Israeli hostages, to Israel’s collective punishment of Palestinians in Gaza, including indiscriminate bombardments, repeated mass displacement and the use of starvation as a weapon of war.

International norms and standards are being abandoned and openly scorned.

This conference MUST be a turning point towards a different future.

As political decision-makers, you have the power, and the responsibility, to compel a change of course. It is time for collective action, starting with recognition of the State of Palestine as a transformative step that should be taken now. 

Why now?

Because the dehumanising of the Palestinians by the extremist government of Israel has reached a critical point.

Let us recall that PM Netanyahu telephoned Pope Leo to apologise for the injury to Fr Gabriel Ramanelli when a Catholic Church was bombed in Gaza. PM Netanyahu has not apologised for the more than 17,000 children killed in Gaza, or the many more children left without limbs and without family members. He has not apologised for all the children of Gaza who have been traumatised by this totally disproportionate war and are now hungry to the point of starvation.

No apology has been deemed necessary because the children of Gaza have become dehumanised by this Israeli government.

I welcome President Macron’s announcement that France will recognise Palestine. The United Kingdom has said it will recognise Palestine when it would be an effective and not just a symbolic step.

Surely this is the moment, because later will simply be too late.

Excellencies,

I would now like to address two issues: first, measures to uphold international law and end impunity for systematic violations; and second, how to help lay the groundwork for peace.

It is my personal view that we are seeing an unfolding genocide in Gaza. It is for international courts to make a final determination. But member states cannot wait for this – you must act now to prevent genocide. 

In its Advisory Opinion, the International Court of Justice has found that Israel’s policies and actions in the West Bank constitute annexation, and breach its international obligations on racial segregation and apartheid.

For those of us who believe in international law and the UN Charter, the stark truth is that the Government of Israel has not been held accountable for its violations in Gaza and across the Occupied Palestinian Territory.  Its leadership enjoys a high level of impunity, and measures taken to date have not been sufficient to incentivise a change of course.

This cannot continue. We have a shared duty to uphold the international rule of law, and guard against the erosion of basic norms that guide conduct in wartime.

There are practical steps that member states should take now to end impunity and give effect to the ICJ Advisory Opinion: halting arms transfers, expanding targeted sanctions and moving to suspend trade co-operation.

There must be an immediate halt to arms transfers, and any military, security or other form of cooperation which assists in maintaining Israel’s unlawful presence and actions in the Occupied Palestinian Territory.

The ICJ Advisory Opinion clarified that Israel’s security concerns do not justify its illegal presence in the West Bank and Gaza, or the annexation of territory. Self-defence cannot be invoked as justification for supplying arms when the use of force is unlawful or there is overwhelming evidence of atrocity crimes.

Ensuring the security of Israelis is central to finding a lasting solution. But this cannot be achieved when arms are used to perpetuate an unlawful occupation and atrocity crimes are fuelling grievances on a colossal scale.  

Of course there must also be accountability for systematic violations of international law by Hamas and other Palestinian armed groups, including the continued holding of Israeli hostages. It is right that member states have strengthened sanctions against Hamas in response to its atrocity crimes against Israeli civilians. The right of the Palestinian people to resist an unlawful occupation can never justify targeting civilians in Israel. 

Member states should also act collectively to expand targeted sanctions against the Israeli leaders responsible for systematic violations of international law in Gaza and the West Bank.

I commend the governments of Australia, Canada, New Zealand, Norway and the United Kingdom for imposing targeted sanctions in response to the dangerous rhetoric of some Israeli ministers. To achieve greater impact, governments must work together to build on this and put in place a robust set of targeted sanctions.

Sanctions should continue to be strengthened against violent settlers and non-state entities funding and supporting illegal settlements. But let us be clear: it is the Government of Israel that is driving settlement creation and expansion. This is not a recent initiative of a few extremist ministers. It is an enterprise that has been advanced by successive Israeli governments over many decades, in clear violation of international law. 

Member states should expand sanctions and other measures in response to the announcement of new settlements, such as the recent revival of the E1 settlement plan which would sever the West Bank in two. It is also high time for member states to cease any assistance to or trade with illegal settlements. I particularly welcome the recent decision by my own country, Ireland, to advance legislation on this. I urge other states to follow suit.

All existing and future trade co-operation with Israel should be reviewed, with a view to suspension. Maintaining preferential trade access in such a context cannot be justified. It is deeply disappointing that European Union member states have still taken no concrete action in response to Israel’s persistent violations of Article 2 of the EU-Israel Association Agreement.

Excellencies,

Measures to end Israel’s impunity, including the ICC arrest warrants which should be enforced, are not antisemitic. They are a necessary response to actions of the Government of Israel, which are opposed by many sections of Israeli society.

The Elders stand in solidarity with the growing number of Israelis who want the hostages to be released by Hamas and the humanitarian crisis and war in Gaza to end.

We are seeing acts of extraordinary courage from Israelis and Palestinians who have suffered deep trauma and loss, but who are challenging extremist narratives within their own societies, recognising the humanity in each other, and working to forge a common vision of a shared future.  

Creating the conditions for peace requires challenging the de-humanising rhetoric and incitement on both sides that fuels hatred and legitimises violence.  

Women have a particular role to play in peacebuilding. In Northern Ireland, they came out of their housing estates and reached across the divide. Women are likewise at the forefront of many of the peace efforts in Israel and Palestine, leading civil society initiatives and creating partnerships for peace.

At the political level, the Arab/OIC plan for Gaza’s reconstruction and recovery offers a pathway that can pave the way for a fully sovereign, unified Palestinian state, with an end to occupation and all forms of violence against civilians, as part of a sustainable two-state solution.    

Articulating this path in a way that engages both Israelis and Palestinians on the viability of an alternative, secure and hopeful future is essential. The arc of peace is indeed long in this region. But with collective action to apply international law, it bends towards justice.     

Thank you.