Europe, Accountability & Palestine: a Shift in European Perceptions of International Law Violations in Gaza?

The public opinion in Europe with regard to the war in Gaza has been shifting. We see a growing acceptance of the importance of enforcing international law obligations and accountability vis-a-vis the Israeli government. One of the reasons for this shift has been the growing number and severity of international law violations in Gaza. The world has witnessed systematic destruction of medical and civilian infrastructure, starvation, and the killing of tens of thousands of Palestinians. This roundtable focuses on a second reason for the shift: legal and political mobilization of European citizens. Students organized protests at universities, people striked, protested, organized vigils and flotillas. Civil society brought lawsuits before international and domestic courts. Some European countries have recognized the state of Palestine in the international arena.

This roundtable brings together lawyers, academics and advocates to debate the connection between the legal efforts to enforce international law obligations and the shifting political debates in Europe. Speakers will draw on their experiences with litigation and advocacy to reflect on broader questions.  What legal and moral responsibilities arise under EU and international law? How can European institutions, states, and corporations be held to account? And what does meaningful solidarity look like in this moment?

About the speakers

Federica Violi is Associate Professor of International and European Union Law at Erasmus School of Law, Erasmus University Rotterdam. Her scholarship spans corporate accountability, international economic law, and the intersections between EU policy, human rights, and investment regimes. She has published on legal avenues for accountability in contexts of conflict and occupation, and contributed to input for UN human rights mechanisms on Palestine.

Alfonso Dorado is connected to JURDI – Juristes pour le Respect du Droit International. JURDI is a collective of legal scholars and practitioners founded in France in 2024 to  promote the enforcement of international law by states and international organisations. The organisation engages in strategic litigation and advocacy to ensure compliance with humanitarian and human rights obligations. Its current work focuses on the European Union’s legal responsibilities in relation to the war in Gaza, including proceedings before the Court of Justice of the EU.

Thomas van der Sommen is a lawyer at Prakken D’Oliveira. Prakken d’Oliveira is an Amsterdam-based law firm dedicated to defending and advancing human rights through strategic litigation and advocacy. The firm represents individuals, communities, and organisations in cases involving human rights violations, migration, environmental harm, and corporate accountability. Among their recent cases is a high-profile lawsuit against the Dutch State over the export of F-35 fighter jet components to Israel.

Pola Cebulak (moderator) is an Associate Professor at the Transnational Legal Studies Department of the Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam. She holds the JUDILL Jean Monnet Chair on Judges vs Illiberalism: Legal Mobilization for the Rule of Law. Her scholarship has focused on the relationship between the European Union and international law. Her recent project investigates how civil society actors rely on European judicial proceedings to achieve broader sociopolitical change.