Local Voices
162 Articles
Report of the Independent UN Commission of Inquiry on Gaza Strip – An Initial Evaluation of a Problematic Report
Bottom line up front: "The Commission chose to infer far reaching conclusions from the limited evidence before it, thus discrediting much that should be appreciated in the report."
U.S. Congress Should Stop Security Assistance to Guatemala Until Rule of Law is Restored
As a former Appeal’s Court judge in Guatemala, I am deeply concerned about the rapidly escalating constitutional crisis that threatens recent progress to establish the rule of…
U.S. Lethal Operations in Somalia Are On the Rise. But Are They Effective?
A deep-rooted ideology cannot be defeated with bombs dropped from the sky. What is needed is a real shift in strategy.
How the U.S. and EU’s Cooperation with Sudan Rubberstamps Bad Behavior
Above: Sudan’s leader Omar al-Bashir In recent months, the United States and the European Union have been hard at work rebuilding ties with Sudan and lifting sanctions,…
“We the Jewish People”–A deep look into Israel’s new law
In the early morning hours on July 19, Israel’s parliament, the Knesset, passed “The Basic Law: Israel as the Nation State of the Jewish People,” making it part of the Israeli…
Syria: Where Civilians Became a Commodity for Settling Accounts
As long as military operations are seen as a solution to the problem in Syria, there can be no hope for parties to come together to establish peace in Syria. Meanwhile, the civilians…
Analysis of Israel’s Supreme Court Decision Allowing Lethal Force in Gaza
On May 25th 2018, the Israeli Supreme Court rejected, in a unanimous decision of a three judge panel, a petition by a group of NGOs which challenged the legality of the Rules of…
Collectivizing Threat: An Analysis of Israel’s Legal Claims for Resort to Force on the Gaza Border
The aim of this article is not to vindicate one narrative over the other or to pass judgment on specific factual claims, which must be thoroughly investigated. It also doesn't…
US – Pakistan Relations: A Marriage of Inconvenience
This article is the latest in a series we are producing in partnership Columbia Law School’s Human Rights Institute that features the voices of experts and advocates from…
The U.S. Must Stop Backing Abusive Partners in Yemen’s War
This is the second of two articles on U.S. counterterrorism operations in Yemen. Read part one here. It is also the latest in a new series we are producing in partnership Columbia…
Paying Attention to Land Rights in Syria Negotiations
As President Donald Trump ponders his response to yet another chemical weapons attack in Syria, advisers and commentators alike are mired in short-term calculations. But one day…
Civilian Casualties and Effectiveness of U.S. Drone Strikes in Yemen
This is the first of two articles on U.S. counterterrorism operations in Yemen. It also the latest in a new series we are producing in partnership Columbia Law School’s Human…