British lawyers, judges accuse Israel of genocide in Gaza, call for immediate UK sanctions

British lawyers, judges accuse Israel of genocide in Gaza, call for immediate UK sanctions

By Cassie B. 

May 30, 2025

More than 800 British legal experts, including former Supreme Court justices, demand UK sanctions on Israel and its expulsion from the UN over alleged genocide in Gaza.

The letter cites Israeli war crimes, including starvation tactics and attacks on civilians, with Gaza’s death toll exceeding 54,000, mostly women and children.

Signatories accuse Israel of violating international law, referencing its blockade and Finance Minister Smotrich’s vow to “wipe out” Gaza as evidence of ethnic cleansing.

The UK is criticized for complicity by continuing arms sales while suspending minor trade, failing to meet legal obligations under international law.

Israel’s targeting of UN agencies and defiance of ICC arrest warrants for Netanyahu and Gallant signal a broader assault on global legal institutions.

More than 800 British lawyers, academics, and retired judges, including former Supreme Court justices, have called on UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer to impose immediate sanctions on Israel and support its expulsion from the United Nations over alleged genocide in Gaza.

The legal experts, citing what they termed “mounting evidence” of war crimes and ethnic cleansing, delivered a scathing indictment of Israel’s military campaign, which has killed at least 54,000 Palestinians since October 2023, according to Gaza health officials. Their demand exposes a growing rift between global institutions and Israel’s Western enablers, who continue arming a regime accused of “deliberate starvation” and “systematic destruction” of civilian life.

The open letter, signed by luminaries like former UK Supreme Court justices Lord Sumption and Lord Wilson, accuses Israel of persistent violations of international law, including the UN Charter, and urges the UK to initiate proceedings under Article 6, a mechanism that could strip Israel of its UN membership.

The letter referenced Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich’s vow to “wipe out” Gaza. The legal experts condemn Israel’s blockade as a “grave violation” of humanitarian law, noting that aid restrictions have created a “humanitarian catastrophe” with women and children accounting for nearly 60% of the dead.

The letter’s signatories, including former Court of Appeal judges Sir Stephen Sedley and Sir Alan Moses, argue that Britain’s tepid response, such as suspending trade while while allowing arms sales, makes it complicit.

“The UK’s actions to date have failed to meet [legal] standards,” they write, demanding travel bans and asset freezes for Israeli officials “reasonably suspected of involvement in unlawful conduct.” Their urgency reflects Gaza’s staggering toll: over 1,400 healthcare workers, 280 UN staff, and 180 journalists killed in the deadliest conflict for media personnel in modern history.

Israel’s war on the UN and international law

The lawyers also highlight Israel’s “unparalleled assault on the United Nations,” including its expulsion of UNRWA, the primary aid agency for Palestinians, and attacks on UN facilities. Sir Alan Moses warned that failing to act would unleash “anarchy loosed upon the world,” while Oxford professor Guy Goodwin-Gill accused Israel of ethnic cleansing designed to erase Palestinian self-determination. Their demands align with the International Criminal Court’s arrest warrants for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Yoav Gallant—warrants the UK has yet to enforce.

The letter also cites Netanyahu’s defiance of international law, including his rejection of ceasefire calls and expansion of illegal settlements. “The charge of genocide levelled against Israel is not only false, it’s outrageous,” Netanyahu has claimed.

The letter’s signatories represent a watershed moment: elite legal voices once hesitant to challenge Israel now demand accountability. With Gaza’s death toll rising daily and Western leaders like Starmer endorsing Israel’s “right” to blockade civilians, their intervention exposes the rot at the heart of so-called “rules-based order.” As Conor Gearty, a human rights professor, warned: “Imagine a world without rules.” For Palestinians, that world is already here, and the UK’s response will determine whether genocide is met with impunity or justice.

Cassie B.

• https://www.newstarget.com/
• https://newstarget.com/2025-05-28-british-lawyers-judges-israel-genocide-gaza.html
  

Mainstream media finally admits lockdowns were a disaster

Mainstream media finally admits lockdowns were a disaster

By Cassie B. 

March 13, 2025

• Lockdowns during COVID-19 caused more harm than good, with studies showing devastating impacts on mental health, education, and the economy.
• Media and tech platforms censored and mocked critics of lockdowns.
• Research reveals lockdowns were ten times deadlier than the virus itself, measured by years of life lost due to collateral damage.
• Trust in public health institutions has eroded due to the media’s failure to critically examine lockdown policies in real-time.
• The lockdown era highlights the dangers of unchecked government power and the need for accountability to prevent future mistakes.

Five years after the COVID-19 pandemic upended the world, the mainstream media is finally acknowledging what many conservatives and skeptics warned from the start: Lockdowns caused far more harm than good.

This belated admission comes after years of relentless mockery, censorship, and deplatforming of those who dared to question the wisdom of extreme measures like forced masking, school closures, and business shutdowns. Now, as studies reveal the devastating collateral damage of these policies, the media’s delayed reckoning raises serious questions about its role in silencing dissent and promoting fear-driven narratives.

The lockdown disaster: A costly experiment

In 2020, as the pandemic spread, governments worldwide implemented unprecedented lockdowns to curb the virus. These measures were justified by “experts” like Dr. Anthony Fauci and political leaders who warned of a “dark winter” if Americans didn’t comply. Yet, five years later, the data tells a different story. A groundbreaking study commissioned by Revolver News found that lockdowns were ten times more deadly than the virus itself, measured in terms of years of life lost due to economic devastation, mental health crises, and social isolation.

The study’s findings have since been echoed by a growing body of research. Schools closures led to catastrophic learning losses, with students still half a grade behind in math and reading. Mental health crises, particularly among young people, skyrocketed, with anxiety, depression, and suicide rates reaching alarming levels. Small businesses shuttered, livelihoods were destroyed, and social bonds frayed under the weight of prolonged isolation.

The media’s role in suppressing the truth

What’s most galling is how the media treated those who raised concerns about lockdowns. Conservatives, scientists, and everyday citizens who questioned the efficacy of these measures were labeled “conspiracy theorists,” censored on social media, and even deplatformed. Figures like Dr. Jay Bhattacharya, who co-authored the Great Barrington Declaration opposing lockdowns, faced vicious backlash and death threats. Facebook and Twitter silenced dissenting voices, while public health officials like Dr. Fauci and Dr. Francis Collins dismissed alternative viewpoints as dangerous.

Now, the same media outlets that once championed lockdowns are cautiously admitting their failures. The Boston Globe recently published a piece questioning whether the trade-offs of lockdowns were worth it, citing studies that show the policies did little to slow the virus while inflicting immense collateral damage. Even some former lockdown supporters, like Cambridge Mayor Sumbul Siddiqui, now express doubts about the decisions made in 2020.

The lockdown era showed us the dangers of unchecked government power and the media’s complicity in amplifying fear. The media’s failure to critically examine these policies in real-time has had lasting consequences. Trust in public health institutions has eroded, and the public is now more skeptical of “expert” advice than ever before. As Dr. Michael Osterholm, an infectious disease expert, admitted, “The lockdowns were never really effective, and the confusion around them sowed a great deal of public distrust in government.”

The lockdown debacle serves as a cautionary tale about the dangers of sacrificing liberty for the illusion of safety. The media’s delayed admission of failure is cold comfort to the millions who suffered under these policies. What’s needed now is accountability—not just for the politicians and public health officials who pushed these measures, but for the media outlets that silenced dissent and spread fear.

As we face the possibility of future pandemics, we must remember the lessons of COVID-19: Question authority, reject propaganda, and never let fear dictate policy. The lockdowns were a catastrophic mistake, and the best way to ensure they never happen again is to hold those responsible to account — and to never forget the price we paid for their hubris.

Cassie B.

• https://www.newstarget.com/

Sources for this article include:

• Revolver.news
• BostonGlobe.com
• DW.com