Philippe Sands: Erich-Maria-Remarque Peace Prize for international law experts!

Philippe Sands: Erich-Maria-Remarque Peace Prize for international law experts!

Osnabrück, Deutschland - Philippe Sands is awarded the Erich Maria Remarque Peace of the City of Osnabrück. The price is endowed with 25,000 euros and will be awarded next Thursday. Sands, a British-French lawyer and professor of law at the University College London, has made a name for himself as a lawyer in front of the International Court of Justice and other international courts. He became particularly known for his book "Return to Lemberg", in which he addressed the flight of his grandfather from Austria after connection to Nazi Germany. In this work, he also illuminates the legal conception of genocide and crimes against humanity. Weser-Kurier reports that the jury chair Susanne Menzel-Riedl reports the connection between the work of Sands and the threat of the threat People's law emphasizes. Osnabrück's mayor Katharina Pötter emphasized the importance of international law in a globalized world.

In addition, a special price of 5,000 euros will be awarded to the “Trialog” project by Jouanna Hassoun and Shai Hoffmann. This project addresses the Middle East conflict and is carried out in schools in Germany. Hassoun and Hoffmann, who are affected by the conflict, play an important role in the field of education by talking to students about the emotional challenges of the conflict.

The context of international law in the Middle East conflict

In the current debate about the conflict between Israel and Hamas, accusations such as apartheid and genocide are often loud. DIE ZEIT explains the complexity of these terms in international law. The allegation of apartheid, originally related to the racist separation in South Africa, is used today in the context of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, with Amnesty International Israel accusing the oppression and mastery of the Palestinians.

experts like the Middle East scientist Tom Khaled Würdemann see the accusation as politically motivated and consider it not durable. Palestinians are subject to military law in the West Bank, while Jewish settlers are subject to civil law in the same area. Genocide allegations against Israel, in particular due to the blockade of the Gaza Strip, are also loud. While some experts do not recognize Israel's intention to destroy, the Israeli army warns civilians of attacks and opens up fly corridors.

The International Criminal Court (ICC) has the opportunity to determine possible war crimes that have been raised against both sides, Hamas and Israel since October 7. These allegations relate to violent struggles after the Hamas attacks. In addition, the ISTGH examines the extent to which international law in this conflict is preserved, which is of crucial importance for the international community.