Latest news with #KenRoth
RNZ News
25-06-2025
- Politics
- RNZ News
Watch: 30 minutes with the 'Godfather of Human Rights' Ken Roth on genocide, Trump and standing up for democracy
The former head of Human Rights Watch - and son of a Holocaust survivor - says Israel's military campaign in Gaza will likely meet the legal definition of genocide, citing large-scale killings, the targeting of civilians, and the words of senior Israeli officials. Speaking on 30 with Guyon Espiner , Ken Roth agreed Hamas committed "blatant war crimes" in its attack on Israel on October 7 last year, which included the abduction, rape and murder of civilians. But he said it was a "basic rule" that war crimes by one side do not justify war crimes by the other. There was indisputable evidence Israel has committed war crimes in Gaza and may also be pursuing tactics that fit the international legal standard for genocide, Roth said. "The acts are there - mass killing, destruction of life-sustaining conditions. And there are statements from senior officials that point clearly to intent," Roth said. He cited comments immediately after the October 7 attack by Hamas from Israel's former Defence Minister Yoav Gallant, who referred to Gazans as "human animals". Israeli President Isaac Herzog also said "an entire nation" was responsible for the attack and the notion of "unaware, uninvolved civilians is not true," referring to the Palenstinean people. Herzog subsequently said his words were taken out of context during a case at the International Court of Justice. The accusation of genocide is hotly contested. Israel says it is fighting a war of self-defense against Hamas after it killed 1200 people, mostly civilians. It says it adheres to international law and does its best to protect civilians. It blames Hamas for embedding itself in civilian areas. But Roth believes a ruling may ultimately come from the International Court of Justice, especially if a forthcoming judgment on Myanmar sets a precedent. "It's very similar to what Myanmar did with the Rohingya," he said. "Kill about 30,000 to send 730,000 fleeing. It's not just about mass death. It's about creating conditions where life becomes impossible." Roth has been described as the 'Godfather of Human Rights', and is credited with vastly expanding the influence of the Human Rights Watch group during a 29-year tenure in charge of the organisation. In the full interview with Guyon Espiner, Roth defended the group's 2021 report that accused Israel of enforcing a system of apartheid in the occupied West Bank. "This was not a historical analogy," he said, implying it was a mistake to compare it with South Africa's former apartheid regime. "It was a legal analysis. We used the UN Convention against Apartheid and the Rome Statute, and laid out over 200 pages of evidence." He said the Israeli government was unable to offer a factual rebuttal. "They called us biased, antisemitic - the usual. But they didn't contest the facts." Roth, who is Jewish and the son of a Holocaust refugee, said it was disturbing to be accused of antisemitism for criticising a government. "There is a real rise in antisemitism around the world. But when the term is used to suppress legitimate criticism of Israel, it cheapens the concept, and that ultimately harms Jews everywhere." Roth said Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has long opposed a two-state solution and is now pursuing a status quo that amounts to permanent subjugation of Palestinians, a situation human rights groups say is illegal. "The only acceptable outcome is two states, living side by side. Anything else is apartheid, or worse," Roth said. While the international legal process around charges of genocide may take years, Roth is convinced the current actions in Gaza will not be forgotten. "This is not just about war," he said. "It's about the deliberate use of starvation, displacement and mass killing to achieve political goals. And the law is very clear - that's a crime." Roth's criticism of Israel saw him initially denied a fellowship at Harvard University in 2023. The decision was widely seen as politically motivated, and was later reversed after public and academic backlash. Subscribe to the podcast feed now to get every episode of 30 With Guyon Espiner on your phone when it lands: On Spotify On iHeartRadio On Apple podcasts
Al Jazeera
22-06-2025
- Politics
- Al Jazeera
Can the Global South stop genocide? Gandikota Nellutla and Ken Roth
In this episode, Ken Roth, the former executive director of Human Rights Watch, interviews Varsha Gandikota-Nellutla on how much the Global South has influenced the world order and whether it can actually exert any pressure on the international stage. Varsha Gandikota-Nellutla is the general coordinator for Progressive International, a think tank working to unite, organise and mobilise progressive forces around the world. She's also one of the founders and the executive secretary of the Hague Group, a coalition of nations from the Global South formed in January 2025 to uphold the rulings of the International Court of Justice and the International Criminal Court regarding Israel-Palestine, and 'stand together to defend the principles of justice, equality and human rights'. Among the collective measures the group has taken is to close their ports to ships carrying weapons or fuel to Israel and commit to honour international arrest warrants.
Al Jazeera
15-06-2025
- Politics
- Al Jazeera
China: A global threat to human rights? Ken Roth and Emily Feng
Emily Feng is an award-winning Chinese American journalist who spent a decade reporting from China and Taiwan. In 2022, Feng was barred from returning to the Chinese mainland and labelled a 'race traitor' for her journalism. Her recent book, Let Only Red Flowers Bloom: Identity and Belonging in Xi Jinping's China, tells the human stories of resistance and rebellion against the Chinese state's vision of a unified national identity. In this episode, Ken Roth and Emily Feng examine Xi Jinping's past, exploring what distinguishes his style of authoritarianism and how this affects human rights both within China and globally.
Al Jazeera
13-06-2025
- Politics
- Al Jazeera
Does international law even matter? Ken Roth & Silvia Fernandez
In this episode of Reframe, Ken Roth and Silvia Fernandez discuss what international justice means today, exploring the significance of the ICC and asking if the 'court of last resort' can withstand threats and sanctions by global superpowers and uphold the rule of law.
Al Jazeera
01-06-2025
- Business
- Al Jazeera
Is Trump's foreign policy weakening the US? Ken Roth and Stephen Walt
A longtime columnist for Foreign Policy and professor of international relations at the Harvard Kennedy School of Government, Stephen Walt is a sharp critic of how the United States has pursued its version of liberal democracy globally, which he calls liberal hegemony. His books include Taming American Power, The Hell of Good Intentions, and the New York Times bestseller The Israel Lobby and US Foreign Policy. In this episode of Reframe, Ken Roth and Stephen Walt discuss how President Donald Trump is undermining democratic norms and institutions within the US and worldwide, questioning whether his leadership has brought about an unprecedented shift in its global power.
