Can Western leaders be held to account for their role in the Gaza war?

This week on The Big Picture Podcast, we sit down with one lawyer determined to do just that, and who has already put many of them on public notice.

Tayab Ali is Solicitor Advocate, a partner at the London Law firm Bindmans LLP and the director of the International Centre of Justice for Palestinians (ICJP).

For years, Ali fought to bring Israeli politicians before British courts on charges of war crimes. These included former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak.

In 2009, he successfully applied for UK court to issue an arrest warrant for Israeli foreign minister Tzipi Livni following the brutal Operation Cast Lead, which killed more than 1000 Palestinians in Gaza.

In 2011 the British government controversially issued diplomatic protection for Livni to allow her to visit London on a speaking tour.

Following the Hamas attack on October 7 which led to Israel’s war in Gaza, killing more than 18,000 people including 7000 children, Ali and his team published a public letter to British politicians, informing them of their intent to prosecute any lawmakers “aiding and abetting war crimes in Gaza”.

They’re also supporting groups mounting a case at the High Court against the UK government over its arms exports to Israel.

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