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Is Gaza the final nail in the coffin for the liberal world order?
The global community is standing on a precipice as Israel's war in Gaza continues to erode the so-called liberal international order, wherein some Western states have demonstrated double standards in applying its rules and values.
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A crewman of KRI Dr. Radjiman Wedyodiningrat unloads humanitarian aid intended for Palestinian refugees in the Gaza Strip on Feb. 13, 2024, when the Indonesian Navy hospital ship docked at the port of El Arish in Egypt. (Courtesy of the Indonesian Navy/-)
I
n her oral statement delivered at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) regarding the court’s advisory opinion on the legal consequences of Israel’s practices and policies in the “Occupied Palestinian Territory”, Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi boldly echoed the global call for justice for Palestinians.
Her powerful remarks amplified the voice of the Global South in questioning Western countries as they collectively turn a blind eye to the crimes against humanity Israel has committed against the Palestinian people.
The contradictory actions or double standards some Western countries have demonstrated reveal a crack in the credibility of the so-called liberal international order (LIO).
Despite its conceptual divergences, the LIO can be deemed a system of governance where relationships between international actors are structured by norms, rules, procedures and institutions based on liberal values.
Under this rules-based international order, what states can and cannot do is not determined simply by their political preferences and power, but rather by internationally recognized rules that apply to all states without exception. The LIO ideals emphasize that might does not make right.
The prominence of this world order also means that foreign policy comes with carefully monitoring other states' conformity with its principles and rules.
In some situations where systematic human rights violations occur, Western narratives usually suggest a strong sense of responsibility to intervene and stop the atrocities on behalf of the international community.
