The destruction of Gaza has exposed something larger than a war. It has shown the moral collapse of the Western political order that claims to stand for freedom, democracy, and the rule of law.

For too long, governments in the West have justified an assault that has killed tens of thousands of civilians. They have continued to ship weapons, provide diplomatic cover and block resolutions that could stop the violence. The same leaders who lecture the world on human rights and international law now look away from evidence of war crimes broadcast daily on every screen.

This reflects a deeper decay in the way the West sees itself and the rest of the world. The idea that power can coexist with moral authority is no longer credible. Western governments speak the language of principle but act in the logic of dominance. They condemn Russia’s targeting of civilians in Ukraine but defend the bombing of schools and hospitals in Gaza. They call for humanitarian corridors while funding the blockade that keeps food and medicine out. Every statement of ‘concern’ sounds emptier than the one before.

International law was created after World War II to prevent precisely this kind of collective punishment. The Geneva Conventions were supposed to........

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