Joint Briefing on Efforts to Halt Arms Transfers Following Revelations of Israel’s Artificial Intelligence Warfare

This event is co-sponsored by Just Vision, Institute for Middle East Understanding (IMEU), +972 Magazine, and Jewish Currents.

Earlier this month, a Local Call/+972 Magazine investigation by reporter Yuval Abraham revealed that the Israeli military is carrying out its bombardment of Gaza using an artificial intelligence (AI) system called “Lavender”—which is designed to generate a sweeping list of targets and facilitate the bombing of their homes and families. In response, White House National Security spokesperson John Kirby noted that the Biden administration was examining the investigation, while United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres said that he was “deeply troubled” by the report’s findings. “No part of life and death decisions which impact entire families should be delegated to the cold calculation of algorithms,” Guterres said.

By providing evidence of the intentional targeting of civilians in Gaza, revelations such as Abraham’s are helping fuel global efforts to halt arms transfers and condition military aid to Israel. There has been particular pressure on the US and German governments, which, together, supply some 99% of the arms imported into Israel, and which might now be beginning to reconsider this unconditional support. Last week, in an unprecedented move, more than 56 members of Congress, including former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, signed on to a letter urging President Biden and Secretary of State Blinken to withhold arms transfers to Israel. And earlier this week, Germany’s arms transfers came under scrutiny at the International Court of Justice, as Nicaragua accused it of abetting genocide in Gaza.

Join us on Wednesday, April 17th at 1pm ET. We will discuss the latest developments around arms transfers to Israel and respond to questions. A Zoom link will be provided upon registration.

Speakers:

Amjad Iraqi is a senior editor at +972 Magazine and a member of Al-Shabaka: The Palestinian Policy Network.

Chantal Meloni is a criminal lawyer and professor of international criminal law at the Università degli Studi di Milano Statale in Italy. She represents Palestinian victims before the International Criminal Court and is a senior legal advisor to the European Center for Constitutional and Human Rights, which has filed a lawsuit seeking to stop arms transfers from Germany to Israel.

Meron Rapoport is a Local Call editor who oversaw its investigation of Israel’s use of AI systems in Gaza. Meron is an award-winning investigative journalist with over 30 years of experience. He has previously worked as the head of the news department at Ha’aretz and as an editor at Yedioth Ahronoth.

Fadi Abu Shammalah is a Palestinian journalist from Gaza and an outreach associate at Just Vision.