Today, we concluded the two-day international scientific conference entitled Criminological Perspectives on Palestine: Legal Responses and Academic Complicity in Times of Genocide, which took place on 9 and 10 April 2026 at the Institute of Criminology at the Faculty of Law in Ljubljana and at the Faculty of Law, University of Ljubljana.
Over the course of two days, the conference brought together more than 60 speakers from various European and other international universities and research institutions, and attracted a wide professional audience—nearly 100 academics, practitioners, students, and other interested members of the broader public attended the event.
The first day of the conference was dedicated to reflecting on the role of criminology in understanding and critically addressing state crime, particularly the crimes that have been continuously perpetrated against Palestinians for decades by the Israeli military, with the broad support of political actors, state institutions, and the general population. Among other topics, speakers addressed the ways in which apartheid is operationalised through Israeli institutions, corporations, and other organisations; the instrumentalisation of feminist movements to legitimise Israeli violence, including genocide; the organised destruction of childhood in Gaza; and the possibilities and limitations of international judicial processes in establishing criminal accountability for Israeli crimes.
The day concluded with a keynote lecture by Maha Abdallah, who shed light on the role of international institutions in (not) responding to crimes against humanity.
The second day of the conference opened a discussion on academic responsibility and the role of the academic community in responding to crimes committed by Israel. Particular attention was also drawn to the fact that some participants from Palestine were unable to attend the conference in person due to the current circumstances, which further deepens the exclusion of Palestinian voices from academic debates—something that academia in the Global North should actively oppose.
In closing, we would like to express our sincere gratitude to all speakers, participants, and everyone who contributed through their work, collaboration, and support to the successful organisation of the conference.
