The Interview Noura Erakat, Palestinian-American humans rights lawyer and professor
Nov 17, 2025
Noura Erekat, a Palestinian-American human rights attorney and Rutgers University professor, passionately discusses her journey towards advocating for Palestinian rights. She reflects on her groundbreaking address to the UN Security Council on the gendered impacts of conflict in Gaza and the dire conditions facing women and girls. Noura emphasizes the need for UN reform and collective accountability, while also sharing her experiences as part of the Palestinian diaspora in the US. Her message resonates with hope, inspired by the resilience of her community.
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Law's Promise And Limits
- Noura Erekat believed law could overcome political obstacles and aimed to use legal arguments to compel judges on Palestine.
- Twenty years later she reached the Security Council, showing the limits and symbolic power of legal advocacy.
Reforming The UN For Atrocity Prevention
- Noura Erekat argues the UN must be remade to meet its founding purpose against atrocity crimes.
- She supports limiting veto use by permanent members in cases of atrocity to restore UN effectiveness.
Harrowing Accounts From Women In Gaza
- Noura relays testimonies of women giving birth without anesthetic and miscarrying under bombardment in Gaza.
- She highlights mothers forced to deliver in public bathrooms and children dying from malnutrition.