Race to the Viral:
The Fragility of International Humanitarian Law in the Era of Weaponized Perception
Dr. Ido Rosenzweig
The Minerva Center for the Rule of Law under Extreme Conditions
University of Haifa
March 25, 2026 at 14:15-15:45
Via Zoom*
Event was recorded and is available on YouTube
Abstract
This paper examines the ‘verification gap’ in modern armed conflict as a trigger mechanism for cascading legal crises. It argues that the ‘high-friction’ nature of democratic legal review—while essential for institutional accountability—functions as a structural vulnerability when confronted with the ‘low-friction’ speed of weaponized disinformation. This mismatch initiates a cascading disaster process: informational shocks trigger factual paralysis, which in turn erodes the rule of law and institutional legitimacy. By situating this digital-legal tension within the framework of ‘poly-disasters,’ the paper demonstrates how rigid legal frameworks can inadvertently propagate systemic collapse and explores pathways toward institutional resilience under extreme conditions
Ido Rosenzweig is the Director of Multiple and Cascading Extreme Conditions Research and a Research Fellow at the Minerva Center for the Rule of Law under Extreme Conditions, University of Haifa, since 2014. He coordinates cutting-edge research on cascading and complex extreme conditions, an expanded focus from his earlier work on belligerencies, terrorism, and cyber. He is also the Co-founder and Chairperson of ALMA – Association for the Promotion of International Humanitarian Law.