Israel today is a remarkable country. Yet the land of Israel was not always so fruitful. God promised that one day He would come and find His people, no matter how far they had been scattered, and return them to the land promised to Abraham and his descendants as an “everlasting possession.”
Duplicitous Charges of ‘Genocide’ Against Israel Mask True Genocidal Intent of Hamas
Throughout Israel’s long two-year war with Hamas, accusations of “genocide” have been loosely tossed at Israel from many sources, including United Nations officials and prominent world leaders. One recent example was the resolution of the International Association of Genocide Scholars (IAGS), which turned out to be a shameful, secretive attempt by a small clique of antisemites within the organisation to dupe the world on false academic pretences.
This carefree use of the charge of genocide against the Jewish state threatens to undermine the valued safeguards established in international law against this greatest of crimes, and also reveals the duplicitous motives of those who seek to malign Israel.
Genocide is rightly called the “crime of crimes.” It is defined in the UN’s Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide (1948) as acts committed “with intent to destroy, in whole or in part, a national, ethnical, racial or religious group, as such.” The central requirement is specific intent (dolus specialis) to eradicate a protected group simply for who they are.
This definition was formulated in the aftermath of the Holocaust, when the Nazi regime sought the systematic extermination of the Jewish people in Europe. Since then, it has been legally applied to such horrific tragedies as the widespread massacres in Rwanda, Bosnia and Darfur. Thus, the legal concept of genocide is deliberately defined in precise, narrow terms to shield it from frivolous or politicized abuse.
Yet in our day, we increasingly see “genocide” charges routinely brandished as a rhetorical weapon in global discourse, especially against Israel. This dilution of the core meaning of genocide is an affront to both history and the true victims of this heinous crime.
For the Jewish people, accusations of genocide against Israel carry an even deeper, double meaning. These charges are not only patently false, they are a painful inversion of Jewish suffering in the Holocaust, trivialising that immense catastrophe while in the same breath turning Israelis into the Nazis.
For the following reasons, we have concluded that the charge of genocide in Gaza does not apply to Israel:
Unlike Israel, Hamas has Clear Genocidal Intent Here
By contrast, Hamas not only exhibits genocidal behaviour, but they openly proclaim their genocidal intent. The Hamas Charter accuses the Jewish people of seeking to control the world, which they see as the rightful destiny of Muslims only, and thus the Jews are viewed as an implacable enemy. The Hamas Charter also still affirms in its Arabic version that it is their religious duty to destroy the Jewish people due to the perpetual war which exists between Muslims and Jews until Judgment Day. In fact, the Charter expressly recites the early Islamic hadith (tradition) declaring this vanquishing of the Jews as a prerequisite for the end of days. Hamas actually views the October 7 massacres as a partial fulfilment of this hadith. Therefore, Hamas officials have vowed to repeat these attacks over and over again – a threat that must be seen in light of this dark apocalyptic vision.
The atrocities committed by Hamas on October 7, including rapes, murders, torture and abductions, flow from a genocidal ideology. In addition, their strategy of using Palestinian civilians as human shields reveals how deeply Hamas has embraced a culture of death, even sacrificing their own people to advance their diabolical cause.
Conclusion
The chorus of charges that Israel is committing genocide in Gaza collapses under careful, objective scrutiny. In truth, this is but another in the long litany of blood libels against the Jewish state and people. The war in Gaza is very intense, complicated and stressful for everyone involved, especially with the presence of Israeli hostages being held by Hamas in a vast terror tunnel network. But by issuing warnings before strikes, facilitating humanitarian aid, and offering peace in exchange for the release of hostages, Israel’s conduct is incompatible with genocidal intent. These facts stand in stark contrast to Hamas, whose founding charter, rhetoric and actions openly aim for the annihilation of the Jewish people.
The global community must acknowledge this stark reality, rather than confuse the victims with the aggressors, and must confront the deliberate genocide campaign instigated by Hamas.
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