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While factually there is no genocide in Gaza, we see the lie spread at the U.N., in Congress, on campus, at concerts, and in demonstrations, even by misguided Jews. They are among the ignorant—and malicious—enemies of Israel who promote the lie that Israel purposefully kills innocent Palestinians.

While factually there is no genocide in Gaza, film executives at the Venice Film Festival for the movie “Calle Malaga” hold a souvenir bag calling for genocide to stop. They are among ignorant—and malicious—enemies of Israel who promote the lie that Israel purposefully kills innocent Palestinians.

Facts Shatter Gaza Genocide Lies

Of all the lies told by Israel’s enemies, the slander of genocide is the greatest falsehood—refuted by the word’s meaning and all facts. Why do they repeat it?

Despite any factual evidence that Israel intends to or actually is systematically eliminating Gaza’s population—and despite Israel’s unmatched efforts to spare and even feed enemy civilians—dozens of media, politicians and activists still spread the Israel genocide blood libel.

Genocide liars
deserve the label
of “antisemite”

What are the facts?

Following Hamas’s savage October 7 massacre and kidnapping of innocent Israeli children, families, young people and elderly, the accusation of genocide against Israel has become a hateful rallying cry. However, as a preponderance of facts prove, Israel’s conduct of the war against Hamas in Gaza is entirely legal and
in no way violates the UN Genocide Convention.

What is genocide? ““Genocide” defines “acts committed with the intent to destroy, in whole or in part, a national, ethnical, racial or religious group.” The Jews of Europe are the best-known victims of genocide. Hitler’s Germany tried to eliminate the Jewish people— killed six million for their “crime” of being Jewish. Likewise, the Cambodian genocide (1981-83) killed 1.5-2 million people—some 25% of Cambodia’s population. The Rwandan Genocide (1994) killed 800,000 to 1 million people in 100 days. Critical to the definition of genocide is specific intent to murder or physically displace a population group. A war between two parties without such intent, regardless of death tolls, does not qualify as genocide. It would seem those who accuse Israel of genocide are actually appalled by the horrible results of a war that Hamas started.
Is Israel intentionally trying to eliminate the Gazan people? There’s zero evidence that Israel has intentionally targeted innocent Gazan Palestinians. Indeed, Israel’s attacks uniformly target Hamas terrorists, who generally hide in hospitals, mosques and schools, using Gaza’s citizens as human shields. To avoid harming innocents, the IDF consistently gives warnings to civilians of impending attacks, using phone and SMS, leaflets, social media and “roof-knocking.” Israel also issues evacuation warnings prior to battles in populated areas. Finally, Israel facilitates delivery of thousands of tons of medicines, food and other essentials to sustain the enemy population in Gaza—unheard of in modern warfare. These actions prove irrefutably that Israel does not intend to destroy the Gazan people. No genocide.

Are Palestinians victims of genocide? In the Gaza War, an estimated 60,034 Gazans have been killed as of August 2024, of which an estimated 24,014 (40%) were males of combat age (18–59). Other estimates place the percentage of deaths of Gazan males aged 13-55 to be 72%, or 43,224 deaths. No surprise, then, that the ratio of civilians to combatants in Gaza is much lower than in comparable wars. Whereas the civilian-fighter ratio in Gaza is estimated to be as high as 1.5:1, the average ratio in urban warfare worldwide, according to the UN, is 9:1 civilians to fighters. This ratio alone destroys the genocide argument.

Palestinian-Arabs have multiplied with no interference from Israel: Palestinian population at Israel’s birth in 1948 was about 1.3 million—today it’s about 6.8 million, of which some two million are Israeli Arab citizens. Such robust population growth also refutes accusations of genocide. Even in Gaza itself, despite the war, Gaza’s population—measured by births vs. violent deaths—has actually increased. Estimates by such organizations as the United Nations Population Fund
project births in Gaza from October 7, 2023 to the present at about 124,245. Contrast that with violent deaths estimated at about 75,200 over the same period by the independent Gaza Mortality Survey: Using births vs. violent deaths, Gaza actually experienced a net gain in population—the opposite effect of a genocide.

Why do Israel’s enemies—against all evidence—repeat the antisemitic blood libel of genocide? Instead of praising Israel’s efforts to save civilian lives, increasing members of the “international community” employ the genocide accusation in the same manner blood libels were used to discredit, delegitimize and physically attack Jews over the centuries. Yet honest people must admit: All the facts debunk the Gaza genocide slander. To the contrary, Israel wants peace and has offered it many times to Palestinians over 77 years. Yet, the Palestinians have refused these offers, launching thousands of terrorist attacks and killing some 5,450 Israeli civilians.

Time to refute the Israel genocide liars. False accusations of genocide are attempts to delegitimize the Jewish state, demonize Jews and destroy Israel. These tactics perfectly fit the globally accepted definition of antisemitism. Those who attack Israel with this falsehood fully deserve the label of antisemite.