Politicians who claim Israel committed genocide in Gaza are lying to you. A review of genocide’s definition, plus hard evidence, disproves this Big Lie.

Adolf Hitler popularized the Big Lie to slander the Jewish people during the Nazi Third Reich. He said the Big Lie must be “colossal,” bypass logical reasoning, and be repeated despite all facts.

Of all the slanders leveled against Israel, “Gaza Genocide” is the greatest Big Lie. It disregards the definition of genocide, defies the facts, and is repeated shamelessly by Israel’s enemies.

Politicians who make this unfounded accusation are guilty either of ignorance or hateful malice.

Ironically, American politicians didn’t invent the genocide slander—they are echoing propaganda promoted by Soviet Communists, whose anti-Israel genocide campaign began in 1967 after Israel defeated three invading Arab armies. The USSR continued the hoax—expanded to “Zionism is Genocide”—until the Soviet state collapsed in 1991.

Big Lies, like Gaza genocide, taint all who embrace them. It behooves fair-minded politicians—especially those who value the votes of Jews, Israel supporters and all who stand for truth—to research the facts before defaming one of the world’s strongest democracies and America’s greatest allies.

Indeed, the factual evidence is overwhelming: Israel’s military conduct against Hamas was entirely legal and in no way violated the UN Genocide Convention.

Fact: Israel never purposely targeted civilians or used disproportionate force to achieve military objectives. Fact: Israel took unprecedented precautions to protect civilians and facilitate humanitarian aid. Fact: Israel had no plan or intention to eliminate the Palestinian people.

But the most important fact is this: The International Criminal Court (ICC), which has reviewed volumes of evidence concerning this accusation, hasn’t charged Israel with genocide, let alone convicted it—because there is no evidence establishing genocidal intent.

Nonetheless, adherents of the Gaza genocide hoax cite five justifications: 1) high Palestinian death tolls, especially children; 2) destruction of Gaza’s civilian infrastructure; 3) blockade of humanitarian aid, causing starvation; 4) mass displacement of Gazans; and 5) statements by Israeli political and military officials.

Before addressing these disturbing accusations, it is necessary to establish what is—and is not—genocide.

What is genocide? Per the Genocide Convention, genocide means violent or coercive acts committed with intent to destroy, in whole or in part, a national, ethnical, racial or religious group. Above all, genocide depends not on the scope of violence, but on intention.

War is not genocide: Most genocide accusations against Israel apply a double standard. Death tolls, destruction of infrastructure, blocking humanitarian aid and mass displacement—whether true or not—are features of war that have characterized major conflicts throughout history. World War II, the Korean War, the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan and the Iraq War killed hundreds of thousands of innocent civilians, displaced populations and destroyed infrastructure. Politicians who cite these consequences as evidence of Gaza genocide are inventing a new definition applied only to Israel.

Politicians who cite NGO and UN reports quoting Israeli officials to prove genocidal intent are likewise unconvincing. They almost exclusively cite harsh statements by Israeli officials about Hamas. For example, then-defense minister Yoav Gallant said Israel was “fighting human animals and we are acting accordingly.” Such comments reflect wartime rhetoric about destroying the enemy—which virtually every combatant nation uses. However, no statements have been presented expressing an Israeli plan to eliminate the Palestinian population. Nor have similar bellicose comments ever been used as evidence against other warring nations to prove genocidal intent.

Rather than causing a genocide, Israel prevented one. Even as Hamas hid behind civilian human shields—operating in and around schools, hospitals, mosques and playgrounds—Israel took extensive measures to minimize civilian casualties. Military experts such as urban warfare scholar John Spencer and multi-war veteran British Col. (ret.) Richard Kemp have argued that Israel achieved one of the lowest civilian-to-combatant death ratios in modern warfare.

The Israel Defense Forces also facilitated more than two million tons of humanitarian aid into Gaza throughout the war—an extraordinary effort, considering that countries at war are generally not required to provide sustenance to their enemies. Israel’s behavior fully crushes the accusation that it intended to commit genocide.

Neither the ICC nor the ICJ has charged Israel with genocide. After extensive investigations, the ICC has not charged Israel with genocide. Indeed, its head prosecutor publicly admitted it would be improper to pursue the charge without the required evidence of specific intent. Nor has the International Court of Justice ruled on the genocide accusation pending since 2023.

Genocide requires proof of intent. The intent of the Holocaust was to annihilate the Jewish people. The Nazis left extensive evidence of that intent, including minutes of the 1942 Wannsee Conference, during which they spelled out the “Final Solution to the Jewish Question”—extermination.

Similarly, the 1994 Rwanda Genocide was proven through the public statements and propaganda of Rwanda’s Hutu rulers, including mass-media calls for extermination and the infamous UN “genocide fax” warning of plans for anti-Tutsi extermination.

No comparable evidence of intent exists for the Gaza War. Israel neither expressed nor demonstrated an intent to exterminate the Palestinian population. Instead, Israel repeatedly stated that it was targeting Hamas, not Gaza’s civilians. IDF conduct likewise demonstrates that its military objective was to defeat terrorists, not civilians. No genocide.

Why we can’t vote for genocide liars. We can’t trust politicians who lie, nor those who falsely and maliciously accuse our friend, the Jewish state, of war crimes.

The Big Genocide Lie is part of the Big Antisemitism Lie—blaming Jews for things we dislike. To defame Israel, this includes accusations of apartheid, starvation, bombing hospitals and genocide. To libel American Jews, it includes claims of Jewish control of banks, entertainment and the media. Like Hitler’s Big Lies, these slanders are massive and widely repeated without even flimsy factual support.

In short, the malevolent Big Genocide Lie will poison politicians and others who employ it. Jewish voters and financial supporters are already beginning to pull away from politicians such as Abdul El-Sayed, who defame them and Israel. Christians who support Israel—and all who oppose lying—may do the same.

Please make this point when speaking with family, friends and colleagues—or in letters to the editor: Here in America, the accused are innocent until proven guilty. As midterm elections approach, politicians who disregard fairness and truth don’t deserve our votes.

If you agree we need to spread this truth, please use your email browser to forward this Hotline issue to fellow lovers of Israel—and encourage them to join us by subscribing to the Hotline at no charge.

Best regards,
James Sinkinson, President
Facts and Logic About the Middle East (FLAME)

P.S. As you know, we at FLAME are constantly fighting to defeat our enemies’ slanders against Israel. But I hope you agree that it’s just as important for us lovers of Israel to spread the word about the amazing triumphs of Zionism. I believe that in addition to defending Israel from media and politicians’ lies, we need also to help the world understand Israel’s righteous cause and its power for good—we need as well to trumpet Israel’s miraculous achievements. God knows, Americans will never learn about Israel’s good deeds in mainstream media, like the New York Times, CNN or NPR! I believe we need to stand tall because of who the Jewish people are . . . be proud of what Israel does for the world. For this reason, I hope you’ll approve of FLAME’s new hasbarah—our explanatory message called “How Zionism’s Miracle Benefits Us All.” With your agreement and support, FLAME will soon begin running this message as a paid editorial ad in major mainstream newspapers nationwide. This ad tells the truth about Zionism’s unmatched power to create economic prosperity, global security, world health and democratic freedoms. It also explains why the enemies of Zionism are not just foes of Israel, they are also the enemies of human progress. Please review this convincing, fact-based editorial, which FLAME is about to publish to millions—in leading social media, as well as in the Washington Post, Wall Street Journal, New York Post, Chicago Tribune, Orlando Sentinel, Houston Chronicle, Denver Post and Los Angeles Times. This piece will also be sent to all members of Congress, the President and Vice President. If you agree that this kind of public relations effort on Israel’s behalf is critical, I urge you to support us with a donation.