More than 6,000 academics, historians, legal experts, public figures and other prominent voices have now signed an open letter rejecting the accusation that Israel has committed genocide in Gaza.
And look at some of the names attached to it:
Former British Prime Minister Boris Johnson
Steven Pinker Historian Niall Ferguson Historian Benny Morris Holocaust historian Deborah Lipstadt
Former Canadian Justice Minister Irwin Cotler
Urban-warfare expert John Spencer…and thousands more.
Their argument is that the genocide accusation ignores crucial aspects of the conflict, including Hamas’s extensive tunnel network, fighting in densely populated urban areas, the distinction between combatants and civilians and warnings issued to civilians ahead of some Israeli military operations.
This is not about pretending that innocent Palestinians have not suffered terribly. Civilian deaths are tragic, wherever they occur.
It is about demanding precision when one of the gravest accusations in international law is being levelled against the Jewish state.
Calling Israel’s entire war against Hamas “genocide” is not a substitute for examining the evidence, the legal definition of genocide, Hamas’s role in the conflict and the conduct of both sides.
And there is another deeply troubling consequence: the signatories argue that the accusation has increasingly been used as a vehicle for hostility towards Jews around the world.
Debate Israel. Criticise Israel. Question Israeli government policy.
But stop turning the word “genocide” into a political slogan without confronting the serious legal and factual questions surrounding it.
Facts matter. Context matters. And words matter.
Comments
Post a Comment