Commentary:
We must not let our passions about international bad conduct lead to mistreatment of individuals here in the U.S. whatever their countries or religions do elsewhere.
Is Israel committing genocide in Gaza?
Genocide means acts committed with the intent to destroy, wholly or partially, a national, ethnic, or religious group, by killing or seriously harming members of the group or inflicting conditions calculated to bring about the group's destruction. It’s an international crime. South Africa’s formal charges mean the International Court of Justice may some day decide the genocide issue.
Hebrew University’s Professor Amos Goldberg, a top expert, says, “Yes, it is genocide. It is so difficult and painful to admit it, but . . .after six months of brutal war we can no longer avoid this conclusion.”
“Intent” is a key issue. Israeli officials say and do some things that evidence an intent to destroy. In U.S. law, if you intentionally act in a way that is likely to kill someone, that’s ample intent. Destroying homes, schools, hospitals, and water supplies sure sounds like creating “conditions calculated to bring about the group’s destruction.” Legally, Israel’s killing of 50,000 civilians, many women and children, is intentional.
Israel argues “self-defense.” Certainly on October 7th Hamas massacred innocent civilians who’d done nothing to deserve being beaten, raped, kidnapped, and/or massacred.
But if a dozen KKK members terrorists bombed an NAACP meeting, no one would argue that authorities could destroy the culprits’ hometown, or state, and everyone in it.
Professor Goldberg argues that “the level and pace of indiscriminate killing, destruction, mass expulsions, displacement, famine, executions, the wiping out of cultural and religious institutions, the crushing of elites (including the killing of journalists), and the sweeping dehumanization of the Palestinians — create an overall picture of genocide, of a deliberate conscious crushing of Palestinian existence in Gaza.”
Nor does perceived danger excuse genocide. Groups in Rwanda, the former Yugoslavia, and Burma have arguably committed genocide because of what Goldberg calls, “an authentic sense of self-defense.” Genocide doesn’t require the insanity and complete lack of provocation that characterized Nazi Germany’s conduct.
“Genocide” or not, killing or maiming 100,000 civilians is not conduct that the U.S. should support.
Legally, the argument might differ in a declared war between nations. Dresden, Hiroshima, and German bombing of London were ugly acts of war. However, that excuse didn’t apply to German treatment of Jews and others. Nor does it here. The whole pattern of Israeli abuses of Palestinians, including extensive violence by Israelis against West Bank residents that has amounted to usurpation of that area and rendering its population homeless, is further evidence of an intent to destroy.]
Each side can accurately claim extensive and unjustified violence perpetrated against it.
In Israel’s defense, Britain set a forest fire and walked away. By promising Arabia to everyone during World War I and continuing its conduct during World War II, Britain (largely) created a situation where deserving folks had honest but inconsistent claims to territory, with hostilities magnified by their differing religions.
The rest of the world should likely have helped maintain peace during the last century, and perhaps should act to restore peace now; but that won’t happen. We can only hope that the better instincts of both Israelis and Palestinians, and weariness of mutual mass destruction, somehow come to the fore.
Some truths are incredibly sad. But opposing genocide – or whatever softer term you choose – ain’t anti-Semitic.
Peter Goodman's opinions are his own and do not necessarily reflect the views of KRWG Public Media or NMSU.