Global Figures Reject Gaza "Genocide" Claims, Warn of Rising Antisemitism

Over 5,000 prominent individuals from entertainment, academia, literature, business, religion, and public life have signed an open letter denouncing the accusation that Israel is committing genocide in Gaza. The signatories argue that this claim has become a tool fueling antisemitism worldwide.

The letter, published by the organization Creative Community for Peace in collaboration with authors and scholars including Yossi Klein Halevi, Rabbi Yitzchak Greenberg, Rabbi Michael Oppenheimer, and Professor Jonathan Karp, distinguishes between legitimate criticism of Israel's conduct in the war and the specific legal charge of genocide. They reference the 1948 UN Genocide Convention, which requires intent to destroy a national, ethnic, racial, or religious group, in whole or in part.

According to the letter, civilian casualties, widespread destruction, or harm to parts of a population do not, in themselves, prove the specific legal intent required for genocide. "One of the crucial differences between a war as a tragedy and a war as genocide is intent," the letter states. "In this war, only one side intended to commit genocide, and that is Hamas."

The signatories acknowledge legitimate debate regarding Israel's actions and the pain caused by innocent civilian deaths. However, they stress that this discussion should not be confused with the legal determination that Israel is committing genocide. They also link the discourse around "genocide" to the rise in antisemitic incidents globally since October 7, 2023, asserting that the accusation against Israel provides a "legal and moral cover" for rhetoric leading to harassment, exclusion, and violence against Jews.

Former British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, former Canadian Justice Minister Irwin Cotler, Harvard Professor Steven Pinker, historians Benny Morris, Sir Niall Ferguson, and Simon Sebag Montefiore, historian Deborah Lipstadt, and former Yad Vashem historian Dina Porat are among the notable signatories. "The blood libel of genocide" is a historical, moral, and legal distortion of facts and law, according to Cotler. Lipstadt, former U.S. Special Envoy to Monitor and Combat Antisemitism, criticized the use of the term, calling it a specific legal crime that has moved from extremist claims to widespread public repetition.

Ari Engel, CEO of Creative Community for Peace, highlighted the influence of artists and cultural figures on public understanding, warning that the use of such accusations by prominent individuals could impact global perceptions of Jews. The letter concludes with a call for both Jews and non-Jews not to accept the accusation as fact, stating, "We will not allow this lie to stand."