Global Leaders Denounce 'Genocide' Accusations Against Israel

More than 5,000 public figures, academics, and cultural leaders from around the world have signed an open letter rejecting the accusation of "genocide" against Israel in Gaza. The signatories warn that this charge is being used to delegitimize Israel and fuel antisemitism globally.

Among the prominent signatories are former British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, historian Niall Ferguson, Harvard professor Steven Pinker, historian Benny Morris, actress Mayim Bialik, and singer Boy George. The initiative includes figures from politics, culture, academia, and media, as well as Jewish leaders and clergy.

The letter argues that the term "genocide" has been distorted in the campaign against Israel, ignoring the legal requirement to prove intent to destroy a national, ethnic, racial, or religious group. "A crucial difference between a war as a tragedy and a war as genocide is intent," the signatories wrote, emphasizing, "In this war, only one side intended to commit genocide, and that was Hamas."

The signatories highlight the difficult conditions under which Israel has been fighting, citing Hamas's use of terror tunnels, booby-trapped buildings, and its operating within civilian areas. They state that this reality, along with Israel's warnings to civilians before strikes, has been disregarded in attempts to portray the war as "genocide."

The letter also asserts that the October 7th Hamas massacre has been downplayed while Israel's actions have been taken out of context to support the "genocide" narrative. The signatories stress that Israel's war began after the brutal terror attack, the kidnapping of hundreds of Israelis, and thousands of rocket attacks, with the aim of restoring its citizens' security and preventing further threats to its existence.

Finally, the signatories state that the accusation of "genocide" against Israel has become a pretext for the exclusion, attack, and persecution of Jews worldwide. They conclude by calling on Jews and friends of Israel to reject this accusation as "another link in a long history of lies against the Jewish people," declaring, "We will not allow this lie to stand."