Global Leaders Denounce "Genocide" Claims Against Israel in Open Letter

Over 5,000 prominent international figures, including politicians, academics, historians, and opinion leaders, have signed an open letter strongly rejecting the accusation that Israel is committing genocide in the Gaza Strip. The initiative, spearheaded by the organization Creative Community for Peace, warns that the use of the term "genocide" has become a dangerous tool that provides moral cover for harassment and violence against Jews worldwide.

The signatories emphasize that while criticism of military actions is legitimate, the legal definition of genocide, according to the UN, requires a clear intent to destroy a group, a condition they assert is not met by Israel's actions. They highlight that in the current conflict, only one party has demonstrated an intent to commit genocide: the terrorist organization Hamas.

The list of signatories includes notable international figures such as actress Debra Messing, former UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson, former Canadian Justice Minister Irwin Cotler, businessman Haim Saban, antisemitism scholar Deborah Lipstadt, and prominent academics like Professor Steven Pinker and historians Benny Morris and Sir Niall Ferguson.

The letter's initiators urged the public not to accept the "false accusation" as fact and cautioned against the destructive impact of public figures echoing the genocide narrative. The signatories concluded their statement by declaring, "We will not allow this lie to stand."