French Philosopher Bernard-Henri Lévy Rejects Gaza Genocide Claims
Translated & summarized from Channel 9 by baba
French philosopher Bernard-Henri Lévy has strongly refuted claims that Israel is committing genocide in Gaza, calling the accusations legally unfounded and a dangerous political slogan. In a Le Point column, Lévy contrasted Israel's actions, including civilian warnings and aid provision, with historical genocides. He argued that Hamas, not Israel, displayed genocidal intent on October 7th, and criticized the use of the term by French politicians like Jean-Luc Mélenchon. Lévy also disputed the applicability of international court rulings and the consensus among Holocaust historians on the matter.
The story in 6 lines · by baba
- French philosopher Bernard-Henri Lévy argues that accusations of genocide against Israel in Gaza are legally unfounded.
- Lévy stated that the term "genocide" is being misused as a political slogan by figures like Jean-Luc Mélenchon.
- He cited Israel's actions, such as warning civilians and allowing aid, as evidence against genocide claims.
- Lévy contrasted Israel's conduct with historical genocides and pointed to Hamas's October 7th actions as demonstrating genocidal intent.
- He disputed the legal basis of international court rulings and the consensus among Holocaust historians on the genocide accusation.
- Lévy believes the accusations serve to demonize Israel and distract from the Hamas attacks.
French philosopher and publicist Bernard-Henri Lévy has argued against accusations of genocide leveled against Israel in Gaza, stating in a column for Le Point magazine that these claims are legally unfounded and risk trivializing the term "genocide." Lévy, who posted a picture of the October 8th issue on his X account, asserted that the idea of Israel committing genocide is an "obsession" of Jean-Luc Mélenchon, a French politician and leader of the radical left movement "La France Insoumise," who has repeatedly criticized Israel and accused it of genocide in Gaza.
Lévy contends that the accusation is being used as a political slogan by the left in France, appearing on protest banners and in statements by writers and filmmakers. Drawing on his experience covering actual genocides in Rohingya, Darfur, Bangladesh, as well as the Holocaust, Cambodia, and Rwanda, Lévy finds the accusation against Israel absurd and legally baseless. He argues that Israel's actions, such as warning civilians before bombings, allowing humanitarian aid, and opening evacuation corridors, do not constitute genocide.
He further questions the genocide claim by pointing to Israel's efforts to provide temporary shelters for displaced Gazans and its organization of vaccinations for children and medical treatment for those with rare diseases in neighboring countries. While acknowledging the change in the understanding of genocide since Srebrenica, Lévy insists there is no genocidal intent from Israel, noting that most Israeli ministers, barring far-right figures like Ben-Gvir and Smotrich, have stated the conflict would end if Hamas surrendered. He also disputes that the International Court of Justice has ruled that genocide is occurring in Gaza, and notes that the International Criminal Court's jurisdiction primarily applies to countries lacking their own justice systems, which he states does not include Israel.
Lévy also refutes claims of a consensus among Holocaust historians regarding the genocide accusation, stating that while some, like Omer Bartov, Amos Goldberg, and Raz Segal, have raised the issue, the majority, including scholars from Yad Vashem and the Wiener Holocaust Library, reject this assessment. He believes the accusation serves only to demonize Israel and distracts from the October 7th attacks, which he argues demonstrated genocidal intent by Hamas, citing their brutality and calls for extermination.