{"id":303724,"date":"2025-09-29T12:01:00","date_gmt":"2025-09-29T11:01:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.transcend.org\/tms\/?p=303724"},"modified":"2025-09-24T11:09:25","modified_gmt":"2025-09-24T10:09:25","slug":"israels-twelve-tactics-of-genocide-denial","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.transcend.org\/tms\/2025\/09\/israels-twelve-tactics-of-genocide-denial\/","title":{"rendered":"Israel’s Twelve Tactics of Genocide Denial"},"content":{"rendered":"
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\"\"<\/a><\/em><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

Introduction<\/em><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Sep 2025\u00a0<\/em>– Israel was founded after the Holocaust as a nation-state where Jews could have a homeland and defend themselves. However, the territory granted to Israel was already occupied by Palestinians as well as Jews. UN General Assembly Resolution 181<\/a>\u00a0of 29 November 1947 partitioned Palestine and designated part of it as the new state of Israel. Votes by the United States, France, the Soviet Union and their allies passed the resolution by 33 to 13, with 10 abstentions<\/a>. Eight Muslim UN members, India and Cuba opposed the resolution. The UK, China, and eight other states abstained.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Arab and other Muslim states rejected the creation of Israel because its territory was taken from part of Palestine. 700,000 Palestinians were expelled or fled from Israel under pressure from Zionist paramilitaries or Israeli military forces. Dozens of massacres targeted Palestinians and 600 Palestinian villages were destroyed. Most of the 700,000 Palestinians resettled in refugee camps in Jordan<\/a>, Lebanon<\/a>, Syria<\/a>, the West Bank<\/a>\u00a0and especially the Gaza Strip<\/a>.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Neighboring Arab states have fought four major wars to destroy Israel<\/a>\u00a0since 1948. They have sponsored thousands of acts of terrorism against Israeli citizens. Hamas, Iran, and Hezbollah have fired thousands of missiles<\/a>\u00a0into Israel, killing hundreds of Israeli civilians.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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In 2025, only ten Muslim nations recognize Israel:<\/a>\u00a0Egypt, Jordan, Morocco, Turkey, Sudan, the United Arab Emirates, Eritrea, Senegal, Chad, and Burkina Faso. Twenty Muslim nations have never recognized or established diplomatic relations with Israel: Algeria, Tunisia, Libya, Lebanon, Syria, Iraq, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Yemen, Oman, Djibouti, Somalia, Comoros, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Brunei, Malaysia, and Indonesia. Cuba and Iran withdrew their recognition. Nine countries have recognized but have broken bilateral relations with Israel.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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THE HAMAS GENOCIDAL MASSACRE OCTOBER 7, 2023<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Hamas is a genocidal terrorist organization. Hamas<\/a>\u00a0and its supporters like Iran<\/a>\u00a0deny the Holocaust and openly declare their intention to destroy Israel and exterminate Jews. They have openly stated that destruction of Israel is their goal<\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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In the worst massacre of Jews since the Holocaust on October 7, 2023, Hamas and Islamic Jihad massacred over 1200 Israelis<\/a>\u00a0in the area adjoining Gaza. They took 251 hostages<\/a>. Most were Israelis. Five were American citizens<\/a>.148 <\/a>have been rescued or released, 82 have been confirmed killed in captivity.<\/a>\u00a0At least\u00a036 of these were murdered<\/a>\u00a0by Hamas. Many hostages were starved, tortured,<\/a>\u00a0raped<\/a>, and kept in cramped underground tunnels for weeks<\/a>. Twenty<\/a>\u00a0remaining hostages are still alive <\/a>in Gaza.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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THE DEEP STRUCTURE OF ISRAEL’S RESPONSE<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Three deep structural foundations of Israel\u2019s response to the October 7, 2023 massacre underlie the motivations for Israel\u2019s destruction of Gaza and Israel\u2019s denial that it is committing genocide. They are Holocaust Prevention, Israel\u2019s Divine Destiny, and Self-Defense.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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HOLOCAUST PREVENTION<\/strong>: Hamas must be defeated to prevent another Holocaust.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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The Holocaust exterminated six million Jews. As the new nation legally created by the United Nations to be a homeland for Jews after the Holocaust, Israel\u2019s primary national duty is to protect Jews. That priority outweighs all other national purposes.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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\u201cNever Again\u201d is the ultimate justification for Israel\u2019s self-defense against the Arab nations that have tried to destroy Israel in four major wars. It is the motivation for Israel\u2019s retaliation against the relentless genocidal terrorism of Iran, Hamas, Hezbollah, Islamic Jihad, Black September, the Palestine Liberation Organization and other adversaries determined to destroy the nation of Israel and the Jewish people.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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ISRAEL\u2019S DIVINE DESTINY<\/strong>: God gave Jewish people Judah and Israel, including Gaza and West Bank.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Many Zionists believe that the nation of Israel was granted to the Jewish people by God. They trace this faith to the promises made by God in the Torah, the sacred Hebrew scriptures. The Torah affirms that Jews have a divine right to live in Israel.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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The original borders of Israel included ancient Judah and Israel before the Roman Empire expelled the Jewish people from their God-given homeland. Those ancient Jewish territories included Gaza and the West Bank.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Jewish settlers in the West Bank claim that they are only re-settling areas that belong to Jews by divine right. <\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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They assert an Israeli \u201cdivine destiny,\u201d much like the \u201cmanifest destiny\u201d that European settlers of the Americas claimed. A similar divine destiny was claimed by some American colonialists, who believed that God gave them the right to conquer the Americas, drive native Americans off their land, and rule over America\u2019s indigenous peoples. The most recent expression of this creed is \u201cChristian nationalism.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Ultra-Zionist Jews claim they have a God-given right to occupy Gaza and the West Bank. They assert their divine right to conquer Palestinians, bring all of ancient Judah and Israel within Israel\u2019s borders, and defend Jewish settlements within those borders.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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This divine justification for Israel\u2019s expansion is often found among the 700,000 Jewish settlers who now occupy Israeli settlements in the West Bank. Some settlers consider this \u201cdivine destiny\u201d to be a powerful justification for conquest and forced deportation of Palestinians. In the Gaza war, it has become a justification for genocide.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Many other Israelis believe it, as well. An independent poll <\/a>conducted in January 2025 showed that seventy percent of Israelis support annexation of \u201cJudea and Samaria\u201d (the West Bank) into Israel and oppose establishment of a Palestinian state there. A majority of Israelis oppose a \u201ctwo-state solution\u201d to the conflict.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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However, Israeli support for Prime Minister Netanyahu\u2019s policies is far from monolithic. Some Israeli groups<\/a>\u00a0advocate redirecting Israeli government policies away from destroying Hamas in Gaza to stopping the war,<\/a>\u00a0returning Israeli hostages<\/a>, and making peace<\/a>\u00a0with Palestinians.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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SELF-DEFENSE<\/strong>: Israel has a right to self-defense under Article 51 of the UN Charter.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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With the justification of self-defense under Article 51 of the UN Charter,<\/a>\u00a0Israel\u2019s invasions in Gaza and Lebanon were intended to destroy the bases of Hamas and Hezbollah before they could be used for more attacks on Israel.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Israel also justifies its invasion of Gaza as necessary to free Israeli citizens who are being held hostage. This right to protect national citizens<\/a>\u00a0has long been a doctrine of international law.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Prime Minister Netanyahu\u00a0justifies killing Hamas terrorists<\/a>\u00a0as necessary to protect Israeli lives and the lives of other civilized people in the Middle East. Israel\u2019s self-defense is necessary to defeat Hamas and protect the Jewish homeland.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Netanyahu\u2019s logic is utilitarian. Killing Hamas terrorists is necessary to prevent them from murdering more Israelis. This moral logic removes the ethical conflict between killing and protecting life. It relieves responsibility for the war from Israelis and Israel\u2019s supporters.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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The western world has largely sided with Israel<\/a>\u00a0in its war to destroy Hamas. The European Union, the United Kingdom, Australia, the United States, Canada, and most South American nations have accepted Israel\u2019s assertion of its right to self-defense. However, except for the United States, all members of the UN Security Council have condemned<\/a>\u00a0Israel’s continuing starvation and destruction of Gaza.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Israel and its allies consider self-defense to be a legitimate justification for Israel\u2019s response to the mass murder, rape, and other acts of genocide perpetrated by Hamas on October 7, 2023. <\/a>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Has Israel\u2019s retaliation against Hamas for its 7 October 2023 genocidal massacre been in accord with international law?<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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If Israel had invaded Gaza only to hunt down the perpetrators of the October 7 Hamas attack, it could claim proportionate retaliation under the laws of war.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Instead of invading Gaza and flooding or attacking Hamas in its tunnels, Israel has bombed all of Gaza and attacked the entire Palestinian population. [Flooding the tunnels was rejected because it would also drown Israeli hostages.] Israel\u2019s bombing has destroyed Gaza so completely that almost no habitable dwellings remain.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Israel\u2019s retaliation has gone far beyond any possible interpretation of international law. Israeli bombing has killed over 62,000<\/a>\u00a0Palestinians. Israel has not limited its bombing to Hamas combatants. It has bombed the entire civilian population <\/a>of Gaza. Israel has destroyed 92 percent of housing units and 70 percent of all structures in Gaza.<\/a>\u00a0It has targeted\u00a0hospitals<\/a>, maternity clinics<\/a>, feeding centers<\/a>, refugee camps,<\/a>\u00a0medical<\/a>\u00a0and relief <\/a>personnel.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Israel blocked all food <\/a>aid to Gaza for over seventy days after Israel ended its ceasefire with Hamas. The blockade has resulted in acute malnutrition and starvation<\/a>\u00a0among children<\/a>. The UN has called such withholding of food \u201ccruel collective punishment.\u201d<\/a>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Starvation is a war crime<\/strong>\u00a0under the 4th\u00a0Geneva Convention Article 23<\/a>\u00a0to which Israel and 195 other nations are state parties. Starvation is also a war crime<\/strong>\u00a0under Article 70 of Optional Protocol I of the Geneva Convention<\/a>\u00a0and Art. 8(2)(b)(xxv)<\/a>\u00a0of the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court. Starvation constitutes the crimes against humanity<\/strong>\u00a0of persecution <\/strong>under Article 7 (1)(h)<\/a>\u00a0and extermination<\/strong>\u00a0under 7(2)(b) of the ICC Statute<\/a>. It is an act of genocide<\/strong>\u00a0under Genocide Convention Article 2(c)<\/a>\u00a0and Rome Statute Article 6(c)<\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Is Israel committing genocide in Gaza?<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Genocide Watch has concluded that Israel has committed all five acts of genocide<\/a>\u00a0enumerated in the Genocide Convention. Israel\u2019s war and destruction of the Palestinian population of Gaza exemplifies all ten stages of genocide<\/a>. Please read Genocide Watch\u2019s careful analysis of the conclusive evidence of genocide by Israel in our report:\u00a0<\/strong>Genocide is Never Justifiable<\/em><\/strong><\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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The Panel of Experts in International Law<\/a>\u00a0convened by the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court, UN Special Rapporteurs <\/a>convened by the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, the UN Independent International Commission of Inquiry <\/a>on the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem, and Israel, Amnesty International,<\/a>\u00a0Human Rights Watch<\/a>, Genocide Watch,<\/a>\u00a0and other reputable human rights organizations have also concluded that Israel is committing war crimes, crimes against humanity, and genocide in Gaza.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Israel\u2019s Denial:<\/strong>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Prime Minister Netanyahu, the Israeli cabinet, the Israeli press, and Israel\u2019s allies deny that Israel\u2019s carpet bombing<\/a>, blockade of food<\/a>, and destruction of hospitals<\/a>, maternity centers, and fertility facilities <\/a>in Gaza constitute genocide, the intentional destruction of a substantial part of the Palestinian ethnic and national group.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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The rhetorical strategies of denialism are evidence of genocidal intent. This report documents each of the tactics of denial used by Israel. The report is based on statements by Israeli leaders, the Israeli press, and Israel\u2019s defenders.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Israel\u2019s denialism illustrates all twelve tactics of denial <\/a>outlined by Dr. Israel Charny and summarized by Dr. Gregory Stanton in his essay, Twelve Ways to Deny a Genocide<\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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The Twelve Tactics of Israel\u2019s Denial<\/em><\/strong>\u00a0<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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  1. Minimize deaths. <\/strong>All statistics from Hamas or the UN are exaggerations.<\/strong><\/span>\n

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  2. \n

    Attack truth-tellers.<\/strong>\u00a0Critics<\/strong> are \u201cantisemitic\u201d, liars, or Hamas sympathizers.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<\/li>\n

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    Deny intent. <\/strong>Civilian deaths are unintentional \u201ccollateral damage\u201d in self-defense.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<\/li>\n

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    Dehumanization<\/strong>. <\/strong>Palestinians are \u201canimals\u201d who support terrorism and genocide.<\/strong> <\/span><\/p>\n<\/li>\n

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    Blame Ancient Conflict. <\/strong>The war continues ethnic conflict since Biblical times.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<\/li>\n

  6. \n

    Blame mistakes.<\/strong>\u00a0Civilian deaths are mistakes, accidents, or acts against orders<\/strong>.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/li>\n

  7. \n

    Claim appeasement.<\/strong> Critics are appeasing Hamas killers, rapists, and genocidists.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<\/li>\n

  8. \n

    Justify arming Israel. <\/strong>Arming Israel is legal. It supports Israel\u2019s self-defense.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<\/li>\n

  9. \n

    Claim good treatment.<\/strong>\u00a0<\/strong>Palestinians are treated well and receive enough food.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<\/li>\n

  10. \n

    Legalism.<\/strong> Israel\u2019s attacks don\u2019t fit the legal definition of genocide.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<\/li>\n

  11. \n

    Blame the victims. <\/strong>Hamas terrorism justifies defense of Israel\u2019s Jewish people.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<\/li>\n

  12. \n

    Peace trumps justice.<\/strong>\u00a0<\/strong>Making peace outweighs justice for genocide.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/div>\n

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    1.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/strong>MINIMIZE DEATHS<\/strong>: All statistics from Hamas or the UN are exaggerations.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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    Israel\u2019s assault on Gaza has killed over\u00a0<\/a>62<\/a>,000 Palestinians,<\/a>\u00a0\u00a0including over\u00a017,000 children<\/a>. Hamas says the real figure is far higher\u00a0<\/a>due to thousands of Gaza residents who are missing, buried under the rubble of destroyed buildings, and presumed dead.\u00a0 Israel claims that half of those killed in Gaza were combatants. Independent experts say that\u00a0<\/a>only 25%<\/a>\u00a0were combatants.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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    In addition to misrepresenting the number of Palestinian civilians killed in Israel\u2019s assault on Gaza, Israeli officials routinely blame the high number of civilian casualties on the\u00a0<\/a>actions of Hamas<\/a>. They deny that Israel has intentionally targeted civilians. Israel Defense Forces (IDF) spokesman\u00a0<\/a>Peter Lerner<\/a>\u00a0said after an Israeli offensive that killed 274 Palestinians, \u201cEvery civilian life lost in this war is a result of how Hamas has operated.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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    Israeli officials question all statistics on Palestinian deaths provided by the Hamas Health Ministry, citing\u00a0<\/a>Hamas\u2019 monopoly control<\/a>\u00a0over Gaza. They claim that all Hamas statistics are dishonest exaggerations of Palestinian fatalities for Hamas propaganda purposes.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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    2.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/strong>ATTACK TRUTH-TELLERS<\/strong>: Critics are \u201cantisemitic\u201d, liars, or Hamas sympathizers.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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    In response to international backlash against Israel\u2019s assault on Gaza, Prime Minister Netanyahu and Israeli officials accuse critics of \u201cantisemitism\u201d and support for anti-Israel Hamas terrorism. They claim that the United Nations and UNRWA, the UN agency supporting Palestinian refugees, support Hamas.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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    Addressing the UN General Assembly,\u00a0<\/a>Netanyahu<\/a>\u00a0stated \u201cUntil this antisemitic swamp is drained, the UN will be viewed by fair-minded people everywhere as nothing more than a contemptuous farce.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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    Israel has\u00a0<\/a>accused UNRWA<\/a> workers of supporting terrorism and involvement in the Hamas October 7, 2023 attack. Israel has ignored the findings of the United Nations investigation<\/a>\u00a0into Israel\u2019s accusations against UNRWA. The UN investigation found evidence that only nine UNRWA employees were assisting Hamas. The UN immediately fired them. Israel ignores this decisive UN response because Israel\u2019s narrative portrays the UN as uniformly opposed to Israel.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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    Since the ICC charged Prime Minister Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Gallant with war crimes, articles in Israeli <\/a>and US conservative media<\/a>\u00a0have noted that the ICC charges were brought after ICC Prosecutor Khan learned he would be investigated for non-consensual sexual misconduct <\/a>with an ICC staffer.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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    These attempts to discredit the charges brought by the ICC ignore the fact that the charges were approved by the ICC\u2019s Pretrial Chamber before any accusations of misconduct against ICC Prosecutor Karim Khan were made.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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    It is true that antisemitism is a real threat to Jews and is on the rise globally<\/a>. The reality of antisemitism and its impact on Jews is deplorable. However, accusations by Israeli leaders that the UN, ICC, human rights groups, and other critics of Israel are \u201cantisemitic\u201d remain unproven.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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    Genocide Watch, for example, has a consistent record of vigorous opposition to all forms of antisemitism. Genocide Watch\u2019s stalwart support for Israel\u2019s legitimate right to exist and its self-defense against terrorism and eliminationism by Iran, Arab, and other Muslim states is strong. Yet Genocide Watch\u2019s careful legal analysis has concluded that Israel is committing genocide<\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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    3.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/strong>DENY INTENT<\/strong>: <\/strong>Civilian deaths are unintentional \u201ccollateral damage\u201d in self-defense.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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    Israel blames the high numbers of civilian casualties in Gaza on Hamas, arguing that Hamas combatants use civilians as human shields<\/a>. Israel claims its Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) take all necessary precautions to diminish the toll on civilian life. Hamas fighters hide among Palestinian civilians,<\/a>\u00a0making civilian deaths unavoidable. Israel claims the number of civilian deaths is proportionate to the difficulty of defeating Hamas terrorists hiding among the Gaza population.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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    In response to these Israeli claims, UN observers note that most of the precautions Israeli officials point to are evacuation orders. The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, OCHA, reports that over 80% of residents in the Gaza Strip are under evacuation orders<\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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    The IDF says these evacuation orders are due to Hamas military activity within\u00a0<\/a>humanitarian zones<\/a>. UN observers respond that evacuation orders have not prevented the disproportionate killing of civilians. The evacuation orders also contribute to the massive\u00a0<\/a>displacement<\/a>\u00a0of Palestinians and the overcrowding of designated \u201chumanitarian zones.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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    4.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/strong>DEHUMANIZATION:<\/strong>\u00a0Palestinians are “animals” who support terrorism and genocide.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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    The history of the conflict between Israel and Palestine has been marked by xenophobia, racism and dehumanization. The dehumanization has been characteristic of both sides.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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    Israel claims that destruction of Gaza and resulting civilian casualties are a necessary and\u00a0<\/a>justifiable<\/a>\u00a0cost of the Israeli effort to defeat and destroy the terrorist group Hamas. Prime Minister Netanyahu and Defense Minister Gallant claim that there are \u201cno innocents<\/a>\u201d among Palestinians. They deny any distinction between Hamas combatants and Palestinian civilians.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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    Israel\u2019s former U.N. ambassador Dan Gillerman described Palestinians as “inhuman animals<\/a>“. Former Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant announced a \u201ctotal siege\u201d of Gaza, cutting off water, food, and electricity. Gallant referred to Palestinians as\u00a0 \u201chuman animals.\u201d<\/a>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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    The dehumanization of Palestinians has included:<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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