The leading rabbi has stated that labeling Israel’s actions in Gaza as “genocide” is a frequent and insincere misuse of the term.
Sir Ephraim Mirvis said the use of the term was a “moral inversion, which undermines the memory of the worst crimes in human history” and was designed to “tear open the still gaping wound of the Holocaust”.
In the beginning of this month, the United Nations’ international court in The Hague was presented with evidence that Israel had displayed clear and undeniable intention to commit genocide in Gaza. South Africa, the instigator of the case, claimed that Israel had committed severe violence and genocidal actions. Israel has refuted these claims, stating that they are unfounded, and has accused South Africa of portraying a heavily distorted perspective of the conflict, similar to that of Hamas.
In an article for the Sunday Telegraph, Mirvis, a South African by birth and education, stated that Israel’s goal is not to deliberately destroy a population, but rather to put its soldiers in danger during ground operations and establish safe passages for humanitarian aid.
The speaker mentioned that if Israel’s goals were to commit genocide, they could have easily decimated Gaza within a few days using their military power.
The chief rabbi stated that using the term “genocide” to describe Israel’s actions is disrespectful to the victims and survivors of genocides in Cambodia, Rwanda, Bosnia, Darfur, and the Holocaust, ahead of Holocaust Memorial Day on Saturday.
Mirvis wrote that the term is used to deny Israel’s obligation to protect its citizens and also to reopen the painful wound of the Holocaust, intentionally causing more suffering than any other accusation. This is a distortion of morality that dishonors the remembrance of the most heinous acts in human history.
Approximately 25,000 individuals, which accounts for approximately 1% of Gaza’s population, have lost their lives and numerous structures have been demolished due to the assaults initiated by Hamas and other militant groups on 7 October. These attacks, led by Hamas, resulted in the death of approximately 1,200 individuals and the abduction of 240 others. Additionally, evidence has surfaced indicating the deliberate use of rape and sexual violence during these attacks.
Human Rights Watch reported last week that the Israeli government is employing starvation tactics against civilians in the Gaza Strip as a form of warfare. Amnesty International also highlighted instances of mass killings, such as airstrikes on a Greek Orthodox church that was sheltering 18 civilians and attacks on homes in Nuseirat refugee camp that resulted in the deaths of 28 civilians.
On Sunday the Scottish first minister, Humza Yousaf, whose mother-in-law and father-in-law were trapped in the Middle East region for several weeks while visiting family, accused political leaders of viewing Palestinian blood as “cheap” as he criticised a lack of support for citizens in Gaza.
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According to Mirvis, the conflict would be resolved quickly if Hamas were to release Israel’s hostages and disarm. This would prevent any accusations of genocide.
He stated that the tragic suffering of innocent Palestinians would undoubtedly affect any decent person, emphasizing the importance of discussing ways to minimize this suffering. However, he asserted that if there is a genocidal force at play in this conflict, it should be attributed to Hamas. He further explained that the leaders of Hamas have openly expressed their intent to continue committing atrocities and their founding charter explicitly includes the killing of Jews as one of its main objectives.
He ended by urging for a more rational and truthful conversation about the conflict, stating: “The exaggerated and false statements, particularly the allegation of genocide, will only hinder efforts for peace.”
Source: theguardian.com
