Editor’s Statement: This piece is the opinion of one writer and does not represent the views of Belmont Hill or the rest of The Panel Staff.
The term “genocide” was first used as a term in 1944 to describe Nazi policies against Jews throughout the Holocaust; the word comes from “geno” the Greek word for race or tribe and “cide” the Latin word for killing. The U.S. Department of Justice defines it as “violent attacks with the specific intent to destroy, in whole or part, a national, ethnic, racial, or religious group.”
Lately, due to IDF’s military response to terrorist group Hamas’ horrific 10/7 attack, many around the world have accused Israel of committing genocide. Whether it’s ravenous chants of “Israel, Israel, you can’t hide, we charge you with genocide” at prominent college campuses like the University of Pennsylvania and UCLA, a UN report warning a “risk of genocide,” or accusations against Israel from the governments of nations such as South Africa, Iran, Spain, and North Korea, numerous people, nations, and organizations are accusing Israel of genocidal actions (or intent) against the Palestinian people.
Most ironic, is Hamas’ claim (published in the New York Times and numerous other mainstream media sites), that Israel committed “crimes of genocide” in bombing the the al-Ahli Arab Hospital in Gaza City. This explosion was later proven (and independently verified) to be a misfire into the hospital’s parking lot from a missile fired by the Gaza-based and Hamas aligned terrorist group, the Palestinian Islamic Jihad. Given that Hamas’ founding charter literally declares their goal to “obliterate it [Israel]” and their desire to systematically kill all Jews around the world until “the enemy is vanquished.” These calls for t aahe obliteration of Israel and the vanquishing of Jews are quite literally calls for genocide. Given this, it’s hard to comprehend how and why the New York Times and other prominent organizations would give credence to their allegations of genocide at the hands of Israel.
By contrast, never since the founding of the State in 1948 has Israel ever tried to systematically kill Palestinians or destroy the Palestinian people. This does not deny that war against Hamas is being pursued aggressively and coming with extensive collateral damage, but the IDF’s actions in this current wave of conflict are solely out of an interest in defending the Israeli people and destroying the terrorist and political infrastructure of a neighbor who seeks to murder, rape, and pillage the Israeli populace and Jews around the world.
Raw population data shows that Israel has never attempted to eliminate the Palestinian people. Before the founding of Israel in 1948, there were less than 1.4 million Palestinians. 1.6 million Palestinian-Israelis today who comprise over 20% of the Israeli population as a whole. These Palestinians come from the 150,000 who remained after the 1948 war, which resulted in the displacement (and expulsion) of nearly 750,000 Palestinians from Israel. Today, Palestinian-Israelis, are more numerous than the entire population of Palestinians in 1948, and they enjoy full legal and political rights of Israeli citizens, and are allowed to serve in the Israeli Parliament, the Knesset. Had Israel pursued a policy of genocide, it would neither recognize Palestinians as citizens of Israel nor would it have tolerated conditions that fostered such Palestinian population growth.
Outside of the internationally recognized borders of Israel, in the Palestinian territories of the West Bank and Gaza, there has been a similar population explosion. As of mid-2022, there were 5.36 million Palestinians living in these two territories, 3.19 Palestinians in the West Bank and 2.17 million living in Gaza. Including the 1.6 Palestinians living in Israel, since 1948 the population of Palestinians living within the area of the famed “From the River to the Sea” chant has increased almost fivefold, from 1.4 to 6.95 million in only three quarters of a century. From 1973 to 2005, Israel was engaged in a complete military occupation of Gaza. In 1948, there were only 70,000 people living in Gaza; since then the Palestinian population has increased by at least a factor of 27 on the Strip. In the West Bank, the population of Palestinians has increased at a less drastic yet still impressive factor of 6.5. If Israel was trying to kill off the Palestinian people systematically, they wouldn’t allow for this sudden increase of Palestinians. If Israel decided recently that they needed to limit the Palestinian population by preventing births, they’d be failing to an embarrassing extent; 47% of Gaza residents and 42% of the West Bank Palestinians are younger than 18, compared to only 33% of Israelis. It is clear that Israel is not trying to destroy the Palestinian people.
The claim that the IDF is attempting to eliminate the Palestinian people in its current military operation is unfounded. The reported death totals from Gaza due to Israel’s bombing campaign and subsequent invasion are sickening, and even though these numbers are reported from the Hamas-controlled Gaza Ministry of Health, and therefore do not differentiate Hamas operatives from civilians, it is undeniable that thousands of civilians have died in Gaza since 10/7 as a result of the IDF military campaign. Israeli attacks are not meant to cause harm to civilians, but as Hamas (and other terrorist cells in Gaza) routinely position weapons, soldiers, and military strategic bases within hospitals, schools, and other civilian infrastructure. The placement of military centers by these terrorist groups is purposeful. Using humans as shields is strategically beneficial to them as they do not value the lives of Palestinian civilians, and any harm done to these civilians by the IDF equates to positive PR for Hamas and other associated groups. Israel is put in the impossible position of trying to quell these terrorist groups who hide among civilians. In order to achieve their security and military goals of defending the state of Israel and defeating Hamas, Palestinian civilians are unfortunately part of the crossfire.
One way Israel has tried to limit civilian deaths within Gaza has been to try to clear out Northern Gaza; they warned residents to leave before beginning the ground invasion through online videos and by dropping tens of thousands of leaflets and mass calling Gaza City phone area codes. Hamas, in response, has tried to keep Gazans from leaving the North by physically blocking exits and bombing main roads to increase the loss of Palestinian life, which both helps to galvanize their base and gain international support as the death toll rises. The IDF is doing the best they can to limit civilian deaths, and if their goal was the destruction of Palestinians they would be completely indiscriminate with their targets, causing the death total to skyrocket far higher than the current totals.
There is room for improvement in how the IDF operates within Gaza, but they are not pursuing the destruction of the Palestinian people. Already, as combat becomes more face-to-face, it appears as if the IDF is being more careful to limit civilian casualties, which should continue as the war wages on. This operation is not a genocide and anyone claiming so only works to rile up people on both sides of this conflict around the world, continuing the seemingly endless cycle of hate and violence. The IDF is doing what they must to ensure the safety of their country and to save the rest of hostages still in the captivity of terrorist groups. As of 11/30, temporary ceasefires have led to the release of over 100 hostages from Gaza in exchange for Palestinians imprisoned in Israel, but over 140 still remain trapped in the coastal enclave. Hamas officials, on the other hand, have said they hope for a “second, third, [and] fourth” version of 10/7. This is why calls for a permanent ceasefire benefit Hamas immensely. They yearn for the opportunity to systematically murder Jews and Israelis; on 10/6 there was a ceasefire, will Hamas and other terrorist groups within Gaza honor this hypothetical permanent ceasefire for long? As of 11/30, a week-long temporary ceasefire has led to the release of over 100 hostages from Gaza in exchange for Palestinians imprisoned in Israel, but over 140 still remain trapped in the coastal enclave. Already, Hamas has proven they won’t fully abide by these temporary ceasefires meant for the transportation of humanitarian aid to Gaza and continued negotiations over the release of hostages.
If every terrorist in Gaza put down their weapons, would the IDF continue to wreak havoc on the region? If the IDF placed down their guns and disabled the Iron Dome, how would Hamas, the Islamic Jihad, and their allies react? Would they be peaceful, or would they enter Israel with the goal of killing every Jew they could get their hands on? How can Israel stay complacent with a murderous neighbor on their doorstep, waiting to pounce whenever they have the chance? The group that wants genocide, as they have proudly stated over and over for decades is Hamas, not Israel or the IDF, and that should not be forgotten.
