Genocide

by Eduardo del Buey

Genocide is a loaded term, especially in Middle East politics.

Genocide is defined by the United Nations as “any acts committed with intent to destroy, in whole or in part, a national, ethnical, racial or religious group."

Turkey engaged in what can be viewed as genocide against the Armenians in 1923 and has, more recently, engaged in the murders of tens of thousands of Kurds in Turkey and Syria. I have yet to see any accusations of genocide against the Erdogan regime in any international legal forum.

The Syrian government and its Russian and Iranian allies murdered over 300,000 Syrians over the past decade, under former President Bashar al-Assad. Yet, he was treated as a hero in his day by the Arab world and the international community has refused to call this a genocide.

Russia’s current invasion of Ukraine aims to erase Ukraine and Ukrainian culture from the map and eliminate any vestige of Ukrainian history. President Putin has yet to be charged with genocide in world courts, even though Russia is a permanent member of the U.N. Security Council. The same goes for Russia's treatment of its Chechen minority.

China has engaged in what can be viewed as genocide in Tibet since 1959 (trying to wipe out Tibetan culture and resettling millions of ethnic Chinese into Tibet) and, more recently, against its Muslim Uyghur minority in Western China. China is also a permanent member of the Security Council.

In light of all of this, can charges of genocide against Israel alone be taken seriously, considering the current situation and the global climate?

Let’s review the facts.

Israel is home to over two million Arab citizens, which accounts for 21% of its population. Arab Israelis hold positions in the police, military, and government. There are Arab political parties with members in the Knesset (parliament), and Arab Israeli Muslim and Christian judges serve at all levels of the judiciary, including the Supreme Court.

Is this genocidal?

In 1967, the population of Gaza was 350,000. Today, it is about 2,5 million.

Is such population growth possible under a genocidal regime that many accuse Israel of being?

On the other hand, the fundamental principle of both Hamas and Hezbollah is the complete eradication of Israel and Jews worldwide. Hamas leaders have reiterated this frequently in the media in recent days, as have the Iranian government and Hezbollah.

In 1948, Jews were expelled from Muslim countries, and their properties and possessions were confiscated. One can easily and rightly argue that Muslim nations have practiced ethnic cleansing and promoted genocide against Jews.

I have yet to see anyone protest against the Jewish expulsion from these countries or for the fact that while 21% of Israelis are Arabs, few Jews remain in Middle Eastern Arab countries, despite a history of flourishing Jewish communities in many of them throughout the ages.

The decision to erroneously accuse Israel of genocide while overlooking other governments genuinely guilty of this practice will be remembered as yet another attempt to legitimize antisemitism globally.

How can we overlook the genocidal intent behind Hamas’ attacks on Israeli citizens and the broad support for these assaults among the general population of Gaza (and the Arab street)?

I believe that the charges can only be justified by global antisemitism and hypocrisy.

This does a tremendous disservice to the actual victims of genocides globally.

Israel is not perfect, nor is any other country. The recent decision by the U.S. to sanction Israelis who have severely attacked Palestinians in the West Bank shows that Israel is also held accountable when necessary.

Hamas could have prevented the bloodshed in Gaza from the start by simply releasing the hostages. Instead, Hamas has chosen to hide fighters and weapons behind the hostages and among innocent Gazans, schools, and hospitals while their leaders enjoy lives of luxury in Qatar and Turkey.

And yet, Hamas claims, over 64,000 Gazans – many of them civilians -- have died in addition to the thirteen hundred Jews slaughtered, kidnapped, and tortured by Hamas and the dozens of hostages who are either dead or who remain in Hamas torture cells.

This is indeed a tragedy.

But one must remember that the government of Gaza is Hamas, and Hamas declared war on Israel on October 7, 2023. Under international law, the victim of an attack is permitted to defend itself.

A government cannot declare war on another and then complain when the other gains the upper hand.

Israel faces an existential threat from global radical Islamism, as do many nations worldwide. This is not Islamophobia; it is a reality we confront every day on the streets of various European and North American cities.

The situation in the Middle East remains quite complicated, with no resolution in sight. Twice in the past 20 years, the Palestinians had the opportunity to establish their state with 97% of the land they desired, yet twice they declined the offer.

Recently, Hamas has rejected the latest ceasefire proposals, while Israel has intensified its military operations in Gaza with the hope of removing Hamas from the Middle Eastern equation.

Currently, the Israeli government opposes a two-state solution.

So do Hamas, Iran, Hezbollah, and several other Arab states.

If Canada were in Israel's position, would we respond any differently than Israel has?

And still, thousands die and many more suffer.

The situation appears to be at a standstill and is expected to remain that way for some time.

And this is a tragedy for all innocents on both sides.

But, are Israeli actions and intentions any different from those of Russia, China, Iran, many Arab states, Hamas, or Hezbollah?