The provided text discusses reports from two Israeli human rights organizations, B’Tselem and Physicians for Human Rights-Israel (PHRI), accusing Israel of committing acts of genocide in gaza. Here’s a breakdown of the key points:
Key Accusations and Findings:
Shift in Policy: B’Tselem states that Hamas’s attack sparked a shift in Israel’s policy towards Palestinians in Gaza from “repression and control to destruction and annihilation.”
Dismantling Life-Sustaining Systems: PHRI’s report details the “step-by-step dismantling of Gaza’s health and life-sustaining systems,” including electricity, clean water, and access to food.
Genocidal Acts: PHRI claims Israel has committed three acts of genocide as defined by international law,specifically “deliberately inflicting on the group conditions of life calculated to bring about it’s physical destruction in whole or in part.”
Intent to Destroy Palestinian Society: Both groups point to repeated statements by Israeli officials and the military endorsing the destruction, starvation, and permanent displacement of Palestinians in Gaza, combined with policies on the ground, as evidence of israel’s intentional effort to destroy Palestinian society.
Context and Israeli Perspective:
“Genocide” is a Sensitive Term: The term “genocide” is particularly sensitive in Israel due to the Holocaust and the national commitment to prevent such atrocities from happening again.
holocaust Survivor’s Grandson: Shalev from PHRI expresses the personal pain of reaching this conclusion as the grandson of a Holocaust survivor, emphasizing the responsibility that comes with this history.
Focus on Hostages: Israeli public discourse, according to historian tom Segev, is primarily focused on the return of hostages rather than the fate of the Gazan population.
Limited mainstream Criticism: While some Israelis have criticized the war, much of it has focused on Prime Minister Netanyahu’s decision-making and the delay in hostage returns. Broader scrutiny of Israel’s conduct has been limited due to widespread belief in the war’s righteousness and the difficulty for many Israelis to fathom their relatives in uniform committing genocide.
Counterarguments: Historian jeffrey Herf argues that the genocide allegation ignores the ongoing war, Hamas as a military force, and Israel’s right to self-defence.
Impact on Public Opinion: Tom Segev is uncertain if these reports will significantly impact Israeli public opinion, though he believes the events in Gaza are undermining Israel’s ideological and moral justification.
Call to Action:
The rights groups are calling on the international community, including silent Israelis, to speak up and protect Palestinians.
Methodology:
As these groups have not been allowed into Gaza during the war, their reports are based on testimonies, documents, eyewitness accounts, and consultations with legal experts.
In essence, the article highlights a significant and deeply controversial accusation of genocide leveled against Israel by its own human rights organizations, placing it within the complex historical and political context of israel’s relationship with Palestinians and the profound impact of the Holocaust on Israeli identity.