Genocide is any of five actions intended to destroy all or part of a national, ethnical, racial or religious group: killing members of the group, inflicting serious bodily or mental harm, imposing living conditions intended to destroy the group, preventing births, and kidnapping children. Victims are chosen based on real or perceived membership of a group, not randomly -- the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide treaty approved by the United Nations General Assembly on December 9, 1948.
South Africa is accusing Israel of genocide in a complaint with the World Court in Geneva.
On the surface, it may appear Israel is guilty. But there is one problem: The question of intent.
Yes, the Arabs in Gaza are being squeezed into a tiny area, deprived of food, water, and medical care. More than 20,000 have been killed by attacks launched by the Israeli Defense Force, according to the Hamas-controlled medical organization. Israel says about 9,000 Hamas fighters have been killed.
It seems to me that for something to be genocide it has to be done with the intent of destroying another group. For instance, in World War II, the Germans intended to wipe out Jews and to radically reduce the Slavic population by starvation and over work. In 1994, Hutus slaughtered 800,000 mostly Tutsi in Rwanda in unprovoked attacks. In the Balkans, from 1992 to 1995, Bosnian Serbs slaughtered, raped, and drove on thousands of Croatians and Moslems in attacks launched on peaceful civilians.
On Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas militants and other terrorists breached the Israeli border in multiple places with the intent of killing as many Israelis as possible. They slaughtered about 1,200 men, women, and children, many of whom were attending a music festival. They raped, murdered parents in front of their children and children in front of the parents. They kidnapped more than 200 people, many of them women and children, and many of whom they still hold as hostages.
Israel’s response is what any country would do: Israel struck back with the intent of destroying its enemy. Think Pearl Harbor. Think 9/11.
Israel did not go into Gaza with the intent of harming civilians. The problem is that Hamas has imbedded its military organization among the civilians, in schools, hospitals, residential areas, and mosques.
You can fault Israel, if you want, for using a sledgehammer instead of a sharp knife.
Actually, if you look at the definition of genocide, Hamas fits it better than Israel. It launched an unprovoked attack with the intent of destroying Jews, inflicting physical and mental harm, ethnically cleansing at least southern Israel and kidnapping children.
I wonder if South Africa will file a complaint against Hamas?
Comments