Thousands of Global Figures Reject Gaza Genocide Allegations in Open Letter
Over 5,000 global public figures and scholars signed a letter rejecting accusations that Israel is committing genocide in the Gaza Strip, warning that the charge fuels international antisemitism.
More than 5,000 public figures, academics, artists, business leaders, and religious figures from around the world have signed an open letter rejecting the allegation that Israel is committing genocide in the Gaza Strip. The signatories warned that this accusation has become a tool that fuels global antisemitism.
The letter was published by the Creative Community for Peace organization, in collaboration with writers and researchers Yossi Klein Halevi, Rabbi Yitzchok Greenberg, Rabbi Micha Odenheimer, and Professor Jonathan Karp, who co-authored the initiative. Prominent signatories include former British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, former Canadian Justice Minister Irwin Cotler, Harvard Professor Steven Pinker, historians Benny Morris, Sir Niall Ferguson, and Simon Sebag Montefiori, antisemitism researcher Deborah Lipstadt, former Yad Vashem historian Dina Porat, business mogul Haim Saban, actress Debra Messing, and South African Chief Rabbi Warren Goldstein.
"Only One Side Intended to Commit Genocide"
The letter emphasizes the crucial distinction between legitimate criticism of Israel's military conduct and the specific legal accusation of "genocide." Pointing to the 1948 UN Genocide Convention, the signatories noted that the crime requires specific intent to destroy, in whole or in part, a national, ethnic, racial, or religious group. They argued that civilian casualties, widespread destruction, or suffering do not in themselves constitute the legal standard for genocide.
"One of the defining differences between war as a tragedy and war as genocide is intent. In this war, only one side intended to commit genocide, and that is Hamas."
The signatories acknowledged that legitimate debates exist regarding the conduct of the war and expressed sorrow over the deaths of innocent civilians, but stressed that this must not be confused with the unfounded legal charge of genocide.
Fueling Global Antisemitism
The letter draws a direct line between the widespread dissemination of the genocide charge and the sharp rise in global antisemitic incidents since October 7, 2023. According to the signatories, the accusation provides a moral and legal veneer for rhetoric that incites harassment, exclusion, and violence against Jewish communities worldwide.
Former Canadian Minister Irwin Cotler described the "genocide libel" as a profound distortion of legal and historical facts. Deborah Lipstadt similarly emphasized that genocide has a precise legal definition and warned that an allegation once confined to extremist fringes has now permeated mainstream discourse. Ari Ingel, executive director of Creative Community for Peace, added that cultural figures and artists carry significant influence over public perception, making the uncritical repetition of such claims deeply dangerous for Jewish safety globally.
