We Believe in Israel categorically rejects the recent report by Amnesty International accusing Israel of genocide in Gaza. Such claims are not only without foundation but dangerously undermine the integrity of international discourse on human rights. By distorting the realities of the conflict and advancing a one-sided narrative, this report risks emboldening extremism and jeopardising prospects for peace.
Israel’s military operations in Gaza are conducted in response to relentless aggression from Hamas, a proscribed terrorist organisation that has launched over 20,000 rockets at Israeli civilian populations this year alone. These actions are not acts of indiscriminate violence but targeted measures aimed at neutralising a direct and ongoing threat. Israel’s efforts to minimise civilian harm—including advanced warning systems and precision strikes—are unprecedented, particularly given Hamas’s use of human shields and its deliberate embedding of military infrastructure within civilian areas.
The accusation of genocide is a grave and reckless misuse of the term. Genocide entails the intentional and systematic destruction of a group, an allegation Amnesty has failed to substantiate. Far from engaging in genocidal actions, Israel provides humanitarian aid to Gaza, including food, water, and medical supplies, even as it defends itself from unprovoked attacks. To frame these actions as genocide is to trivialise the term and demean the victims of actual genocides throughout history.
Amnesty’s glaring omission of Hamas’s role as the instigator of violence is as troubling as it is revealing. By ignoring the group’s charter, which explicitly calls for the destruction of Israel, and its practice of exploiting the Palestinian population for its own militaristic ends, Amnesty not only absolves Hamas of responsibility but legitimises its actions. Such a selective approach erodes trust in human rights advocacy and shifts focus away from those who are genuinely culpable for the suffering in Gaza.
The consequences of this report extend far beyond rhetoric. Accusations of genocide, when levelled without basis, inflame antisemitism, alienate moderate voices, and embolden extremist actors. They also distort the public’s understanding of the conflict, making constructive dialogue and practical solutions ever more difficult to achieve.
WBII urges policymakers, thought leaders, and the international community to reject this report and its flawed conclusions. Instead, we must reaffirm Israel’s right to self-defence and demand accountability from those who seek to perpetuate violence and hatred. Constructive solutions to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict require a balanced and evidence-based approach, not inflammatory accusations that polarise and undermine trust.
Israel, like any nation, has the right to protect its citizens from terror. Amnesty’s refusal to acknowledge this fundamental reality reflects a troubling shift in the priorities of human rights advocacy. We must not allow biased narratives to dictate the global response to this complex and deeply entrenched conflict.
