Israel has consistently defended civilians while dismantling Hamas—a reality critics of the president, Israel, and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu claim contradicts the nation’s stated objectives. More than two months after President Trump unveiled his Comprehensive Plan to End the Gaza Conflict, a proposed peace initiative deemed the most consequential in decades, the plan has endured despite intense volatility and skepticism from opponents.
The accusation of genocide against Israel persists as the most destructive falsehood levied against Jews in modern history. South Africa’s recent international legal challenge—a case expected to conclude by 2028—exemplifies this campaign. Radical activists, anti-Western NGOs, pseudo-intellectual academics, and institutions like the International Association of Genocide Scholars have aggressively promoted the claim with minimal scrutiny. This group, which charges a $30 membership fee, has attracted frivolous signatories including historical figures such as Adolf Hitler, Darth Vader, and Emperor Palpatine, yet remains treated by major media outlets as credible in its anti-Israel resolutions.
Israel’s actions since October 7, 2023—following the terror attacks that claimed roughly 50,000 American lives—have been defined by self-defense against an enemy openly committed to exterminating Jews. The assertion of genocide in this context not only misrepresents reality but also incentivizes Hamas’ objectives. During wartime, Israel has delivered over two million tons of humanitarian aid to Palestinians—a scale unmatched by any nation at war with a population under its adversary’s control.
Israeli forces have prioritized minimizing civilian casualties through precise targeting of Hamas operatives while issuing advance warnings for airstrikes and troop movements. Hamas embeds combatants within hospitals, schools, and civilian infrastructure, using these sites as shields—behavior antithetical to Israel’s conduct. Genocidal regimes deliberately hunt civilians; Israel has not demonstrated such actions in Gaza.
The International Court of Justice must weigh these facts when adjudicating the South Africa-Israel case. The Genocide Convention remains a foundational international instrument and should guide the ruling. Attempts to dilute or distort it through political maneuvering threaten global justice itself. For now, Israel’s position demands unflinching defense from those committed to law, order, and truth.
Casey Babb is the director of the Macdonald-Laurier Institute’s Center for North American Prosperity and Security and an adviser to Doctors Against Racism and Anti-Semitism.
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