On Israel’s Apologists In a Time of Genocide and War

Marty Levine

June 20, 2025

If you are like me, you are very worried now that our government has taken Benjamin Netanyahu’s bait and joined a war on Iran.  How far will this conflict spread?  Will this now become another Vietnam, Iraq, or Afghanistan, all long, costly in lives, injuries, and money, and all unwinnable? And if we are now engaged, how far and how long will the conflict spread? These are things worth worrying about.

One immediate casualty of Israel’s aggression is the Palestinian people. A new war to worry about, new reports of civilian lives being lost, new pictures of buildings being bombed have too easily pulled attention away from what continues to take place every day in Gaza and in the Palestinian lands that Israel continues to occupy on the “West Bank”.

Six hundred days ago, Hamas sent its forces streaming into Israel. 1,200 people, many of them civilians, were killed. Over 3,000 more were wounded. Rapes were committed and 250 individuals were returned to Gaza as hostages.  It was a day of brutality. The single-day death toll was the largest in Israel’s seven decades as an independent state. It was a day that wounded Jewish Israelis’ feelings of strength and safety, leaving an entire population of Jewish Israelis worried about their future.

Immediately after Hamas’ attack, the Israeli government began a military response to drive Hamas forces back into Gaza, free the hostages, and punish the Palestinian people in Gaza and beyond. That response continues moving forward, after a full two years, with no end in sight, even as Israel has been able to battle with forces in Lebanon, Yemen, Syria, and now Iran.

The count of Gazans known to have died over those days has now grown past 55,000; more than 128,000 have been injured. Much of Gaza’s infrastructure has been leveled; people have been forced to relocate from one “safe zone” to another as the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) has moved its targets from one part of the enclave to another. And for the last three months, Israel has had an almost total blockade in place, resulting in mass starvation, lack of clean water, minimal medical supplies, and an overall decline into a place that cannot support life.

As the scope of Hamas’ actions on October 7^th became clear, Israel’s government and its supporters were clear in labelling the actions as war crimes, as brutal and evidence of all Palestinians’ wish to eradicate Israel and its Jewish citizenry. The Israeli response from the beginning was described as a war beyond any previous one between Israel and Palestine.

Then Defense Minister Yoav Gallant told the world that this was a war on more than a military opponent or a terrorist gang; it was a war on a people.

I have ordered a complete siege on the Gaza Strip. There will be no electricity, no food, no fuel, and everything is closed. We are fighting human animals and we are acting accordingly. (emphasis added)

Now, just months away from its  two-year anniversary, we must confront this tragedy head-on. We cannot, even as another war breaks out, ignore the inhumanity of this moment. We need to face what Israel is doing and strip away the patina of legitimacy that too many of us have created to justify its horror.

Is what has occurred in Gaza excused by the claims that this is a war of self-defense? Does self-defense allow the killing and wounding of so many who are not combatants in the conflict? Does self-defense justify the destruction of so much of the area’s housing stock? Does it justify destroying an entire medical care system, hospitals, and all? Does it justify destroying critical infrastructure so there is no longer a working water system, sewage system, or electrical grid for more than 2 million people? Does it justify withholding all humanitarian aid and shutting down of the organizations that are capable of distributing whatever aid might get in effectively?

Does the attack from Gaza by Hamas justify the destruction of Palestinian homes, the seizure of their land, their extra-legal detention, and their murder on the other side of Israel in the West Bank, a territory in which Hamas has not ruled?

Humanitarian organizations and those who are experts have looked at this and said it is a tragedy. Perhaps a war crime, perhaps genocide, perhaps ethnic cleansing, but whatever name we place on it, it is not justified and needs to be stopped.

In March 2024, International Criminal Court  Prosecutor Karim A.A. Khan KC reached this recognition when he filed this indictment against Israel’s leaders for the actions of their nation:

On the basis of evidence collected and examined by my Office, I have reasonable grounds to believe that Benjamin NETANYAHU, the Prime Minister of Israel, and Yoav GALLANT, the Minister of Defense of Israel, bear criminal responsibility for  the following war crimes and crimes against humanity committed on the territory of the State of Palestine (in the Gaza strip) from at least 8 October 2023:

• • Starvation of civilians as a method of warfare as a war crime contrary to article 8(2)(b)(xxv) of the Statute;
  • Willfully causing great suffering, or serious injury to body or health contrary to article 8(2)(a)(iii), or cruel treatment as a war crime contrary to article 8(2)(c)(i);
  • Willful killing contrary to article 8(2)(a)(i), or Murder as a war crime contrary to article 8(2)(c)(i);
  • Intentionally directing attacks against a civilian population as a war crime contrary to articles 8(2)(b)(i), or 8(2)(e)(i);
  • Extermination and/or murder contrary to articles 7(1)(b) and 7(1)(a), including in the context of deaths caused by starvation, as a crime against humanity;
  • Persecution as a crime against humanity contrary to article 7(1)(h);
  • Other inhumane acts as crimes against humanity contrary to article 7(1)(k).

Before you jump up and scream Israel was being picked on and Khan must be an antisemite and Hamas apologist, please note that on the same day he also indicted the leaders of Hamas for their despicable actions.

On the basis of evidence collected and examined by my Office, I have reasonable grounds to believe that Yahya SINWAR (Head of the Islamic Resistance Movement (“Hamas”) in the Gaza Strip), Mohammed Diab Ibrahim AL-MASRI, more commonly known as DEIF (Commander-in-Chief of the military wing of Hamas, known as the Al-Qassam Brigades), and Ismail HANIYEH (Head of Hamas Political Bureau) bear criminal responsibility for the following war crimes and crimes against humanity committed on the territory of Israel and the State of Palestine (in the Gaza strip) from at least 7 October 2023: 

• • Extermination as a crime against humanity, contrary to article 7(1)(b) of the Rome Statute;
  • Murder as a crime against humanity, contrary to article 7(1)(a), and as a war crime, contrary to article 8(2)(c)(i);
  • Taking hostages as a war crime, contrary to article 8(2)(c)(iii);
  • Rape and other acts of sexual violence as crimes against humanity, contrary to article 7(1)(g), and also as war crimes pursuant to article 8(2)(e)(vi) in the context of captivity;
  • Torture as a crime against humanity, contrary to article 7(1)(f), and also as a war crime, contrary to article 8(2)(c)(i), in the context of captivity;
  • Other inhumane acts as a crime against humanity, contrary to article 7(l)(k), in the context of captivity;
  • Cruel treatment as a war crime contrary to article 8(2)(c)(i), in the context of captivity; and
  • Outrages upon personal dignity as a war crime, contrary to article 8(2)(c)(ii), in the context of captivity.

The ICC’s conclusions have been mirrored over and over again with just as little effect as they had in March.

Leading human rights organizations have also reached the conclusion that Israel is committing genocide. In December 2024, Amnesty International became the first major organization to conclude that Israel had committed genocide during its war on Gaza, whileHuman Rights Watchmore conservatively concluded that “genocidal acts” had been committed.

Francesca Albanese, the UN’s top expert on Palestine, authored two reports last year suggesting that genocide was taking place in Gaza.

Just a few weeks ago, genocide experts reached similar conclusions.

A growing number of the world’s leading genocide scholars believe that Israel’s actions in Gaza constitute genocide, according to an investigation by Dutch newspaper NRC. 

The paper interviewed seven renowned genocide and Holocaust researchers* from six countries – including Israel – all of whom described the Israeli campaign in Gaza as genocidal. Many said their peers in the field share this assessment.

“Can I name someone whose work I respect who does not think it is genocide? No, there is no counterargument that takes into account all the evidence,” Israeli researcher Raz Segal told NRC. 

Israel and its apologists wipe them away, ignore them, and even attack those who utter them as anti-Semitic enemies of the state of Israel.  And day by day, Israel’s crimes continue, and the excuse of self-defense continues to be used as if they are a holy incantation that blesses this horror and cleanses it of its sins.

What more is needed to get the world, including those who support Israel as a Jewish state to see what is going on, what has gone on, as wrong and a horror? Arguing that the Jewish people have a right to their own land and that Israel is that place cannot force us to look away from how Israel is choosing to wipe out an entire people. It cannot be a reason to ignore the plain words of the men and women who are governing Israel when they tell the world that they want an Israel that is free of Palestinians.

Clearly, the leaders of many of America’s Jewish organizations are prepared to do so. Just hours after Israel launched a new war by attacking Iran and claiming it was justified by the same “self-defense” magic as they have used to justify war crimes in Gaza, the leaders of many major Jewish organizations issued a statement that supported Israel’s right to go to war whenever and where ever they choose.

The Conference of Presidents  affirms Israel’s sovereign right to defend itself against existential threats. As the central coordinating body of the American Jewish community, we expect the United States and responsible members of the international community to stand with Israel as it confronts the Iranian regime’s nuclear ambitions. Preventing a nuclear Iran is not only a moral obligation—it is a vital American and global strategic interest. This is a time for resolve, not equivocation.

As sirens sound and families across Israel seek shelter from the threat of incoming fire, our prayers are with the people of Israel. We express unwavering solidarity with all those under threat and salute the courage of Israel’s leaders and defense forces as they confront this danger with strength and determination.”

These leaders of these American Jewish Organizations are on board with bombing Iran. It, as I think Israel’s leaders desired, provides them another excuse to look away from the crimes of Gaza and the West Bank.(It is interesting a a number of progressive Conference member organizations saw this statement as a step too far and had their names removed as signers of this release!

Now our government has powerfully joined in creating this smokescreen. I fear they will be successful as Israeli and American leaders and everyday citizens rally around their flags.

And the news media is already moving on. Scrolling through my online version of the NY Timeshttps://www.nytimes.com/ today, I find only one story about Gaza, and it is focused on Israeli soldiers finding three bodies of hostages. Not mentioned is what a Google search had to tell me about what happened there yesterday

Based on reports, Israeli strikes resulted in the deaths of 44 Palestinians on June 21, 2025. Among the casualties, at least 21 Palestinians were killed, including 11 who were waiting for aid, with dozens more injured in ongoing attacks across the Gaza Strip. Six Palestinians were shot and killed, and at least 10 injured, while waiting for aid in western Rafah. Additionally, five Palestinians were killed and 15 wounded when Israeli forces reportedly fired on crowds seeking food near the al-Shohada Junction in Nuseirat. Israeli airstrikes also resulted in fatalities in the Zaytoun neighborhood in southern Gaza City and killed three brothers in Shuja’iyya, east of Gaza City. One Palestinian was also reportedly shot dead by Israeli forces northwest of Khan Younis. 

The UN issued a warning about a water shortage in Gaza. The US-backed aid group GHF emphasized the urgent need for more aid. Turkey’s Foreign Minister criticized Israel, calling it the “real problem” and condemning the violence in Gaza. Palestinian high school exams commenced amid the conflict and displacement. 

Israel and its rabid supporters want us to accept, unthinkingly, the lies they tell us and ignore the facts before us. If we allow that to happen, then where are the limits on state-sponsored depravity? Was this not what the apologists for Hitler, for Stalin, for Mao, for Pol Pot argued as they rolled out their acts of state violence? Were they also not claiming that they were forced to the evil that they did because they were threatened and had to preemptively eliminate their existential enemy?

I cannot look away and not continue to speak out.

Where is your voice in this moment? Shouting in joy because we bombed Iran or calling for an end to the horror taking place in Gaza?