
As scholars of genocide, we demand an end to Israel's atrocities
Motivated by our deep scholarly and ethical engagement with political violence and mass atrocity, including the Nazi genocide of Jewish people, we helped found the Genocide and Holocaust Studies Crisis Network in April. More than 400 scholars of genocide and Holocaust studies from two dozen countries joined within weeks of its launch. The rapid growth of the group testifies to the urgency of this moment. Today, along with hundreds of humanitarian organizations, dozens of governments, and millions of protesting students and citizens across the globe, we call for immediate concrete measures to prevent further atrocity crimes and to protect civilians.
Since the 7 October massacre, Israeli officials and their accomplices have justified genocidal violence against Palestinians by equating Hamas with Nazism, instrumentalizing the memory of the Holocaust to advance, rather than prevent, mass violence. Meanwhile, too many governments materially support the genocide in Gaza while silencing protest. Even as the tone of some official statements has become more critical of Israel in recent weeks, many states continue to supply Israel with lethal weapons, shield Israeli leaders from international arrest warrants and fuel investment in the Israeli war economy. International pressure can work, but we need much more of it.
The emergency is in front of us. And yet, some prominent scholars of the Holocaust continue to engage in open denialism or outright approval of mass atrocities perpetrated by Israel. Scholarly associations, universities and institutions dedicated to Holocaust research, education and commemoration not only remain silent in the face of Israel's genocidal assault on Gaza but provide ideological cover for Israel's blatant violations of international law. Institutions such as Yad Vashem and the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum adhere to a 'Palestine exception' when opposing genocide and mass atrocity. At the same time, organizations dedicated to combating prejudice, such as the Anti-Defamation League, use spurious accusations of antisemitism to silence or discredit those who dare to speak out.
We are determined to challenge this moral and political capitulation.
We created the Genocide and Holocaust Studies Crisis Network to do just that. We pledge to support Palestinians as they exercise their rights to education and cultural heritage in the face of massive destruction of their schools, archives and memory sites. We commit to pressuring our institutions to confront the contradictions between their stated commitment to 'never again' and their silence or complicity in the face of Gaza. In light of ongoing genocidal violence and the return of authoritarian regimes, we will provide new resources and syllabuses in order to teach rigorously about the past in the context of our ever more vulnerable present. We will offer solidarity and support to our students and colleagues who run grave personal and professional risks for speaking out.
We contest the widespread 'conspiracy of helplessness' and the normalization of mass violence and starvation in Gaza. We have learned from history that there are many ways in which states can take action in response to crimes against humanity. We urge all states who signed the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide to fulfill their responsibilities under international law: demand and enforce a permanent ceasefire, an arms embargo, the immediate withdrawal of Israeli troops from the Gaza Strip, unimpeded distribution of humanitarian aid, and equality and self-determination for all Palestinians.
As members of the Genocide and Holocaust Studies Crisis Network, we say: it is not too late to save lives. End the genocide now.
Taner Akçam, Marianne Hirsch and Michael Rothberg are founding members of the Genocide and Holocaust Studies Crisis Network
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BBC News
28 minutes ago
- BBC News
Lawyers warn Starmer recognising Palestinian state could break international law
Some of Britain's most distinguished lawyers have warned the government that recognising a Palestinian state would breach international Minister Sir Keir Starmer announced the UK would move towards recognition unless Israel met certain conditions, including agreeing a ceasefire and reviving the prospect of a two-state solution, on Tuesday.A day later, Canada announced it would also move towards recognition at a UN summit in September, where 147 of the UN's 193 member states already formally recognise a Palestinian opponents argue Palestine does not meet the legal requirements for statehood under international law because important criteria have not been met. The Montevideo Convention sets out the criteria for the recognition of a state under international law as a defined territory, a permanent population, an effective government and the capacity to enter into relations with other states.A group of 43 peers, including some of the UK's most eminent lawyers, has set out their belief that Sir Keir's pledge could be in breach of international law as the territory may not meet these criteria for a letter to the government's attorney general, Lord Hermer, first reported by the Times, they call for him to advise the prime minister against recognition."It is clear that there is no certainty over the borders of Palestine," they argue, and also that "there is no functioning single government, Fatah and Hamas being enemies". "The former has failed to hold elections for decades, and the latter is a terrorist organisation, neither of which could enter into relations with other states," the letter adds. The peers warn that it "would be unwise to depart from" the Convention, signed in 1933, "at a time when international law is seen as fragile".They add: "You have said that a selective, 'pick and mix' approach to international law will lead to its disintegration, and that the criteria set out in international law should not be manipulated for reasons of political expedience."Accordingly, we expect you to demonstrate this commitment by explaining to the public and to the government that recognition of Palestine would be contrary to the principles governing recognition of states in international law."Lord Hermer has previously insisted that a commitment to international law "goes absolutely to the heart" of the government's approach to foreign BBC has obtained a full list of signatories, which includes the prominent barrister Lord Pannick - who represented the previous government at the Supreme Court over its Rwanda well as lawyers, some of Parliament's most prominent Jewish voices, including crossbench peer Baroness Deech, Labour's Lord Winston and the Conservatives' Baroness Altmann, have also put their name to the letter. The peers' intervention follows condemnation of Sir Keir's announcement by Emily Damari, a British-Israeli women who was held captive by Hamas for more than a year, who said Sir Keir is "not standing on the right side of history". Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu also claimed it "rewards Hamas's monstrous terrorism".Responding to fears the decision to recognise a Palestinian state does not align with the 1933 Montevideo Convention, business minister Gareth Thomas told Times Radio: "We haven't signed up to the Montevideo Convention, but is there a clear population in in Palestine? Yes, there is in Gaza and the West Bank."We have made clear that we think you would recognise the state of Palestine, and that state of Palestine would be based on the 1967 borders."Of course, there would have to be land swaps and there would be a shared capital of Jerusalem. They are well-regarded international views."Thomas stressed the UK Government had "made clear that there needs to be reform to the Palestinian Authority, that Hamas can have no role in the future government of Gaza and Palestine more generally". Pointing to the 147 other countries that have already recognised a Palestinian state, he added that the prime minister "was in talks this week with a series of countries, including Canada, and Canada have overnight, as you will have seen, taken the decision to recognise Palestine in September".Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney said his country plans to recognise a Palestinian state as part of the two-state solution - that is Israel and Palestine living said his decision was prompted by the "catastrophe" in Gaza, and because he feared the prospect of a Palestinian state was "receding before our eyes".The Palestinian Authority - which runs parts of the occupied West Bank - must commit to "much-needed reform" he said, and Hamas, which controlled Gaza, "can play no part".The UK has said it too would recognise a Palestinian state in September unless Israel committed to a Keir has said the UK will only refrain from recognition if Israel allows more aid into Gaza, stops annexing land in the West Bank, agrees to a ceasefire, and signs up to a long-term peace process over the next two also said Hamas must immediately release all remaining Israeli hostages, sign up to a ceasefire, disarm and "accept that they will play no part in the government of Gaza". Sign up for our Politics Essential newsletter to keep up with the inner workings of Westminster and beyond.


Reuters
an hour ago
- Reuters
Trump escalates trade war with Canada following Palestine stance
July 31 (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump intensified his trade war with Canada a day ahead of his August 1 deadline for a tariff agreement, saying it would be "very hard" to make a deal with Canada after it gave its support to Palestinian statehood. Trump is set to impose a 35% tariff on all Canadian goods not covered by the U.S.-Mexico-Canada trade agreement if the two countries do not reach an agreement by the deadline. "Wow! Canada has just announced that it is backing statehood for Palestine. That will make it very hard for us to make a Trade Deal with them," Trump said on Truth Social. Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney previously said tariff negotiations with Washington had been constructive, but the talks may not conclude by the deadline. Talks between the two countries were at an intense phase, he added, but a deal that would remove all U.S. tariffs was unlikely. Canada is the second-largest U.S. trading partner after Mexico, and the largest buyer of U.S. exports. It bought $349.4 billion of U.S. goods last year and exported $412.7 billion to the U.S., according to U.S. Census Bureau data. Canada is also the top supplier of steel and aluminum to the United States, and faces tariffs on both metals as well as on vehicle exports. Last month, Carney's government scrapped a planned digital services tax targeting U.S. technology firms after Trump abruptly called off trade talks saying the tax was a "blatant attack." Carney followed France and Britain as he said on Wednesday that his country was planning to recognize the State of Palestine at a meeting of the United Nations in September. In announcing the decision, Carney spoke of the reality on the ground, including starvation in Gaza. "Canada condemns the fact that the Israeli government has allowed a catastrophe to unfold in Gaza," he said. Israel and the United States, Israel's closest ally, both rejected Carney's comments. Carney's office did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Trump's post.


ITV News
an hour ago
- ITV News
Canada joins France and UK with plan to recognise Palestinian state
Canada has announced it will join France, and possibly the UK, in recognising the state of Palestine in September, increasing pressure to resolve the 80-year-long Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney told reporters in Ontario that the country will only recognise Palestine as a state if the Palestinian Authority commits to major governance reforms and holds general elections in 2026, in which Hamas cannot be involved. Carney's announcement drew criticism from US President Donald Trump on Thursday, who warned it would be 'very hard' to make a trade deal with Canada. His comments came just hours before the August 1 deadline for Canada to reach an agreement or face a 35% tariff on some Canadian imports. Trump wrote on Truth Social: "Wow! Canada has just announced that it is backing statehood for Palestine. That will make it very hard for us to make a Trade Deal with them. Oh' Canada!!!' Israel's Foreign Ministry 'rejected' Canada's decision in a post on X, calling it a "reward to Hamas". 'The change in the position of the Canadian government at this time is a reward for Hamas and harms the efforts to achieve a ceasefire in Gaza and a framework for the release of the hostages,' the Ministry said. Malta also joined Canada on Wednesday in announcing it will recognise the state of Palestine in September. The moves come just days after the UK said it would do the same unless Israel takes meaningful steps to end the humanitarian crisis in Gaza, agree to a ceasefire, and commit to a long-term peace plan supporting a two-state solution. "This includes allowing the UN to restart the supply of aid and making clear that there will be no annexations in the West Bank," Prime Minister Keir Starmer said on Tuesday. However, 38 members of the House of Lords, including some of the country's most prominent lawyers, have written to the attorney general warning that recognising a Palestinian state could breach international law, The Times reported. They argue the territory may not meet the criteria for statehood under the 1933 Montevideo Convention. France became the first G7 nation to back recognition last week, following Ireland, Spain and Norway, which officially recognised Palestine in 2023. Canada, Malta, Britain and France have said they plan to formally recognise the state of Palestine at the upcoming UN General Assembly, which begins on 23 September. Israel opposes a two-state solution and is boycotting the meeting along with its closest ally, the US. Israel's UN ambassador, Danny Danon, on Tuesday criticised the 125 countries participating in the conference and new plans to recognise a Palestinian state. 'There are those in the world who fight terrorists and extremist forces and then there are those who turn a blind eye to them or resort to appeasement," he said. 'While our hostages are languishing in Hamas terror tunnels in Gaza, these countries choose to engage in hollow statements instead of investing their efforts in their release. 'This is hypocrisy and a waste of time that legitimises terrorism and distances any chance of regional progress.' Malta's permanent secretary of foreign affairs, Christopher Cutajar, countered that "recognition is not merely symbolic – it is a concrete step towards the realisation of a just and lasting peace". Gaza's humanitarian crisis At least 48 Palestinians were killed and dozens more injured on Wednesday while waiting for food at Zikim Crossing in the Gaza Strip, according to a local hospital. Another seven people, including a child, died from malnutrition-related causes, the Gaza Health Ministry said. The Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC), the world's leading authority on hunger crises, has stopped short of formally declaring a famine in Gaza but warned on Tuesday that conditions have sharply worsened and could lead to 'widespread death' without urgent intervention. ITV News has spoken to the families of several critically ill children in the besieged territory, who fear they may not survive for much longer without evacuations to countries including the UK for treatment.