‘Undertones of antisemitism’ in attempts to define Gaza a genocide

A veteran TV and radio presenter has insisted that constant attempts to reference Israel’s war on Hamas in Gaza as a “genocide” have “antisemitic undertones” because they seek to “downgrade” what happened in the Holocaust.

Adam Boulton was offering his thoughts on the publication of a UN commission report which concluded that Israel was indeed committing genocide in Gaza – insisting firstly that debate around whether the allegation could be levelled at Israel was “not really relevant” because it did nothing practical to alleviate the humanitarian crisis on the ground.

Appearing on Sky News, the Times Radio host then raised further concern about the use of the word genocide, adding: “There is in all of this a slight undertone of antisemitism, because the defining genocide that everyone knows about is the Holocaust, which was an attempt to actively eliminate a race of people.

“Anything else, yes, it’s one group of people killing another group of people, but it seems to me it falls far short of that … in what’s happening is the definition of genocide is being downgraded.”

Pressed on why he raised the claim of antisemitism, Boulton added:”I do think the constant reference to genocide is downgrading what happened in the Holocaust”.

The former Sky News presenter and political commentator’s comments came on the same day a United Nations commission of inquiry said Israel has committed genocide against Palestinians in Gaza.

The new report says there are reasonable grounds to conclude that four of the five genocidal acts defined under international law have been carried out since the start of the war with Hamas in 2023: killing members of a group, causing them serious bodily and mental harm, deliberately inflicting conditions calculated to destroy the group, and preventing births.

Israel’s foreign ministry said it categorically rejected the report, denouncing it as “distorted and false”.

Earlier on Tuesday, Niva Pillay, chair of the UN commission that published the report, defended the use of the allegation of genocide against Israel, saying, “We investigated – we verified and we did our own investigation.

“We did not rely on anyone else’s reports. We heard from live witnesses. We got a lot of live testimony.

“We held oral hearings here. We particularly benefited from the evidence given by doctors, especially doctors who came from foreign countries and volunteered to serve in these hospitals, who have no motive to exaggerate or lie. ”

She said she would have spoken with Israeli witnesses and victims “but we weren’t allowed in”, adding the “painstaking” report had taken two years to complete.

But South African jurist Pillay accepted that the UN commission’s proof level, which is drawing a reasonable inference, is of a “lower standard” than that of the International Criminal Court.

“I was a judge on the Rwanda Tribunal and the International Criminal Court,” she told Channel 4 News.

“These are all criminal jurisdictions. Clearly, the standard of proof is much higher.

“The ICC will, the prosecutor will have to prove beyond a reasonable doubt. So I agree this is a lower standard, and that’s why we were extra careful. That’s the best we could do because we were not allowed into the country.”

Responding to claims of antisemitism made against her, she told interviewer Krishnan Guru-Murthy, “I was never called antisemitic until I became chair of this commission.

“I never was called antisemitic in my six-year term as High Commissioner for Human Rights, in which period I was invited by the Israeli government to lead a mission.

“Constantly, they raised, what about Hamas? What about the Hamas attack? We were the first to condemn the Hamas attacks.”

The same news bulletin also included an interview with former Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett, who said of the UN commission report:”Well, I read every page of this 72-page report, talked to international experts, and I have to say, it’s unbelievable.

“This report only shows one side, and it forgets the whole context. It forgets that we were attacked and that Hamas murdered 1,200 Israelis. It doesn’t mention that. Does that make sense? It doesn’t mention that Hamas is hiding within hospitals, within mosques, within schools.”

Asked why his position politically differs from that of Benjamin Netanyahu, Bennett told Guru-Murthy,”I think this war should have ended three months into the war; we could have done a much quicker job.

“As I said, Israel’s a democracy. I think the current government needs to be replaced. But in terms of our international position, look, it’s tough, but I’d rather have my children live and be unpopular than have them killed and be beloved in the world.”

The Channel 4 News presenter also interviewed Arab Barghouthi, the son of imprisoned Marwan Barghouthi, widely claimed to still be the most popular Palestinian leader in the occupied territories, for a podcast.

“We didn’t need a 72-page report to tell us as Palestinians that there is a genocide,” Arab said. “Slaughtering tens of thousands of civilians is nothing but a genocide.”

He said genocide was being used as a “tool” to ethically cleanse the Palestinians from Gaza, adding this had started prior to the October 7 Hamas attacks.

Asked about the future of Hamas in any further government of Palestine, he said the terror group had “made every compromise” in terms of moving to a ceasefire in Gaza, and that they should be trusted when they said they are “willing” to step aside in order to move things forward.

Pressed on whether those who believed in violent resistance could go on to become peaceful political figures, he said:”Historically speaking, they can change. If you live in Palestine, all you see is violence. How can you stop the cycle of violence if it is happening in front of you every day?

“Let’s talk about the root cause, the root cause is the Israeli occupation, the apartheid, the ethnic cleansing we are going through… end the occupation and everything will become better.”

His father has been jailed for two decades after refusing to take part in the legal process that ultimately convicted him of being involved in terror attacks that led to the deaths of five Israelis.

In August 2002, Barghouti was charged with 26 charges of murder and attempted murder stemming from attacks carried out by the al-Aqsa Martyrs’ Brigades on Israeli civilians and soldiers.

Last month, Itamar Ben-Gvir, Israel’s Minister of National Security, was recorded on video visiting and threatening Barghouti that Israel will “obliterate” anyone who opposes the state, stating, “Whoever messes with the people of Israel, whoever murders our children, whoever murders our women, we will obliterate them.”

” You will not defeat us,” responded the jailed Palestinian.