Genocide
13 December 2024
What is the meaning of this term that is widely used (and misused) today?
The United Nations General Assembly recognized genocide as a crime under international law in 1946 and it was codified in the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide in 1948.
The Convention defines genocide as the commission of grave harm against members of a national, ethnic, racial or religious group - such as by killing, causing serious physical or mental harm, inflicting conditions that bring about physical destruction, imposing measures to prevent births or forcibly taking away children - with the intent to destroy the group as such.
Genocide means targeting members of a group because of their group identity and not something they are individually thought to have done.
As noted by the AJC: “Genocide” refers to the physical destruction of an entire group in whole or in part that has been targeted based on its identity. This is not Israel’s objective in Gaza, which is to free the hostages and end the terrorist and missile attacks.
In contrast, the 1988 covenant of Hamas, the elected government of the Palestinians in Gaza, calls for the destruction of Israel. The 2017 revision does the same, although it is less explicit. The leaders of Hamas regularly call for the destruction of Israel and the killing of Israelis and Jews.
The index to my prior essays (mostly post 5 November 2024) is here.
I have another blog on Cancer and Medicine.
You can also follow me at https://www.linkedin.com/in/nat-pernick-8967765/ (LinkedIn), npernickmich (Threads and Instagram), natpernick.bsky.social (Bluesky) or @nat385440b (Tribel).
Email me at Nat@PathologyOutlines.com.
I also publish Notes at https://substack.com/note. Subscribers will automatically see my notes.