More than 5,000 prominent figures from the worlds of entertainment, academia, literature, business and public life have signed an open letter rejecting claims that Israel is committing genocide in Gaza.
The letter was published by Creative Community for Peace in cooperation with journalist Yossi Klein Halevi, Rabbi Yitz Greenberg, Rabbi Micah Odenheimer and Professor Jonathan Karp.
Among the prominent signatories are former British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, former Canadian Justice Minister Irwin Cotler, Harvard professor Steven Pinker, historians Benny Morris, Niall Ferguson and Simon Sebag Montefiore, Deborah Lipstadt, Dina Porat, Haim Saban, Debra Messing and Chief Rabbi of South Africa Warren Goldstein.
The letter, published by Ynet, distinguishes between legitimate criticism of Israel’s handling of the war and the legal accusation of genocide. The signatories referenced the 1948 United Nations Genocide Convention, arguing that civilian deaths and destruction alone do not prove the specific intent required to establish genocide.
“In this war, only one side intended to commit genocide—and that was Hamas,” the letter states.
The signatories warned that the continued use of the genocide accusation fuels antisemitism and provides legal and moral cover for violence against Jews since October 7, 2023.
Irwin Cotler described the accusation as a historical and legal distortion, while Deborah Lipstadt said the claim became mainstream after originating with extremist groups.
Creative Community for Peace CEO Ari Ingel said that cultural figures have a significant influence on public opinion. The letter concludes with a call to reject what the signatories described as a dangerous falsehood.
(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)
