It’s painful. We, the Jewish people, children of genocide, are seeing the Jewish homeland accused of genocide.
It cannot be. But it is.
The word “genocide” gets tossed around, on social media and elsewhere, possibly without a lot of interest in the meaning of the term. Emotion takes center stage. This may be grounded in human compassion for the suffering in Gaza. It could be grounded in antisemitism. Either way or with shades of each, the word can be haphazardly applied to Israel.
The use of “genocide” as an indictment of Israel blossomed after the attacks of Oct. 7, and during Israel’s military response in Gaza. Wisconsin’s Holocaust center is responding. Experts with the Nathan and Esther Pelz Holocaust Education Resource Center, a program of Milwaukee Jewish Federation, are planning adult education on genocide; continuing to support schools in cooperation with state officials; and speaking out on what “genocide” actually means, for this article and elsewhere.
What is genocide?
Intent is an important ingredient in the definition of genocide. The word “intent” appears in the United Nations definition and in other definitions. HERC’s own “Defining Genocide” lesson plan, for Wisconsin teachers, beings with this statement: “Genocide is a legal term used to describe the intentional destruction of a minorities group.”
The United States Holocaust Memorial Museum puts it this way; note the use of the word “intent”: “Genocide is an internationally recognized crime where acts are committed with the intent to destroy, in whole or in part, a national, ethnic, racial, or religious group.”
Genocide is an “incredibly difficult” crime to identify because of that notion of intent, said Sam Goldberg, a genocide scholar who serves as director of education for HERC.
“Genocide often takes place under the cover of war, muddying the waters even more,” Goldberg said. “Being quick to call something a genocide may seem like the way to bring about immediate action and justice, but it can do more harm than good.”
According to HERC Executive Director Samantha Abramson, one key reason that it would be irresponsible to label and teach about what is happening in Israel and Gaza as genocide is a lack of evidence of intent.
“In my professional opinion, based on information accessible to me today, I do not believe what we are seeing in Gaza constitutes genocide,” Abramson said. “My training as a Holocaust educator has taught me to treat that word with deliberate care.”
But there are complicating factors that Abramson acknowledges: 1. There has been deep pain and much death, in a war that Israel reports has Hamas hiding among civilians, with promises of more attacks against ordinary Israelis. There is no denying that there is pain and suffering in Gaza. In fact, this can lead to understandably raw, heartfelt emotion that can scuttle nuance in discussions about when to apply a word like “genocide.” 2. Some Israelis have made statements compatible with genocidal thinking, but they do not represent their full government or the Israeli people. As in America, there will always be people willing to say and do terrible things.
“We can and should continue to call out language and actions that dehumanize and ‘other’ groups of people, whenever and wherever we see it,” Abramson said.
Have you heard of the other alleged or actual genocides on Earth? Could you name them all?
“There are genocides happening in other parts of the world right now. The world is not talking about them, and that is concerning to me,” Abramson said. “Why is that? Well, that’s the question, right? Is it because Israel is the Jewish state, and it has a target on its back, and this is antisemitism we’re seeing? It’s a question. It’s a fair question.”
Examples in the world of possible recent genocides or active genocides in progress include in Myanmar, against the Burmese Rohingya; in Sudan against entire communities based on ethnicity; and against the Uyghurs in China.
The state Department of Public Instruction maintains an online resource page for educators on genocides, which does not include deaths resulting from the Israel-Hamas war. HERC consults with the department on statewide Holocaust education and works to provide educator trainings and expert materials for schools. Holocaust and genocide education in Wisconsin is required by law and is partially funded by the state of Wisconsin. In this challenging climate, HERC is taking care to increase education on the stages and warning signs of genocide, in addition to the core mission of Holocaust education, Abramson said. The moment calls for increased understanding.
Adults, too, should educate themselves on what the word means before they use it, Goldberg said. Misuse of the term “lessens the power of that word,” she said. In this vein, Abramson fears that misuse of the word “genocide” ultimately creates a hurdle to effective Holocaust and genocide education. But HERC is aggressively working on the problem, she said.
Since Oct. 7, Wisconsin educators have been asking HERC whether it is appropriate to teach about the Israel-Hamas war through a lens of genocide. HERC’s answer: “Please don’t.”
HERC also does not recommend teaching about Hamas’ Oct. 7 terrorist attacks as a genocide. “While educators posing such questions are typically well-intended and aiming to connect the lesson of the Holocaust with today, teaching about a recognized genocide like the Holocaust and comparing it to contemporary situations is offensive to the victims and misrepresents both the historic and the present,” Abramson said.
“We encourage educators and school districts to teach about the Holocaust and other genocides as recommended by the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction, which has curated such a wonderful collection of trusted resources for schools, including ours,” said Abramson. “We partner with and empower schools to build safe learning environments for all students to learn. For so many Jewish, Muslim, and other students, current events are personal, and impact us in relation to our identities. We never want to make any student feel unsafe or unwelcome because of their identity or beliefs.”
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