9/4/25
A losing battle: Israel’s struggle against genocide scholars
The resolution, on 31 August, passed by the International Association of Genocide Scholars (IAGS) that Israel’s actions in Gaza constitute genocide has comes at the time when the occupation state is further isolated on the world stage with legal proceedings already in process before the two international courts: the International Criminal Court (ICC) and the International Court of Justice (ICJ). In a way the resolution confirms the fact that genocide is in progress and the question now is what the world is doing about it—not much apparently.
The top world scholarly body on genocide voted with 86 per cent to support the resolution which says that that Israeli’s policies and actions “in Gaza meet the legal definition of genocide in article II of the United Nations convention for the prevention and punishment of the crime of genocide (1948).” Calling on the occupation state to immediately “cease all acts that constitute genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity against Palestinians in Gaza,” including the “deliberate attacks against and killing of civilians including children; starvation; deprivation of humanitarian aid, water, fuel, and other items essential to the survival of the population; sexual and reproductive violence; and forced displacement of the population.”
Indeed, the IAGS has no way to reinforce its decisions but the fact that it is the top world academic body on genocide is quite important in the world of academia and beyond. IAGS’ damming verdict is another strong sing that the occupation state has crossed all red lines and committed all sorts of war crimes and crimes against humanity by repeatedly breaching the international humanitarian laws.
IAGS is a top world academic body on the issue of genocide and coming out in such strong and clear way against the Israeli occupation has significant implications for Israel both political and academically. Despite the fact that the organisation is not a legal body nor is it being part of the United Nations, its opinion usually resonant with relevant international organizations including Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch. Both organisations and Israel’s own B’Tselem, have reached the same verdict and have been referenced in IAGS’ resolution.
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For Israel, the resolution further isolates it on the world stage and intensifies the already substantial pressure from the international community. While Israel has rejected the IAGS’s determination, calling it “an embarrassment to the legal profession,” the resolution adds a powerful academic voice to the chorus of organisations and countries that have already accused the occupation state of similar atrocities. This new development could further erode Israel’s global reputation and diplomatic standing. The IAGS’s finding could also be used to bolster existing legal cases against Israel, such as the one at the ICJ, and potentially encourage more nations to take action against the country. It also lends another credible voice to the ICC warrant calling for the arrest of both prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his former defence minister Yoav Gallant issued last November.
For Palestinians in Gaza, the IAGS resolution serves as a form of validation and a powerful advocacy tool. The resolution echoes the sentiments of many Palestinians and their supporters who have been calling Israel’s actions genocide since the early days of the war. This declaration, from a group of leading academic experts on the subject of genocide, could help mobilise international public opinion and spur greater global action. It provides a formal, scholarly basis for their claims, which may lead to more diplomatic pressure on governments to cease arms sales to Israel and to support a more robust response to the humanitarian crisis in Gaza. The resolution specifically calls on Israel to cease all acts that constitute genocide, war crimes, and crimes against humanity, including the deliberate attacks on civilians and infrastructure, starvation, and forced displacement and engineered famine. It also urges compliance with orders from the ICJ and arrest warrants from the ICC, giving Palestinians a stronger basis to demand accountability for the violence and suffering they have endured.
It is also important to point out that here are multiple legal cases against individual Israeli military commanders and soldiers, including foreign mercenaries fight in Gaza, before the ICC or still under processing to be submitted to the court. Now with IAGS’ decision such cases do gain further weight.
The IAGS resolution is unlikely to change anything on the ground as Israeli has not only rejected it describing it as “based on lies” but its timing is crucial. Countries like France and many others and potentially the United Kingdom are planning to recognise the Palestinian State in just couple of weeks in a UN hosted conference starting on 22 September. Decision makers and diplomats of such countries now have the definitive scholarly opinion to further make their point on the world stage.
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The views expressed in this article belong to the author and do not necessarily reflect the editorial policy of Middle East Monitor.