Today’s ruling by the International Court of Justice, while deeply flawed, affirms Israel’s right to continue defending itself from ongoing attacks by Hamas, Hezbollah and the Houthis following the horrific and brutal attacks of October 7, the deadliest day for Jews since the Holocaust.

The court, however, should not entertain the absurd and illegitimate claim that Israel is committing genocide in this defensive war against a terrorist enemy. The court ruling ignores the significant measures that Israel is already taking in compliance with international law to avoid civilian casualties and provide humanitarian aid to the innocent people of Gaza while fighting an enemy that intentionally flouts the rules of war and embeds itself among civilians.

On the day before International Holocaust Remembrance Day, we must ensure that the meaning of the term genocide is not perverted or cheapened for political ends. In this war, the only group with genocidal intentions is Hamas.

For more, see the Jewish Federations of North America’s joint letter to Secretary of State Antony Blinken on the subject.

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About the Jewish Federation of Greater Philadelphia
Since 1901, the Jewish Federation of Greater Philadelphia has served as the hub of the region’s Jewish communities, providing an infrastructure of support for Jewish people and organizations in need. Through grants, emergency funding, restricted gifts, endowments, and our partnership with the Foundation for Jewish Day Schools, we invest more than $61 million each fiscal year to care for those in need, combat antisemitism and global crisis, and strengthen Jewish identity.