By refusing to say so publicly, the government leaves the field open to MPs and activists who weaponise the charge against the Jewish state and stoke antisemitism
September 16, 2025 11:01
The day after it was revealed that the government privately acknowledged there was no genocide in Gaza, Wes Streeting called for the President of Israel to answer allegations of genocide.
Did he make the accusation for the thrill of watching the President empty out his pockets? Most likely it’s because he holds a marginal seat by only 528 votes after the pro-Gaza independent ran him close, with Streeting admitting “Gaza has been a real issue.”
War is always hellish, and the government rightly acknowledges the number of deaths and the scale of destruction in this conflict.
But after two years of smears by activists, journalists, academics, artists and MPs alike, we finally have clarity. The UK government admits that there is not even the risk of genocide because, as per the Genocide Convention, there was never any intent to wipe out a religious or ethnic group.
The message did not get through to Health Secretary Wes Streeting, who demanded that a foreign dignitary answer this unsubstantiated claim. Perhaps he should focus on reality: protecting Jewish patients he admits are being failed “abysmally”. He promised "zero tolerance" while doctors rant about all-powerful Jews, seemingly without facing consequences.
That same day, Labour MP Richard Burgon posted a photo of himself with fellow MPs who, despite the stated risk to British national security, called for tougher arms sanctions on Israel “to help end the genocide”. The following day, Labour MPs Nadia Whittome and Andy McDonald both accused Israel of “genocide”. Why won’t the government speak out?
The term “genocide” was coined by Jewish lawyer Ralph Lemkin, defining campaigns designed to wipe out entire ethnic groups such as the Nazis did, who murdered 49 members of his family. But using the term as a weapon in a propaganda battle renders it meaningless, unable to provide the protection it was designed for.
Vasily Grosman, who witnessed the Nazi death camps and gave one of the earliest accounts, wrote in Life and Fate: “Tell me what you accuse the Jews of – I’ll tell you what you are guilty of”. The massacre on October 7 2023 showed clear genocidal intent by Hamas, who proudly admitted trying to wipe out as many Jews as possible. The genocide accusation against Israel began the same day as this attempted genocide, before there was any Israeli response.
But this narrative has deeper historical roots. The genocide accusation was officially formulated already in 2001 at the UN Conference Against Racism in Durban. Among racist literature showing Jews with big noses and bloody fangs, a coalition of NGOs approved a report declaring Israel guilty of genocide. This campaign is now 24 years old.
The genocide accusation against Israel was dismissed internally by the government, but never stated publicly. It only came to light because a letter from the former Foreign Secretary to an MP was uncovered and found its way to the press. Without it, the government’s position might still be hidden. It is shameful that, despite knowing the truth, the government did not correct these erroneous claims. Instead of taking some of the heat out of heightened feelings about the war, they sat back and allowed lies to run rampant.
How much have the Jewish community suffered because the party that said it wouldn’t tolerate antisemitism has kept silent?
In one week there have been eight racist attacks in one area of London, including excrement smeared on a synagogue and nursery. As we've seen with rising political violence in other countries, such as Charlie Kirk’s murder, the threat is growing here too – in Northumbria the office of pro-Israel Labour MP Sharon Hodgson was firebombed, and graffiti referenced the elimination of Yahya Sinwar.
The government’s inaction is all the more troubling given the questionable figures behind these accusations. A UN panel accusing Israel of genocide today consisted of three members: One of them, Miloon Kothari, claimed the “Jewish lobby” controls social media, and Navi Pillay, defended him.
When the International Association of Genocide Scholars (IAGS) passed a resolution declaring Israel guilty of genocide, MPs legitimised the claim seven times over just two days in Parliament. It went unchallenged by the then Foreign Secretary, who had just written a letter to an MP explaining why the government knew it wasn’t the case.
But anyone with a credit card could join what the BBC called “the world's leading association of genocide scholars”. Members included a dog named Star from the “Barking Institute” and Tango who had a red bow in her hair. Other members were Emperor Palpatine and Adolf Hitler, whose bio cheerfully declared “I know a thing or two about genocide.”
No-one checked whether the resolution met basic academic standards. Four times the number of real scholars signed a letter debunking it, but a lie can travel halfway around the world while the truth is still putting on its shoes.
The government and some experts may have lost their way, but the British public hasn't lost their common sense. We can still tell the difference between a dog and a genocide scholar.
Alex Hearn is the director of Labour Against Antisemitism
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