Interview
B’Tselem: ‘Israel is committing genocide in Gaza’
We interviewed Shai Parnes of the Israeli human rights NGO B’Tselem: ‘Those within Israeli society who oppose what Israel is doing in Gaza are a minority; the majority is indifferent or worse. There are no mass demonstrations, there is no real movement.’
A powerful, detailed report reconstructs Israel’s political and military actions against the Palestinian people everywhere, and comes to one conclusion: Israel is committing genocide. It is authored by one of the most well-known and respected Israeli NGOs, B'Tselem. We discussed it with Shai Parnes, the organization's communications director.
I would like to start with the title, Our Genocide. Why did you choose it?
B'Tselem is made up of human rights defenders, including Palestinians living in Israel, the West Bank, Jerusalem and Gaza. It is their genocide. There are also Israeli Jews on the team. As a group of human rights defenders and people living between the river and the sea, this is our genocide. Obviously, it affects the Palestinians of Gaza and the Palestinian people everywhere much more. But it will leave a scar, it will damage everyone who lives here for decades to come, and we will suffer the consequences for the rest of our lives. Not only that: it is something that affects all of humanity. After all, isn't that the meaning of genocide? It is an attack on all of humanity.
You analyze not only the situation inside Gaza but also that in the West Bank and inside Israel. Why did you choose this approach?
Israel is committing genocide in Gaza, but what we see happening in the West Bank is being carried out by the same army and the same politicians. They are the ones who are occupying the West Bank and using the same measures, albeit on a smaller scale. The forced transfer of 40,000 people from refugee camps, political statements threatening the same fate for those camps as for Jabaliya… This government keeps its promises: at the beginning of the offensive on Gaza, it said it would destroy it and it did, it said it would starve it and it did, it said it would treat all of Gaza as guilty and it did. We are very concerned: the same approach could be put into effect fully in the West Bank as well. And then there is what is happening inside Israel, such as in the Negev: it is an indicator of the fact that the Israeli government considers Palestinian lives to be worthless.
You have analyzed every aspect of the cultural, political and economic life of a society: from housing to healthcare, from education to cultural heritage, from the destruction of the social contract to freedom of expression. Genocide does not only mean killing.
That's exactly right: genocide does not mean killing every member of a group, but destroying it as such. And that is what is happening in Gaza. While everyone now knows that 60,000 killed is a conservative estimate, Israel is working to shatter Palestinian society in Gaza, systematically and in various ways. It is doing so through mass killings, famine, the destruction of entire cities that no longer exist now and the demolition of civilian infrastructure, roads and the healthcare system. Genocide is not just about the present; genocide is about the future. When Israel destroys the entire education system, it is destroying the future of Gaza, it is destroying the lives of children forever. This is the definition of genocide: destroying a group as such. Everyone in Gaza is a target, not because they have done anything, but because they are Palestinians.
One chapter is also dedicated to what you called a “network of torture facilities” for Palestinian prisoners in a previous report. Does genocide also take place in prisons?
It is another component of this regime that treats Palestinians with total dehumanization and contempt for their lives and rights. In those prisons, Palestinians live in inhumane conditions, are tortured and are imprisoned without any legal procedure for months on end. It is another indication of how Israel is targeting Palestinians simply for being Palestinian.
In the report, you write that the Hamas attack on October 7 was the catalyst for the genocide, which must be understood within a context of structural discrimination, occupation and apartheid that began in 1948. This is the most political element of the report.
History takes place in context; nothing is caused by some force coming down from the heavens. After 77 years of occupation, dehumanization, separation and oppression of Palestinians, Hamas' criminal attack served as a catalyst. Israelis were gripped by feelings of anxiety and fear. And this happened under the most right-wing, radical and messianic Israeli government, which mobilized these sentiments and saw this event as a miraculous window of opportunity. Plans to expel the Palestinians long predate October 7; it just seized the opportunity.
At the same time as your report, the Physicians for Human Rights report was also released, which reaches the same conclusion, starting from an analysis of the destruction of the healthcare system. Is there a debate within Israeli civil society on this issue?
There is no debate; more like some conversations. Those within Israeli society who oppose what Israel is doing in Gaza are a minority; the majority is indifferent or worse. There are no mass demonstrations, there is no real movement. I think most Israelis want the war to end, but another part wants it to continue, and that is the part represented by the government; they are its ideological driving force.
Are you worried about possible reprisals from the authorities after publishing this report, given the exponential increase in censorship and repression of critical voices in Israel?
We live here; we have different roles and different responsibilities. Most of our team is Palestinian, and we are obviously concerned because the regime is becoming increasingly authoritarian. We have to be careful, that’s true, but at the moment we can't do otherwise. The most important thing is to mobilize as many people as possible – in Israel and around the world, citizens and global leaders – to start taking action to stop the genocide. So far, the international community has not only failed to protect the lives and rights of Palestinians but has violated its own duties by assisting Israel. Words are useless. What is lacking is not ideas or means, but the political courage to act.
Originally published at https://ilmanifesto.it/btselem-israele-commette-un-genocidio-non-solo-perche-uccide-sta-cancellando-il-futuro on 2025-07-31