Jeremy Ben-Ami, head of J Street, now says he believes “Israel” is committing genocide in Gaza, citing legal and scholarly arguments.
After repeatedly rejecting the tag, Jeremy Ben-Ami, head of liberal Zionist lobby group J street, admits that “Israel’s” war crimes in the Gaza Strip amount to genocide.
In a statement published Sunday, Ben-Ami said he had been “persuaded rationally” by legal and scholarly arguments and could no longer oppose those using the term to describe the ongoing war.
His shift marks a significant change among liberal pro-“Israel” voices in the US, as pressure mounts over the occupation’s crimes in Gaza. Ben-Ami stated that while he is unlikely to use the term “genocide” himself, he will no longer challenge its use as he would not defend “the indefensible.”
In a newsletter sent on the day marking the Tisha B’Av holiday, Ben-Ami reflected on the Holocaust and his family’s history before outlining the rationale behind his change of heart. He cited actions such as denying food and necessities to civilians, shooting at those seeking aid, the destruction of Gaza’s infrastructure, and the forced displacement of its population as key indicators.
“I have…been persuaded rationally by legal and scholarly arguments that international courts will one day find that Israel has broken the international genocide convention,” Ben-Ami wrote.
Global reactions to humanitarian crisis in Gaza
Ben-Ami’s change in position follows growing international backlash over the Israeli-manufactured humanitarian crisis in Gaza. He previously denied the genocide claim in a podcast debate with journalist Mehdi Hasan. However, images of emaciated Palestinians and reports of mass starvation have contributed to him shifting his views.
Despite mounting evidence of Israeli occupation soldiers, even US mercenaries, shooting at Palestinians at and near aid sites, “Israel” continues to deny targeting civilians or causing famine, blaming the Palestinian Resistance for hijacking aid.
Accusations from human rights groups and lawmakers
Two major Israeli human rights organizations, B’Tselem and Physicians for Human Rights, recently accused “Israel” of coordinated efforts to destroy Palestinian society in Gaza. They labeled the campaign a deliberate attempt at societal annihilation. Additionally, renowned Israeli author David Grossman also described the campaign in Gaza as a “genocide,” expressing his anguish in an interview with Italy’s La Repubblica.
Even former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert has become an outspoken critic of “Israel’s” genocidal war on Gaza, labeling it as criminal, close to war crimes, and amounting to ethnic cleansing. He holds the current political leadership responsible for the humanitarian catastrophe and has called for both domestic political change and international intervention to end the war.
Meanwhile, in the US, Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene became the first Republican lawmaker to use the term publicly, deepening the partisan divide over support for “Israel.”