"Israel is starving Gaza," a voice from inside Israel accuses his homeland of genocide

2025-07-30 10:56:21Kosova&Bota SHKRUAR NGA REDAKSIA VOX
Gaza

Shai Parnes, the head of B'Tselem's awareness campaigns, gave an interview to La Repubblica. B'Tselem, together with Physicians for Human Rights, is accusing Israel of genocide.

–On what evidence do you base this accusation?

“In the early days of the Gaza offensive, many senior Israeli officials made genocidal statements. The prime minister referred to Gaza as ‘Amalek,’ a biblical term meaning the absolute enemy. The Bible commands us to exterminate the Amalekites, including women, children, and even their livestock. The Israeli president said, referring to the Palestinians responsible for the October 7 attack: ‘This is an entire nation.’ The Israeli defense minister declared that he would impose a complete blockade on Gaza, without electricity or food. After 22 months, the statements have become reality. When we talk about genocide, we talk about the goal of destroying the Palestinians’ ability to continue to live as a group, the disappearance of entire towns like Rafah, of vital systems like healthcare and infrastructure. Israel is starving Gaza, including children, it doesn’t matter who you are, as long as you belong to that group. That is the definition of genocide.”

-Those who dispute the accusations say that 60,000 deaths do not qualify as genocide.

"The genocide is not the number of people killed, 60,000 and that is a small number, but the destruction of all the social structures that make life possible in Gaza. Israel is destroying the future by wiping out the education system, universities, schools."

-The International Court of Justice has not yet issued a ruling.

"The justice system works slowly, we can't wait years for a decision. We need to stop all this now."

-The Israeli government denies the intent you accuse it of, citing the distribution of aid to Gaza as evidence.

"They are not distributing aid, they have been blocked since March. They are not allowing the evacuation and treatment of the wounded. They have bombed mosques, universities, why? It is the idea that there are no innocent Palestinians. And they say it loudly."

-Is this idea also widespread in Israeli civil society?

“According to polls, the majority of Israelis are indifferent, if not supportive. A genocidal society does not know what it is doing in the process. The media in Israel does not talk about Gaza. Yes, the terrible, cruel and criminal attack by Hamas on October 7th caused fear in many Israelis, that is true. But there are other factors that explain how we got to this point. Our real political structure is apartheid, division, Jewish supremacy and complete impunity for anyone who hurts Palestinians. The current government is the most right-wing, radical, messianic and violent that Israel has ever had.”

-However, there are many Israelis protesting, marching, speaking out loudly, is anything changing?

"I greatly admire those who speak out, who go to defend the Palestinians, but they are a minority. Only the international community can stop the Israeli government, and so far, it has failed. Call on your leaders to act."

-How do you feel when you accuse your homeland of genocide?

“There is a saying: Your homeland is the place you are ashamed of. I am not proud of my country’s reputation. But societies can change, they have throughout history. There are people here, Palestinians and Jews, who, even in terrible times, work so that every human being, from the river to the sea, has the same rights to freedom and a life of dignity. I am proud of them.”


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