Amnesty International’s Troubling Focus

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Rarely has the disproportionate focus of certain activist organizations on Israel been as evident as it is today. Since the Syrian conflict erupted in 2011, over 500,000 people have lost their lives, with millions displaced as Islamist factions, Assad’s regime, and their Russian allies have left towns in ruins. Yet among many on the global left, the prevailing outrage seems directed not at the architects of this vast human tragedy but rather at Israel. One needs only to listen to their rhetoric: “Did you see what the IDF did in Khan Younis this week?”  

 

This singular focus is epitomized by Amnesty International’s recent report, *‘You Feel Like You Are Subhuman’: Israel’s Genocide Against Palestinians in Gaza*. Its publication coincided with Hama falling to a faction more extreme than al-Qaeda, yet Amnesty’s prioritization of Israel over Syria raises uncomfortable questions. Why is Israel’s war with Hamas labeled a “genocide” when other conflicts with far greater death tolls, like the Syrian war, escape such severe condemnation? Why is the Gaza conflict, with an alleged death toll of 44,000, branded a “modern-day holocaust,” while Syria’s half-million dead are discussed without invoking the same incendiary terms?  

 

Consider Yemen, where 400,000 people have perished, some through violence and others from famine, yet the word “genocide” remains conspicuously absent. In the Congo wars, millions died, but where were the Western protesters waving swastikas or branding their perpetrators as Nazis? It is difficult to escape the conclusion that terms like “genocide,” “Nazis,” and “Hitler” are disproportionately applied to Israel because their connotations are uniquely painful to the Jewish people.  

 

The actions of Amnesty UK earlier this year highlight this troubling pattern. In March, activists placed street signs reading “Genocide Avenue” outside the Israeli Embassy in London. Imagine how embassy staff—descendants of those who survived the Holocaust—felt seeing that term, a symbol of one of humanity’s darkest crimes, affixed outside their workplace. Notably, the Russian Embassy, mere blocks away, saw no such treatment, despite the atrocities in Ukraine. Amnesty reserves its most damning accusations for Israel alone.  

 

Even Amnesty’s language in its report betrays a certain unease. The organization criticizes the “narrow” definitions of genocide that exclude Israel’s actions and calls for broader interpretations that might encompass what it describes as Israel’s “genocidal” war. Yet this reveals a discomfort, a tacit acknowledgment that Israel is engaged in armed conflict—not genocide. Amnesty’s desire to stretch the definition of such a grave crime raises questions about its credibility and motives.  

 

This is not the first time Amnesty has taken aim at those defending themselves against oppressive forces. The organization has accused Kurdish fighters of “war crimes” during their battle against ISIS, condemned Ukrainians for “putting civilians in harm’s way” while resisting Russia’s aggression, and now criticizes Israel’s pursuit of Hamas, a group committed to its destruction. Amnesty’s tendency to scold those fighting against terror and tyranny often seems divorced from the grim realities of these struggles.  

 

Perhaps it is time for Amnesty International to reconsider its approach. Candlelit vigils and well-meaning reports are one thing, but relentless criticism of those battling extremist forces does little to support humanity’s progress. The people of Israel, Kurdistan, Ukraine, and beyond deserve better than to have their righteous struggles against oppression equated with the very evils they fight. 

 

Based on a report by The Spectator 2024-12-16

 

 

 

[pegman]

When you feel you have to compare your genocide to that of Assad's you must indeed be pretty despicable.