Israel blasts UN genocide report as ‘propaganda’ that legitimizes jihadist terrorism

Critics pointed to the report’s focus on Israel while mentioning Hamas only twice.

By Vered Weiss, World Israel News

The Israeli Foreign Affairs Ministry on Monday rejected a United Nations commission report accusing Israel of genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity, calling it a “propaganda document detached from reality, aimed at undermining Israel’s right to self-defense, delegitimizing the Jewish state, and legitimizing jihadist terrorism against its citizens.”

The UN Independent International Commission of Inquiry on the Occupied Palestinian Territory accused Israel of committing genocidal acts in Gaza during the war and following a ceasefire, as well as war crimes and crimes against humanity in Judea and Samaria.

The report cited nearly 500 Palestinian deaths annually in Judea and Samaria since 2022 and a sharp increase in deaths from Israeli airstrikes since Oct. 7, 2023, particularly during Operation Iron Wall.

It also examined statements by Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich and IDF Central Command chief Maj.-Gen. Avi Bluth.

Commission investigators alleged that Palestinian detainees had been subjected to rape, torture and other sexual violence.

Israel has rejected previous similar allegations as unfounded.

The report also accused the Palestinian Authority of arbitrary arrests, detention and torture, as well as targeting journalists, activists and human rights defenders.

It cited deaths during October 2023 protests and the killing of a journalism student.

Critics pointed to the report’s focus on Israel while mentioning Hamas only twice and not accusing the terrorist group of wrongdoing, despite the October 7 massacre and documented abuses against Gazan civilians.

In its response, the Foreign Affairs Ministry said the commission, established in 2021, had been “flawed from the outset” and had “targeted Israel exclusively since day one.”

It accused the body of consuming extensive UN resources, funding and personnel to advance anti-Israel propaganda.

The ministry said the report reflected the commission’s political agenda rather than Israel’s conduct and accused it of parroting “the narrative of terrorist organizations word for word.”

“This is the shameful legacy of the UN Secretary-General and the High Commissioner for Human Rights,” the statement concluded.

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