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The Genocide Slur Is Not Just for Jews
John Spencer
January 27, 2026

The casual use of the word genocide to target Israel is not only a slur—it is also dangerous to Americans. That’s because, if this ahistorical, amoral, and largely evidence-free way of judging war is allowed to take hold in public discourse and, worse, harden into international legal practice, it will not remain confined to one conflict or one ally. It will be turned on the United States and every other military that may have to fight and win in cities. Israel is not the endpoint of the debate over the rules of war in the age of TikTok. It is the test case. If the rules are rewritten here, American soldiers will inherit them in the next urban war…There has been no genocide in Gaza. Israel has not intentionally targeted civilians. Its intent has been to return hostages, dismantle Hamas as a military and governing organization following the Oct. 7 mass casualty attack, and do so while sustaining civilian life under extraordinarily difficult combat conditions. Intent matters. Context matters. Law matters. READ MORE