Rep. Becca Balint: “I believe Israel is Committing a Genocide in Gaza”

Washington, D.C. - Today, Rep. Becca Balint published an op-ed on the situation in Gaza, calling Israel's offensive that has killed over 60,000 Palestinians a "genocide." In a report released this week, a UN commission found that Israel has "committed four genocidal acts" since October 7, 2023. She is the first Jewish Member of Congress to use the term "genocide" to describe what is happening on the ground in Gaza.

Read her op-ed here:

My grandfather was murdered on a death march from Mauthausen concentration camp in the last few weeks of World War II. Like many American Jews, I hold an emotional connection to Israel because it was a refuge after the genocide against the Jews across Europe. Many of us now grapple with the pain of witnessing the suffering of Gazans and the pain of waiting for the Israeli hostages to be released.

Today, I believe the Israeli government is committing a genocide against the Palestinian people. As the granddaughter of a man murdered in the Holocaust, it is not easy for me to say that. But the trauma of the Holocaust serves as a reminder of the power of speaking out. I feel compelled to speak out because I know there are so many others like me who are horrified by what they see.

As I write this, babies and young children are starving while the extremist Israeli government continues to withhold aid and commit acts of violence against civilians. The suffering goes beyond the tragic loss of life inherent to war; at this point, the Netanyahu government's actions appear to be a systematic, intentional destruction of the Palestinian people. It's difficult not to come to this conclusion when some top Israeli officials all but say it themselves, calling Palestinians "human animals" and pledging to turn Gaza into "hell."

Leading international genocide scholars have reached the same conclusion, determining that Israel's actions in Gaza now meet the criteria for genocide, which they define as being "committed with intent to destroy, in whole or in part, a national, ethnical, racial or religious group." That is what we are seeing in Gaza right now.

And many Americans believe the same. According to a recent Quinnipiac poll, American disapproval of the Israeli military action in Gaza has now reached 60%. And half of the voters surveyed, including 77% of Democrats, believe the Israeli government is committing genocide.

Tens of thousands of Palestinians have been killed, and almost 90% of Gaza's population has been displaced, wiping out entiregenerations of families. Israeli Defense Force reports show that five out of six Palestinians killed by Israeli forces have been civilians. The World Health Organization reports that 94% of hospitals in Gaza are damaged or destroyed. The Israeli government continues to restrict humanitarian aid, including food and medical supplies, while escalating military operations. It's reported that more than half of Gaza's population is undergoing a famine.

America has a moral responsibility to own our complicity in this genocide and to use our power to stop it. While international bodies like the International Court of Justice often take years, sometimes decades, to reach a final verdict, long after genocides have ended, the scale and immediacy of this crisis demand urgent action. The United States has, as recently as in Sudan earlier this year, independently recognized genocides to galvanize international response. And this moment demands the same. Such recognition can be critical in steering American foreign policy. Those of us in government can and must save lives by using our platform to stop horrific suffering and end the endless shipment of arms to Israel.

Being clear about what's happening in Gaza does not minimize the horrors of the Holocaust or the violence committed by Hamas on October 7, 2023. I will always condemn both the rise of antisemitism and Islamophobia in our country. And I grieve for all the Israelis who suffered horrific brutality at the hands of Hamas and for those who lost family and friends on and after Oct. 7, the most severe attack on Jews since the Holocaust. I weep for the Palestinian babies and children dying from starvation and lack of medical care.

I do not write this to create a litmus test for others, and I don't think it's useful to fixate on getting other leaders to use the specific word "genocide." Many Americans do see the profound suffering that Israel is causing but are hesitant to use the label because many Jews still live with the trauma of the Holocaust. More important than the word itself is that we change the conversation and change our policy. That's what Americans want. They are demanding that we speak out against the atrocities being committed with our taxpayer money. We need to listen.

I want both a safe and secure Israel and a safe, secure independent Palestinian state. The policies of the Israeli government right now are not going to keep Israelis safe but instead are further isolating Israel on the world stage.

The dire situation in Gaza demands clarity and courage from us right now. The United States must find its way back to its founding principles of life and liberty by honestly acknowledging the realities in Gaza and working to change them.

Speaking truth and demanding action is the first step on the path forward.

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