Rosensaft: Absence of legal label of genocide does not change the scale of suffering in Gaza

Speaking with measured words, Rosensaft described a crisis that, while not legally genocide, is no less serious in moral and human terms.

He explained that the word genocide carries a precise legal meaning. “Since it was adopted in 1948, the concept of genocide has required the intent to destroy all or part of a national, racial, ethnic or religious group”, he said. “The intent of this war is not to destroy the Palestinian population but to eliminate Hamas, considered an existential threat to the state of Israel. If at the end of the conflict there are still Palestinians in Gaza, even if decimated, there can be no question of genocide.”

Yet for Rosensaft, a legal distinction does not diminish the scale of the tragedy. “Even if the term genocide is not applicable,” he added, “it does not mean that the tragedy is less. War crimes and crimes against humanity are just as serious. The fact that women and children are dying of hunger, hospitals are out of order, and humanitarian aid is not reaching civilians remains unacceptable.”

In the La Repubblica interview, Rosensaft was clear that responsibility for the conflict does not rest solely with Israel. “Hamas started the conflict with the October 7 attack,” he said. “I do not consider that an act of genocide either, but I recognise that the organisation has a genocidal ideology: their goal is the total elimination of the Jewish presence in Israel.”

Asked about the way forward, he called for urgent steps to halt the suffering. “We need a ceasefire, the return of hostages and the entry of humanitarian aid", he stressed. “And there must be a long-term strategy — necessarily the two-state solution. Without giving the Palestinians of Gaza and the West Bank their full self-determination, the wider conflict will not end. I’m not optimistic, but we cannot give up.”

Rosensaft also reflected on the divisions within American Jewry over the Gaza war. “There are those who take to the streets for Palestine, those who support Israel 100 percent, and many who believe in Israel’s right to exist but are deeply troubled by the conflict and want it to end”, he observed. “Let’s not leave the floor only to extremists on both sides, but give it to those who have solutions.”

The veteran Jewish leader warned that the conflict’s impact extends far beyond the Middle East. “It is unacceptable to deny food and medicine to civilians,” he said, “but it is equally unacceptable to target Jews in the diaspora simply because they wear a kippah or have the Star of David around their necks.” In his view, the rising wave of antisemitism cannot be ignored. “If a solution is not found, the division caused by antisemitism will also worsen", he concluded.

For Rosensaft, as for many others, the humanitarian urgency and the political deadlock are inseparable. As he told La Repubblica, “We are witnessing a human tragedy of historic proportions. Legal definitions matter, but so does our shared humanity. We must act — now.”