The United Nations Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide defines genocide as “ … acts committed with intent to destroy, in whole or in part, a national, ethnical, racial or religious group.” The size of the party is irrelevant as long as one can prove intent, which can be tricky.

I, however, would say that seven months of overwhelmingly indiscriminate bombing of residential areas, hospitals, universities and even supposed safe zones, resulting so far in more than 35,000 deaths — many of them women and children — qualifies as intent.

Not killing Palestinians, but instead pushing them south into smaller and smaller areas with the goal of expelling them into the Sinai desert, is called ethnic cleansing. Take your pick. Some prefer to argue semantics rather than face the horror of what’s actually happening.

Tracey Scott

Wahiawa

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