Jewish War Veterans Signs Open Letter Rejecting “Genocide” Accusation Against Israel
The Jewish War Veterans of the USA (JWV) has signed the open letter organized by Creative Community for Peace rejecting accusations that Israel committed “genocide” in Gaza and warning that such rhetoric is increasingly being used to fuel antisemitism against Jews here in the United States and around the world.
The letter has brought together thousands of leaders from the Jewish national and international communities, academia, government, entertainment, business, religion and public life in challenging what its signatories describe as the dangerous misuse of the term “genocide.” The letter stresses that legitimate debate over the conduct of war and concern for innocent civilian lives must not be conflated with allegations of genocidal intent.
As America’s longest serving veterans service organization, founded in 1896 to confront antisemitism and false claims about Jewish military service, JWV brings a distinctive perspective to this issue.
“Jewish War Veterans understands both the terrible reality of war and the extraordinary gravity of the word genocide,” said Selina Kanowitz, National Commander of the Jewish War Veterans of the USA. “Our members have served this country in conflicts around the world. We know there is a profound difference between the tragedy of inadvertent civilian casualties in warfare and the deliberate intent to destroy a people.”
JWV also warned that falsely portraying Israel and its supporters as perpetrators of genocide has consequences beyond the Middle East.
“When accusations like these become a justification for targeting Jewish Americans, excluding Jews from public life, or spreading antisemitic conspiracy theories, they are not simply offensive, they undermine the cohesion and mutual trust that are essential to our national security,” Kanowitz said. “Those who seek to divide Americans and weaken our democratic institutions benefit when antisemitism is allowed to masquerade as legitimate political discourse.”
JWV is proud to stand with those rejecting the misuse of the term genocide while continuing to affirm that the protection of innocent life and adherence to the laws of armed conflict remain fundamental responsibilities in warfare.
To view the open letter, please visit JWV’s website at www.jwv.org. The open letter and full list of signatures are also available on the Creative Community for Peace website. To add your name and show your support, please sign the open letter.
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About Jewish War Veterans of the U.S.A.
Founded in 1896 by Jewish Civil War veterans in response to false claims that Jews had not served their country, the Jewish War Veterans of the U.S.A. is the nation’s longest active veterans service organization. For 130 years, JWV has advocated for all of America’s veterans, defended the honor and contributions of Jewish members of the U.S. Armed Forces, fought antisemitism, and championed the democratic values and religious freedoms that American veterans have served to protect.
