U.S. ignores responsibility to prevent genocide

Dorothy Shea, the acting U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations, recently vetoed a UN Security Council resolution calling for an immediate, unconditional, and permanent ceasefire in Gaza. The resolution had the support of all other 14 members and described the humanitarian crisis in Gaza as “catastrophic.” Despite this, the U.S. blocked the resolution.

The veto drew attention for its contradiction with Shea’s own recent remarks on Holocaust Remembrance Day. She warned that genocide happens when hatred and apathy go unchallenged, saying, “It is up to us to stop them.” The U.S., a signatory of the UN Genocide Convention, is legally bound to prevent and punish genocide, not enable it.

Numerous experts and organizations have warned that Israel’s military actions in Gaza may constitute genocide. As early as October 13, just days after Israel began its bombing campaign, Israeli Holocaust and Genocide Studies professor Raz Segal described the assault as “explicit, open, and unashamed” and said Israel’s goal appeared to be the destruction of Palestinians in Gaza.

Soon after, nearly 800 international scholars and legal experts signed a statement warning of potential genocide in Gaza. They pointed to the widespread destruction, high civilian death toll, and dehumanizing language used by Israeli officials.

Airwars, a nonprofit that monitors civilian harm during conflict, reported that the level of destruction in the first month of the war was more severe than any air campaign of the 21st century, calling it the deadliest conflict for civilians the group has ever documented.

In December, over 55 Holocaust and genocide scholars condemned atrocities committed by both Hamas and Israeli forces. They were especially alarmed by Israeli leaders' statements suggesting all civilians in Gaza bore responsibility for the October 7 attack, drawing parallels with genocides in Armenia and Rwanda, where entire populations were labeled as enemies.

Despite such warnings, the U.S. continues to reject allegations of genocide in Gaza. Critics, including student protesters, have been dismissed as uninformed, and accusations of genocide have been dismissed as “blood libel.” Yet leading human rights organizations — including Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch — have also accused Israel of committing genocide.

Amos Goldberg, a Holocaust scholar at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, has said the scale of destruction, killing, forced displacement, and cultural erasure in Gaza points to a deliberate effort to destroy Palestinian life — a hallmark of genocide. He notes that historically, perpetrators of genocide often justify their actions as self-defense.

A Dutch investigation published in May found that all seven international genocide and Holocaust experts interviewed — including prominent scholars like Martin Shaw, Melanie O’Brien, and Dirk Moses — also concluded that Israel’s actions amount to genocide.

Critics argue that by continuing to provide military aid to Israel and blocking international calls for a ceasefire, the U.S. is ignoring its duty under the Genocide Convention. They are calling on the U.S. to immediately support a ceasefire, allow unrestricted humanitarian aid into Gaza, and back investigations by international courts.

If the U.S. fails to act, the warning is clear: future generations will remember this moment not as one where genocide was prevented — but as one where the world looked away.

— Terry Hansen, a retired educator based in Milwaukee, has written extensively on U.S. foreign policy, Gaza, and humanitarian issues.