When two human rights groups became the first major voices in Israel to accuse the state of committing genocide in the Gaza Strip, breaking a taboo in a country founded after the Holocaust, they were prepared for a backlash.
B'Tselem and Physicians for Human Rights Israel released reports at a press conference in Jerusalem on Monday, saying Israel was carrying out "coordinated, deliberate action to destroy Palestinian society in the Gaza Strip."
That marked the strongest possible accusation against the state, which vehemently denies it. The charge of genocide is deeply sensitive in Israel because of its origins in the work of Jewish legal scholars in the wake of the Nazi Holocaust. Israeli officials have rejected genocide allegations as antisemitic.
With your current subscription plan you can comment on stories. However, before writing your first comment, please create a display name in the Profile section of your subscriber account page.