‘Predetermined Outcome’: Amnesty International Report Amplifies ‘Genocide’ Charge Against Israel

Latest Developments

• Amnesty International Redefines Genocide: A new report from Amnesty International released on December 4 asserted that Israel was committing genocide against Palestinians in the Gaza Strip. The organization’s secretary general, Agnes Callamard, claimed the report proved that Israel had carried out acts demonstrating “its intent to physically destroy” the Palestinian people. Despite insisting that the report found evidence of genocide based on the 1948 Genocide Convention’s definition — which requires unequivocal proof of specific “intent to destroy, in whole or in part” a national, ethnical, racial or religious group, as such — Amnesty admitted to using a less restrictive threshold of proof in determining intent than previously used by the International Court of Justice.

• Report Ignores Efforts to Protect Civilians: The report argued that Israel’s right to self-defense does not absolve it of responsibility for the destruction caused by its military operations in Gaza. Amnesty cited 42,000 fatalities without — in keeping with the method used by the Hamas-run Health Ministry in Gaza — differentiating between Palestinian civilians and terrorists aligned with Hamas and other Iran-backed groups. The report also ignored IDF steps to reduce harm to civilians that some experts have described as unparalleled in modern warfare. The report also accused Israel of taking steps to restrict the supply of food and humanitarian aid into Gaza, resulting in starvation, despite the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification — the global authority on food emergencies — indicating a reduction in famine risk in 2024.

• Internal Accusations of Bias: Amnesty Israel — the group’s Israel-based branch — accused the international branch of arriving at a “predetermined outcome.” Amnesty International’s recent history has been littered with anti-Israel bias, including publishing a controversial report in 2022 that falsely accused Israel of practicing “apartheid.”

FDD Expert Response

“Amnesty’s report fabricates its own new definition of genocide and ignores numerous facts that exculpate Israel. Israel’s advance warnings and other steps to mitigate harm to Gaza’s civilians make clear that Israel’s goal is not genocide but, far from it, to minimize Palestinian civilian casualties while lawfully exercising Israel’s rights to free hostages, to apprehend October 7th atrocity perpetrators, and to protect Israel’s population from further attacks.” — Orde F. Kittrie, Senior Fellow

“Israel has made it possible for 58,000 trucks to deliver more than 1.1 million tons of food and other goods to Gaza since the war began, but Amnesty won’t tell you that. Nor does its report acknowledge the finding of a UN-backed famine monitor that ‘catastrophic’ hunger declined sharply in the spring and summer of 2024. Only by hiding the evidence can Amnesty claim with a straight face that Israel is committing genocide.” — David Adesnik, Vice President of Research

“Amnesty leaders and products continue to signal an unhealthy obsession with delegitimizing and demonizing the one Jewish state in the world, previously with false claims of apartheid and now with false claims of genocide. The State Department should not work with antisemitic organizations, nor should any investment firm be involved in ESG ratings. And let’s be clear: under the internationally recognized working definition, Amnesty is engaged in clear-cut antisemitism.” — Richard Goldberg, Senior Advisor

FDD Background and Analysis

“What’s being missed? Amnesty International, ICC, UN, and Israel,” by Orde Kittrie, David Adesnik, and Richard Goldberg

“UN-Backed Monitors Say Access to Food Improves in Gaza,” by David Adesnik

“Israel helped avert a famine in Gaza but gets no credit,” by David Adesnik

“South Africa Wages Lawfare Against Israel at the ICJ,” by Orde Kittrie and David May

“How the UN Got Away With Wildly Inflating the Casualty Numbers in Gaza—and the Media Bought It,” by David Adesnik