July 31, 2025, HRA18
Holocaust Remembrance Association Statement on The Misuse of “Genocide” to Attack Israel
At the Holocaust Remembrance Association (HRA18), our mission is to educate, inspire, and mobilize individuals to stand against antisemitism, hatred, and genocide through remembrance, education, and reconciliation.
We are deeply concerned by the increasing misuse of the term “genocide”—especially when used in unfounded accusations against Israel.
This distortion not only diminishes the term’s moral and legal weight, but it also undermines the clarity needed to identify and confront real atrocities.
Equating military conflict with genocide obscures the fundamental distinction between warfare and the systematic extermination of a people—something we are committed to never forgetting. This misuse dishonors the memory of Holocaust victims and survivors, and it risks making “genocide” a meaningless word applied to every war, thus eroding its power to compel action.
Through our projects—including the Holocaust Garden of Hope, the Upstander Stone Project, the March of Remembrance, and The Crossover Project—we strive to shine light on historical truth, elevate voices of survivors and descendants, and equip the next generation to recognize and resist hatred and dehumanization.
When the word “genocide” is weaponized to attack Israel, it not only perpetuates falsehoods but also drowns out the cries of real victims—such as those suffering under brutal regimes in parts of Africa, Asia, and the Middle East—where true genocide and ethnic cleansing are taking place and struggling for global attention.
We want to issue clear, courageous statements to protect the integrity of this term. To remain silent is to weaken our collective voice and our ability to respond effectively to real acts of genocide wherever they occur.
We urge our fellow organizations, educators, and advocates to stand with us—to uphold truth, preserve memory, and defend the dignity of those who have suffered the unimaginable.
– RoZalie Jerome
The Holocaust Remembrance Association exists to remember, reconcile, and take a stand against antisemitism in all its forms.
