The International Council of Jewish Women (ICJW) unequivocally condemns and rejects the false and malicious allegations propagated by the UN Independent International Commission of Inquiry on the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem, and Israel regarding the Israeli military’s conduct in the current conflict.
The Commission Report claims that Israel deliberately targets children and engages in systemic atrocities are entirely fabricated. This report represents a continuation of a decades-long campaign aimed at delegitimizing Israel’s right to exist and defend its citizens against ruthless terrorist organizations that actively use civilians—including children—as human shields.
As a global organization representing Jewish women in 35 countries, and reflecting the profound sentiment within Israeli society, we emphasize that democracies do not shrink from legitimate scrutiny. Accountability and the rigorous international attention demanded by civilian suffering are vital components of a free society. However, imposing the gravest charges of international law while failing to adequately acknowledge the catalysts of this war—including the October 7 massacre, the systemic murder, rape, and abduction of civilians, the ongoing captivity of hostages, and Hamas’s deliberate embedding of military infrastructure within civilian areas—constitutes a profound moral injustice.
For the Jewish people, whose history is irrevocably defined by the Holocaust, weaponizing legal definitions such as “genocide” carries an immeasurable historical and moral weight.
In any defensive war, the loss of innocent life is a profound tragedy. The immense suffering of Palestinian civilians and children is real, essential to recognize, and must never be dismissed. Yet, acknowledging their plight must not come at the cost of erasing the trauma, suffering, and existential security anxieties of Israelis.
Israel consistently acts in accordance with international law, striving to minimize civilian harm while facing an enemy that weaponizes dense urban areas, hospitals, and schools.
The ICJW stand firmly with Israel in its battle for survival and security. If the international community seeks credibility and moral leadership, it must look past politically motivated, biased UN narratives. It must apply international law with consistency, context, and fairness, holding space for the full human story while recognizing Israel’s just efforts to protect its people from existential threats.
