Genocide in Gaza and the Myth of White Genocide in South Africa

 In recent years, the term "genocide" has been invoked in vastly different political and humanitarian contexts. Few comparisons highlight the dissonance between fact and fiction as starkly as the juxtaposition of the internationally substantiated allegations of genocide in Gaza and the widely discredited claim that white people in South Africa are being systematically exterminated. While the former is grounded in extensive evidence and legal scrutiny, the latter remains a politically motivated myth that has no factual basis.

The accusation that Israel is committing genocide in Gaza is not a fringe opinion. It has been formally brought before the International Court of Justice (ICJ) by South Africa, a nation with its own deep historical memory of apartheid and racial injustice. This case represents one of the most significant legal efforts to hold a state accountable for potential genocide in the 21st century. What is striking, however, is how this charge—supported by numerous human rights organizations, legal scholars, and international officials—has been met with denial or silence by many Western governments, particularly those with strong political and military ties to Israel.

Francesca Albanese, the United Nations special rapporteur on human rights in the occupied Palestinian territories, has stated unequivocally that Israel has committed “acts of genocide” in Gaza. Amnesty International, after thorough investigation, concluded that Israel has carried out actions such as killing civilians, inflicting serious bodily and mental harm, and deliberately creating life conditions designed to bring about the physical destruction of Palestinians—all with the specific intent to destroy the group. These actions, according to Amnesty, meet the threshold of the Genocide Convention.

The European Center for Constitutional and Human Rights and Human Rights Watch have echoed these findings. Both organizations point to the systematic extermination of Palestinians and the deliberate use of starvation and siege tactics—cutting off food, water, fuel, and medical aid—as tools of collective punishment. What intensifies the gravity of these charges is the explicit rhetoric from Israeli leaders, some of whom have publicly articulated aims that align disturbingly well with the legal definition of genocidal intent.

Josep Borrell, the former EU foreign policy chief, called the actions in Gaza “the largest ethnic-cleansing operation since the end of the Second World War,” emphasizing that what is taking place in the besieged strip is not merely collateral damage in war but a deliberate campaign of destruction. Borrell did not mince words: he accused Israel of weaponizing starvation, ignoring international laws of conflict, and making genocidal declarations through the voices of its ministers. He added that more explosive force has been dropped on Gaza than was unleashed on Hiroshima—an almost unfathomable level of devastation inflicted on a civilian population with no viable means of escape.

In contrast to this evidence-rich and internationally scrutinized situation, the claim of a so-called “white genocide” in South Africa collapses under even the lightest investigative pressure. Originating largely from far-right media and white nationalist circles, particularly in the United States and Europe, this narrative suggests that white South Africans—especially farmers—are being systematically targeted for extermination. It is a claim that plays on historical anxieties and racial paranoia, not on any factual reality.

There is no credible evidence of organized or state-sponsored violence targeting white South Africans with genocidal intent. Crime in South Africa is indeed a major social problem, but it is one that affects citizens across all racial and economic groups. The South African Human Rights Commission, as well as international human rights observers, have found no pattern suggesting that white South Africans are being singled out or persecuted in any way that could meet the threshold of genocide. In fact, despite their minority status, white South Africans retain significant economic and social privileges, remnants of a deeply unequal past that has yet to be fully redressed.

Yet, some Western actors have chosen to elevate the white genocide myth to the level of concern, while simultaneously ignoring or downplaying the immense suffering of Palestinians in Gaza. This double standard is not coincidental—it is deeply rooted in geopolitical alliances, racial biases, and the selective application of humanitarian principles. The result is a troubling inversion of reality: a substantiated genocide is met with denial or indifference, while a fabricated one receives international attention and validation.

The comparison, therefore, is not just about two claims. It is about the credibility of international law, the politicization of human rights discourse, and the willingness—or refusal—of powerful states to confront uncomfortable truths. If the international community is to maintain any semblance of integrity, it must ground its responses in evidence, not ideology. The genocide unfolding in Gaza demands acknowledgment and action. The myth of white genocide in South Africa demands debunking and disavowal.