“Physical violence can’t exist without violence of language.” Omar El Akkad
The language of genocidal intent
You say Israel/Hamas war. We say genocide.
“Those are animals, they have no right to exist … they need to be exterminated.”
You say self-defence against terrorists. We say elimination.
“Erase them, their families, their mothers, their babies. Those animals should not be alive.”
You say 7 October. We say history didn’t start on 7 October.
Nakba to the enemy now! … A Nakba that will overshadow the Nakba of 48.”
You say the most moral army in the world. We say war crimes.
“I have removed all restraints. [you’re allowed to] attack everything.”
You say precision bombing. We say annihilation.
“We’re focussed on what causes maximum damage.”
You say gold standard for urban warfare. We say industrial-scale slaughter.
“We need to separate the children and women and kill the adults in Gaza … the civilians in Gaza … are scum and subhumans.”
You say Israel’s security. We say ICJ and ICC, accountability and international law.
“Gaza should be razed and Israel’s rule should be restored to the place. This is our country.”
You say loss of life. We say mass slaughter of civilians.
“Erase all of Gaza from the face of the earth … Hate the enemy. Hate the monsters.”
You say Israel’s right to exist. We say what about Palestinians’ right to exist.
“Without crushing Hamas and razing Gaza, we will not have the right to exist.”
You say eternal victim. We say aggressor.
“We must not show mercy to cruel people, there is no place for any humanitarian gestures.”
You say humanitarian zones. We say ethnic cleansing.
“Expel them all.”
You say commitment to international law. We say genocide.
“The world map will not change if all the people of Gaza cease to exist. … You have been left alone to face your inevitable fate. … The game is almost over.”
The language of Western complicity
You say Israel is a great nation and friend of Australia. We say an extremist, settler-colonial, apartheid state.
You say it’s a long way away. We say empathy isn’t measured in kilometres or skin colour.
You say disrupting social cohesion. We say solidarity with victims of crimes against humanity is a moral obligation.
You say endless cycles of violence. We say endless impunity.
You say the rules-based order. We say Israel’s impunity enabled by Western hypocrisy, bankrupt morality. Silence and silencing.
You say never again. We say never again for anyone. Stop the genocide.
You say we can’t say …. We say speaking truth to power. We say justice and equality, universal human rights and international law. We say you are not our censor.
One day you’ll say you always opposed it. We’ll say you’re lying. No excuses. Nowhere to hide.
Note: Words in italics are statements made between 8 October 2023 and February 2025 by various Israeli ministers, members of the Israeli Knesset, top echelons of the military, and extracts from a pamphlet dropped by the Israeli military on Gaza in February 2025. With a couple of exceptions, the statements have been sourced from the comprehensive Database to Genocidal Intent on law4palestine.org and are a small representative sample.
Angela Smith
Angela Smith is a former lawyer with broad legal experience including in refugee law and the university sector. Her writing has been published widely and can be found in such places as The Guardian (online), Griffith Review, Meanjin, New Philosopher and Overland.