Editor’s Note On the use of "Genocidal": 

Using the term “genocidal” in our description of Israel’s assault on Gaza was a decision we made collectively, and was not one taken lightly.

We understand that different news organizations have taken varying approaches to describing the situation in Gaza. AP Style Guide suggests the “Israel-Hamas War.” The Washington Post and The Guardian use “Israel-Gaza War.” Other publications such as Jewish Currents use phrasing such as “Israeli bombardment on Gaza” and “genocidal assault.” All of these are different editorial choices that balance accuracy and tact, with news organizations taking into account the facts on the ground and the sensibilities of their audiences. 

This lack of consensus among news outlets about how to describe current events also speaks to how deeply divisions over perceptions of Israel and Palestine run. Such debates make everything from the inclusion of historical facts to the choice of language in an article feel ideological, rendering this coverage uniquely difficult for journalists committed to truthtelling who do not wish to alienate their audiences. 

We do not believe that there is any inherently neutral, apolitical way to convey information. However, we are committed to being as accurate and fair as possible, and we believe genocidal, whether or not it is a popular adjective to describe current events, to be an accurate and descriptive one. 

UN expert Francesca Albanese issued a report in March 2024 saying there are clear indications Israel has violated three of the five acts listed under the UN Genocide Convention. And back in January, the International Criminal Court found it plausible that Israel has violated the Genocide Convention and warned Israel to take all measures in its power to prevent incitement of genocide in Gaza.

There are also the facts on the ground: as of September 20, 2024, almost 41,000 Palestinians in Gaza have been killed and 95,000 have been wounded, over half of them women and children. Conditions within Gaza are hair-raising. Amputations are performed daily without anesthesia. People die by bombing, fire, bullets, infection, hunger, disease, or trapped under rubble. And at least 90 percent of the population has been displaced, stuck on a strip around the size of Las Vegas, with nowhere left to go. 

Taking all of this into account, we considered alternative words including “bombardment,” “siege,” and “razing,” but “genocidal” felt like the only word that fully expressed the level of misery and destruction Israel has inflicted on Gaza since October. Genocidal the adjective was chosen over the noun, allowing us to describe the actions taking place in Gaza without claiming to know the intent of Israel’s leadership or passing a legal judgment. It is simply our best attempt at describing the horror currently taking place. 

We believe that the role of the press is not to reflect views that are necessarily popular or palatable, but to represent what we understand to be truthful, even when that truth is painful to hear. And with the stakes so high, the language we use to describe current events in Gaza feels more important than ever.

If you have any questions about our language choices, please email us at cjsencampment@gmail.com.