Author and literary critic Per Wästberg argues that Israel cannot be accused of genocide – as this would mean that “the Jews are seen as the new Nazis”.
If the UN’s International Criminal Court (ICC) were to rule that Israel is committing genocide against the Palestinians in Gaza, it would be a “fatal manifestation of anti-Semitism”, according to Wästberg.
Schibsted-owned Svenska Dagbladet, like most Swedish media, has taken a clear pro-Israeli stance during the ongoing war in Gaza, consistently relativizing the Israeli invasion, the killing of tens of thousands of women and children and the displacement of the Palestinian people.
In a column published yesterday, Per Westberg continues in the same vein, arguing that South Africa’s genocide charges against Israel before the International Court of Justice in The Hague are a “propaganda victory for Hamas”.
He goes on to say that “Israel has sworn to destroy Hamas, but not the Palestinians” and that if it really wanted to commit genocide, it would not go in with ground troops or allow humanitarian aid into Gaza “but instead kill Palestinians everywhere as the Nazis once murdered Jews or the Hutu killed Tutsi in Rwanda”.
“Excessive violence”
He goes on to say that it is Hamas that not only wants to commit genocide against Jews – but also to ensure that as many Palestinians as possible are killed in order to “attract international sympathy and diplomatic attention”.
Wästberg admits that Israel has “used excessive force” and “failed to distinguish between Hamas and civilians”. However, he stresses that under no circumstances should Israel’s abuses be called genocide – not because of the scale of the crimes, but because Israel risks being compared to National Socialist Germany.
“The concept of genocide means that the Jews are considered the new Nazis, guilty of the worst crimes of humanity. If the Court were to declare Israel a genocidal state, I believe it would be a fatal manifestation of anti-Semitism”, he writes.
Death toll nears 30,000
Wästberg also points out that he himself is of Jewish descent and that the genocide of the Jews by the Germans during World War II must never be forgotten.
“Jews in countries where they were not decimated by Hitler continued to create and participate in scientific progress – in Europe, Israel, and especially in the United States – to an extent far beyond their numbers, perhaps knowing that their fate was constantly being questioned. And they dared to dance in a musical festival of joy, until their jubilation and hope were once again interrupted on October 7, 2023”, he concludes.
During the invasion of Gaza, at least 27,500 Palestinians are reported to have been killed by Israeli bombs and bullets – just over 1% of the total population. Another 67,000 were reportedly injured, and between 80 and 90 percent of the Palestinian population have been displaced from their homes.
Israeli officials are also discussing the possibility of permanently relocating the Palestinian population of Gaza to other countries, such as the EU and Sweden.
