Ehud Olmert's Op-Ed on Israel's War in Gaza

Translation and Overview

Recently, an op-ed in the Israeli newspaper Haaretz by former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert caught widespread attention because Olmert supposedly acknowledged therein that Israel is committing genocide in Gaza. This portrait is largely based on quoting a single paragraph in the op-ed where he says that Israel is waging a מלחמת השמד, which can be rendered “war of extermination” but also “war of annihilation” or more simply “war of destruction”- the last one being the better reading, in my view. Reading the entirety of the op-ed shows that he does not yet see the war as one of genocide, but rather one of deliberate reckless destruction and intent to harm civilians with no clear vision or plan for Gaza’s future. What he does explicitly affirm is that Israel is committing “war crimes” in Gaza, while also highlighting how there are supporters of the government who openly express their desire to wipe out the people of Gaza. In the conclusion he explicitly disagrees with the notion that Israel is committing “ethnic cleansing” in Gaza, but he warns this could be the inevitable outcome if the present path continues and the war is not stopped.

Olmert’s sentiments are not of course unique but rather reflect a position that has emerged among some parts of the Zionist left in Israel, more broadly among policymakers in a number of countries that can be considered Israel’s partners and allies, and also among some popular pundits who might be considered as broadly ‘pro-Israel’. That is, in the earlier days of the war, they were willing to afford good-will to the war effort in broad terms even if there were some reservations about issues like excessive negligence towards Gazan civilian deaths, but now they have turned against this war and believe a ceasefire is the best way out.