Israel rights groups accuse media of incitement to exterminate Palestinians

Three Israeli human rights organisations have accused Israel’s right-wing Channel 14 of broadcasting over 50 statements by presenters, panelists and guests advocating or defending genocide against Palestinians in Gaza and more than 150 calls for war crimes and crimes against humanity, according to a report published on Tuesday by Israel’s Haaretz newspaper.

According to the paper, the Israeli human rights groups Zulat for Equality and Human Rights, Hatzlacha: Movement for the Promotion of a Fair Society, and the Democratic Bloc have compiled a list of genocidal statements and incitements to war crimes made by individuals on Channel 14 since 7 October.

The rights groups added that the channel, which supports Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, also broadcasted “dozens of other statements including calls for the mass expulsion of Gaza residents (deportation) and the use of starvation as a weapon of war, in addition to dozens of racist statements against Gaza residents and Palestinians in general.”

According to Haaretz, on Monday the three organisations sent letters to Attorney General Gali Baharav requesting a criminal investigation be launched into the channel.

In their letters, they stressed that “the channel is responsible for systematic and widespread incitement to commit crimes,” stressing the need to “impose heavy penalties and fines on the channel for violating the rules.”

Citing a list of quotes from presenters, speakers and guests, they said that Channel 14 has become a “pressure machine to commit war crimes” against the residents of Gaza and many Palestinians in the occupied West Bank.

Haaretz said that Channel 14 did not respond to a request for comment.

Israel is accused of genocide at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) which ruled that Israeli officials must stop genocidal acts and expressions and allow aid into Gaza.

Big Tech’s complicity in genocide: The unforgivable silence of online platforms