UN Fires Adviser Who Determined No Genocide in Gaza
The Wall Street Journal published an editorial last week claiming that the United Nations refused to renew the contract of Alice Wairimu Nderitu, the Kenyan who is the Special Adviser on the Prevention of Genocide, because she has “stood firm in her belief that Israel’s war with Hamas isn’t genocide.”
Alice Wairimu Nderitu (Photo via Wikipedia)
In 2022, her office issued a guidance paper on “when to refer to a situation as ‘genocide.’” The paper noted that U.N. officials should “adhere to the correct usage” of the term because of the political and legal sensitivities that surround it and “its frequent misuse in referring to large-scale, grave crimes committed against particular populations.”
The WSJ editorial emphasizes that “as a legal matter, establishing a pattern of violence as a genocide requires demonstrating intent.”
“Israel’s campaign of self-defense doesn’t qualify,” WSJ explains. “The war against Hamas has had many deaths, but Israel’s strategy is intended to dismantle a terrorist regime, not eliminate an ethnic group. The Jewish state has gone to great lengths to minimize Palestinian civilian casualties, even as Hamas uses civilians as shields so their deaths can be used as propaganda.”
The WSJ editorial claimed that in removing Nderitu, the UN is following the lead of Austrian Volker Turk, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, and UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, who has been highly critical of Israel in its war against Hamas.
To make matters worse, on Nov. 14, the U.N. Special Committee to Investigate Israeli Practices issued a report supporting accusations of genocide. The committee includes member states Malaysia and Senegal, both Muslim-majority nations with a history of hostility to Israel.
“Beyond Ms. Nderitu’s fate, the damage here includes defining genocide down, the editorial concludes. “The word has become a weapon of political propaganda that will erode its moral authority when it’s needed to describe genuine horrors.
“Ms. Nderitu may be out, but her refusal to endorse a lie in service of a political agenda has been a profile in courage. Can anyone with integrity survive at the U.N.?”
The UN has denied the report, saying that she is leaving only because her contract expires and specifically rejecting any connection to her determinations regarding genocide. A UN statement noted that “genocide is strictly defined in international law, and appropriate judicial bodies make any legal determination.”
“That’s false. Ms. Nderitu’s contract is coming to an end today, but she has now fulfilled her full term, and the secretary-general certainly appreciates the work that she did,” Farhan Haq, deputy spokesman for António Guterres, the U.N. secretary-general, said at a news conference. “But regarding the definition of genocide, any idea that the secretary-general wanted her term to end because of that is just false.”
Jonathan Harounoff, Israel’s international spokesman to the United Nations, told JNS that it is “deeply concerning” that the United Nations didn’t renew Nderitu’s contract.
Nderitu is a “prominent voice of reason and moral clarity in stating unequivocally that Israel’s defensive war in Gaza doesn’t meet the definition of genocide,” Harounoff said, noting “her steadfast commitment to speaking out against hatred and antisemitism.”
Ronald S. Lauder, president of the World Jewish Congress, stated that the situation is “deeply troubling and reflects the growing antisemitism and moral decay within the United Nations system.”
“This action not only disregards Ms. Nderitu’s extraordinary commitment to combating hatred, including antisemitism, but it also sends a chilling message about the United Nations’ priorities and values,” Lauder stated.
“Ms. Nderitu’s distinguished career has been a testament to integrity. Her leadership has brought hope to victims of hatred worldwide, including the Jewish community,” he added. “Often, a partner of the WJC, her efforts to counter hate speech, promote Holocaust remembrance and protect the term genocide have been a vital defense against the resurgence of antisemitism impacting Jewish communities.”
Lauder called on Guterres and other top U.N. officials to “urgently reflect on the direction this institution is taking.”
“When individuals like Ms. Nderitu are removed from positions of influence, and when Israel remains a disproportionate target of condemnation while human-rights violators and antisemites are elevated, the United Nations risks losing its relevance as a defender of peace and justice,” he stated. “The World Jewish Congress will not remain silent in the face of this alarming trajectory. It is not too late for Secretary-General Guterres to correct course, but the time to act is now.”
The United Nations has not named Nderitu’s replacement.
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