Chief rabbi signs ‘Reject the Lie’ open letter

Chief Rabbi Dr Warren Goldstein has joined thousands of prominent figures from around the world in putting his name to an open letter rejecting the accusation that Israel has committed “genocide” in Gaza. 

Goldstein is among more than 6 000 signatories to “Reject the Lie”, an initiative bringing together people from politics, entertainment, academia, religion, business, and public life. The letter’s message is unequivocal: “Disagree with Israel. Protest its policies. Challenge its government. But do not call it genocide.” 

The letter was released by the US-based Creative Community for Peace organisation, in partnership with Israeli author Yossi Klein Halevi, Rabbis Yitz Greenberg and Micha Odenheimer, and US Professor Jonathan Karp. Those who’ve signed have done so as individuals rather than on behalf of the companies and organisations with which they are affiliated. 

Goldstein appears to be the only signatory currently living in South Africa, making his inclusion particularly significant in the country that brought the “genocide” case against Israel before the International Court of Justice (ICJ). He isn’t, however, the only name on the list with South African roots. Johannesburg-born Hollywood executive Gary Barber, chair and chief executive of Spyglass Media Group and former chief executive of MGM, has also signed. Barber attended King David Linksfield and the University of the Witwatersrand before moving to the United States in 1982. 

Goldstein and Barber are on a list of signatories that spans industries and continents. Former British Prime Minister Boris Johnson appears alongside singer Boy George, The Big Bang Theory actress Mayim Bialik, actress Debra Messing, Harvard psychology professor and author Steven Pinker, and historian Sir Niall Ferguson. Behind the camera, House creator David Shore and Amy Sherman-Palladino, creator of Gilmore Girls and The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, have also put their names to the letter. 

“Reject the Lie” doesn’t argue that every Israeli action during the Gaza war should be defended. “There is a vigorous debate within the Jewish community over aspects of how this war was fought, and that is a sign of moral health,” the letter says, acknowledging “our pain over every innocent life lost”. Where its signatories draw the line is the accusation of “genocide”. 

At the centre of their argument is the question of intent. The 1948 Genocide Convention defines genocide as specified acts committed with the intent to destroy, in whole or in part, a national, ethnic, racial, or religious group. That intent is a necessary element of the legal definition of the crime. 

“A crucial difference between war as tragedy and war as genocide is intent,” the letter says. Its authors argue that Hamas demonstrated genocidal intent through the 7 October 2023 attack and its stated aims, while rejecting the allegation that Israel’s military campaign was undertaken with the intention of destroying the Palestinian people. 

The letter also argues that the events of 7 October have been downplayed in discussions about genocide, and says that accusations against Israel began circulating even before its ground operation in Gaza. For its authors, the debate isn’t simply about the use of a legal term, but about how the war and the events that triggered it have come to be understood internationally. 

Goldstein putting his name to the letter is notable against the backdrop of South Africa’s ICJ case. Instituted on 29 December 2023, it accuses Israel of violating its obligations under the Genocide Convention in relation to Palestinians in Gaza. The ICJ issued provisional measures in January 2024, followed by additional measures in March and May. These were significant and binding legal orders, but they weren’t a final finding that Israel had committed “genocide”. The court has yet to issue a final judgment on that. 

The open letter argues that the “genocide” accusation has increasingly affected Jews and Israelis far from the war itself, saying it has become “a pretext for excluding, attacking, and even murdering Jews around the world”. Its authors warn that the accusation is being used not only against Israel, but to delegitimise Jewish self-determination more broadly. 

For Goldstein and the thousands of others who have signed “Reject the Lie”, rejecting the “genocide” accusation doesn’t mean ignoring Palestinian suffering or shutting down criticism of Israel. The letter explicitly leaves room for debate over Israel’s government, military decisions, civilian deaths, and the conduct of the war. But it argues that these questions are different from establishing the intent required for genocide. 

Goldstein may be just one name among thousands on an international list, but his signature places South Africa’s Chief Rabbi alongside politicians, academics, entertainers, business leaders, and religious figures collectively challenging an accusation being pursued internationally by his own country. 

The letter ultimately calls on both Jews and non-Jews to reject the accusation and warns against allowing it to become accepted simply through repetition. Its thousands of signatories come from markedly different backgrounds, but their closing message on this issue is brief: “We will not allow this lie to stand.”