Knesset speaker rejects genocide charges in speech to European parliamentary leaders

Knesset Speaker Amir Ohana, addressing European parliamentary leaders in Rome on Thursday, rejected allegations of genocide in Gaza and accused world leaders of spreading falsehoods for political gain, drawing some applause. “Everyone in this room knows the truth — Israel is not committing genocide. Enough with this despicable lie,” Ohana, a senior member of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s Likud party, said in a speech at the European Conference of Presidents of Parliament. The two-day summit brings together parliamentary leaders from the Council of Europe’s 46 member states and beyond to discuss threats to democracy and the future of the rules-based international order. The council is a human rights and democracy organization that is separate from the 27-member European Union. Israel is not a member of the Council of Europe, but holds observer status in the council’s Parliamentary Assembly. Speaking at the conference, Ohana held up a copy of “And Every Single One Was Someone,” a 1,250-page book that contains the word “Jew” six million times to commemorate the six million Jews murdered in the Holocaust. Get The Times of Israel's Daily Edition by email and never miss our top stories Newsletter email address Get it By signing up, you agree to the terms “This is what real genocide looks like,” Ohana said. “Many world leaders proclaim the importance of their values, yet when the moment of truth arrives, only a few are willing to defend them,” he said, accusing some leaders of knowingly endorsing “false propaganda” to secure “fleeting electoral applause in their simmering streets.” Palestinians walk along a street lined with buildings destroyed during the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza City, in the Strip’s north, on October 14, 2026. (AP Photo/Jehad Alshrafi) The war in Gaza, sparked by the Hamas-led onslaught of October 7, 2023, was “a global clash of civilizations, a battle between the forces of darkness, radicalism and extremism, and those of freedom, liberty and democracy,” Ohana said. Advertisement “Some of the member-states represented here have a deeply dark place in the history books. I urge you this time to stand on the right side of history, fighting for freedom with us,” he said. Ohana’s remarks were met with applause, and Austrian lawmaker Petra Bayr, president of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, thanked him in Hebrew. Israel has angrily rejected allegations that it is committing genocide in Gaza and says it takes steps to mitigate harm to civilians. Israel also accuses Hamas of deliberately embedding itself in civilian infrastructure, including schools, mosques and hospitals. South Africa brought genocide charges against Israel to the International Court of Justice in The Hague in late 2023. The case is still being adjudicated and is expected to take years. Times of Israel staff contributed to this report. Help us report truthfully on social media As a multimedia journalist, my job is to take the quality, fact-based journalism produced by The Times of Israel newsroom and make it accessible across every platform — from Instagram posts to podcasts to short-form videos. This is how many, especially young people, consume news these days. But misinformation is rampant on social media. Our team at ToI produces accurate, responsible short-form reporting on Israel and the Jewish world. If you believe in the importance of factual social media journalism , please consider joining our reader support group, The Times of Israel Community. 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