The Anatomy of a Lie

And so, you’d be forgiven for assuming Israel is guilty of atrocities against Gaza’s civilians. After all, the world’s most influential media outlets—the very ones tasked with informing the public—assured us the “top authorities” all agreed. And since these experts are the people who’ve spent the time slogging through the research, pouring over the footnotes and racking up decades of expertise, the rest of us mere mortals can trust their judgment.

The Reality

Had they bothered to fact-check before setting the presses on fire, they would have noticed glaring holes. What the media framed as a sweeping judgment from the world’s foremost experts collapses under even the lightest scrutiny. 

Enter HonestReporting, a watchdog organization exposing ideological bias against Israel in the media. Their investigation revealed an embarrassing truth: the IAGS is far from the sacred halls of genocide scholarship it claims to represent.

If you brand yourself as a “global, interdisciplinary, non-partisan organization that seeks to further research and teaching about the nature, causes, and consequences of genocide”—as the IAGS proudly does—you’d expect its ranks to be filled with the crème de la crème of international academics, historians and recognized experts. Surely membership would mean leaping through hoops, meeting near-impossible criteria and upholding sky-high standards—keeping the amateurs out and letting only the elite in.

Turns out, all you really need is US$30 and a Wi-Fi connection.

HonestReporting board member Salo Aizenberg proved the point. With zero expertise in genocide studies, he applied, paid his $30 and was welcomed into the IAGS fold—free to call himself a “scholar” and to vote on resolutions that turn into international headlines.

His membership unlocked the full roster of 500+ IAGS members, which, as he reported on X, included “large numbers with no scholarly credentials at all.” The group openly encourages activists and anyone “interested” to join. At least 80 members listed Iraq as their location, he added. “Who voted for the Gaza genocide resolution? We don’t know—the ~100 votes were never disclosed. Could it have been dominated by this bloc?”

Aizenberg posted his findings online, sparking a trend. Soon, other laypeople were signing up, too, each forking out $30 to be transformed into a genocide “expert” overnight. 

More embarrassing reveals followed. “Once I signed up, I became a genocide expert in Yugoslavia, gender, and the Holocaust,” new member i24NEWS Correspondent Joe Brown said. Another new member showcased the profile of one “Adolf Hitler,” registered from Gaza City with a Hamas headband for a photo.

The timing raised further suspicion. Before October 7, IAGS had only about 150 members. By the time of the resolution, membership had ballooned past 500.

Yes, there are some real academics in the mix, Aizenberg conceded. But when an outfit with zero standards, zero transparency and zero accountability starts issuing sweeping, blanket verdicts on “genocide,” that’s not scholarship. That’s politics in a cap and gown.

The IAGS cottoned on to the experiment, promptly shut down its membership page and scrubbed its list from public view. Aizenberg quipped, “Perhaps they no longer want the public to see who is really behind these votes.”

The Real Experts Speak Up

Days later after the IAGS resolution, more than 170 recognized professionals in genocide studies, international law, Holocaust scholarship and antisemitism issued a statement demanding IAGS rescind its baseless accusation. Their signatures—49 more than those who supported the IAGS vote—were verified and credible. Yet outside Israel, only the Times of India and Politicsweb reported on it.

Among their critiques is the IAGS’s reliance on biased sources like Amnesty International, which actually rewrote its own definition of genocide just to shoehorn Israel’s actions into it.

Even IAGS member Sara E. Brown, Ph.D., pointed out the glaring absence of original research to support the resolution. As she noted, perhaps that’s because the only peer-reviewed work from within IAGS on the subject—her own—documented the genocidal intent and actions of Hamas. 

And There You Have It

Let’s summarize. The reality? A terrible war rages in Gaza after Hamas forced Israel between the hammer and the anvil. Some activists—the majority with no academic credentials and many from countries openly hostile to Israel—mixed in with some academics forked out $30 to join a club that held a vote. The headlines? “Experts agree that Israel commits genocide.”

Tragically, exposing the latest falsehood turned truth won’t make that much of a difference. Once rung, a bell can’t be unrung. The damage is done. Millions who never read beyond the headline now “know” Israel is guilty.

For the Jewish people, this is nothing new. Poisoned wells. Blood libels. Accusations of world domination. Occupation. COVID conspiracies.

Once again, the lie hardens into dogma. Once again, a lie graduates into “truth.”