Whether it’s “genocide” is really a semantic question that distracts from the core issues. It’s used because it triggers the perpetrators in Israel and their boosters overseas, who derive most of their self-understanding from being (or supporting) victims of genocide. Terminology aside, the Israelis have behaved barbarically, doing their utmost to destroy a captive civilian population with no military to defend itself. Their leading politicians openly gloat about ethnically cleansing and even eradicating the Palestinians. The history of the State of Israel began with terrorism, massacres, and ethnic cleansing, it was sustained by apartheid, and now it’s culminating in a slaughter that many, including many who were initially reluctant, call genocide. The world now sees that Israel and its enemies are cut from the same cloth, and that Israelis take the same joy and satisfaction from the killing as any murderer in the October 7 videos. So call it what you want (only next time send someone who didn’t get nude massages from girls trafficked by Jeffrey Epstein).