Indy Media Watch

Leigh over at the House of Wheels observes

Indymedia is once again running claims that Israel has been waging a genocidal war against Palestine for almost 60 years.

He notes:

The [Palestinian] growth rate was 3.8 percent, one of the highest in the world.

and adds:

This would have to be in the Guinness Book of Records, under "least successful ever genocide attempt".

This last comment reminded me of an old favourite post which quoted someone who made a similar point:

In just over four years of the 2nd Intifada, the total of Palestinian dead numbers just over 3,023 (BBC Numbers), including suicide bombers -- or an average of 2.26/day. If this is a genocide, then it has to be the most pathetic and lethargic genocide in history.

In fact -- the Palestinian Authority acknowledges a birth rate among PA territory Palestinians at 157 / day

So the Israelis would have to increase their alleged genocide by just under 7,000 per cent -- just to break even.

But has any of this stopped the words "genocide" being thrown around by anti-Israel polemicists? Of course not. Just like the words "Nazi" and "Fascist" constantly being thrown around by privileged schoolkids. This is of course a crying shame for real victims of genocide happening right now, whose problems are largely ignored due to "more popular causes" that seem to have their roots in baseless and untrue propaganda. Something Indymedia's pretty good at spreading.