A senior reserve officer, who has been serving almost non-stop since October 7 in both Gaza and Lebanon, called to say he was in shock. He read an article published by Nir Hasson in Israeli daily Haaretz about a report written by Dr. Lee Mordechai accusing Israel of genocide.
"It's a blood libel," he told me. "You have to pick up the gauntlet," he asked. "I've been with the soldiers for hundreds of days," he said. "There are exceptions. But there is no genocide. It is impossible to leave such a report without a response."
There are countless reports against Israel. But Mordechai's report surpassed them all. The man who wrote a megaplot became a megastar. The report received enormous circulation—4.6 million exposures. After receiving more and more references to this report, I read it.
Well, this report is another barrel of oil for the fire of hatred. The enthusiasm comes from Mordechai's kind. Haaretz journalist Hasson has written in the past that in his view, terrorists are "heroes." Now he has another hero. Mordechai also has a hero. At the very beginning of the report, he admits: "I was inspired by Prof. John Mearsheimer." The man gained worldwide fame after he co-authored, together with Prof. Stephen Walt, the book on the Jewish lobby.
In the sane days of Haaretz, the book was defined as a "shameful document" that was close in spirit to the Protocols of the Elders of Zion. The Washington Post, not particularly known to be a pillar of Zionism, also published a review of the book under the headline: "Yes, It's Anti-Semitic."
Mearsheimer is also a hero of David Duke, the former leader of the Ku Klux Klan, a notorious antisemite. Mearsheimer also has a hero. He published a book recommendation by one Gilad Atzmon—a Jew, a former Israeli, and especially an avowed antisemite, who claims that "the Jews are trying to take over the world... We need to re-examine the allegations about Jews who used blood to make matzah."
With boundless arrogance, Mordechai claims, "My work on this document is very similar in nature to the professional work I conduct daily." A strange claim considering the most cited source in the report, nearly 500 times, is posts on X (formerly Twitter). In second place—Haaretz, with 200 mentions. The report does not refer to a single serious study. Only one, which proves something.
So Mordechai turns to any dubious source. For example, there are 38 references to the EuroMed monitor which is headed by Prof. Richard Falk. Falk, who served as a rapporteur on the UN Human Rights Council, has made a variety of antisemitic statements, including that "the Jewish people have decided to destroy human civilization."
Mordechai also relies on the current reporter, Francesca Albanese. She also has a similar vermin, such as, for example, that "a Jewish lobby controls the United States." Albanese has been defined by France and Germany as antisemitic. Apparently, open antisemitism is now a prerequisite for accepting the position, and in order to become a serious source for Mordechai. The MiddleEastEye website is quoted 22 times, without Mordechai bothering to mention that it is a website that is affiliated with the Muslim Brotherhood and Qatar.
In order to prove Israel's malicious intentions, Mordechai quotes IDF Spokesperson Daniel Hagari as saying the IDF prioritized attacks "that cause maximum damage," referring to The Guardian. But The Guardian itself published a correction. There is no way Mordechai did not see it. But he is on a mission to maximize damage to Israel. So he lies. He also quotes Defense Minister Yoav Gallant as saying, "I let go of all the restraints." But the full quote is: "I have released all the restraints—they are killing everyone who fights us." "Whoever fights." Not citizens.
And in the same chapter, Mordechai adds an amazing story: "Drones have also made the sounds of babies crying, perhaps to lure Gazans." The source is a tweet that includes a recording of a baby crying. That's it. Does the IDF need a weeping drone to lure civilians? Is it serious? Is the source serious? Is this a researcher who claims to write a report according to academic standards? IDF The spokesperson denies it in every way. But Mordechai is actually trying to refute the New York Times rape story, and at the same time—to infect the IDF with rapes. This is the man. He has no limits.
The report makes no mention of the fact that Hamas prides itself on its use of women and children as human shields, nor that Hamas has a racist ideology that preaches extermination, nor the fact that wherever there is jihad, the result is destruction and bloodshed. But there is an adoption of every hint of anti-Israeli information. So writes a propagandist. Not a researcher. How the hell do such people get to the top of the academic ranks at leading universities? One can understand why the Iranian news agency (IRNA) is distributing the document. But why does such a hateful pamphlet appear on the Hebrew University website?
Ben-Dror YeminiTime after time, Mordechai signed far-left petitions for sanctions against Israel. Had these calls been answered, the axis of evil would have won a great victory. The declared plot to exterminate Jews and Christians would have been upgraded. The bombings of Dresden, Hamburg and Tokyo, in addition to two atomic bombs, caused frightening deaths. But without them, the Axis of Nazi evil would have continued to exterminate millions. But the historian, shame on him, finds it difficult to look at the big picture.
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In Israel, Mordechai takes pains to note, doubts have been expressed about a certain investigator who dealt with the subject of rape. For a change – he is precise. But she is the giver. Because when an Israeli source published dubious information, other Israelis, including officials, made sure to remove the investigator from the scene. But it did not occur to the researcher to conclude that the level of credibility of the Israeli position, which knows how to dismiss unreliable information, is much higher.
Are there also some accuracies in the report? Yes. But this is a small, minute part of the events Mordechai writes about. This column has repeatedly written about disturbing testimonies, and investigations are already underway. But exceptions are not genocide, unless your sources are Mearsheimer, Falk and Albanese. So there is no need to take Mordechai's report seriously, just as no serious person would take seriously a report on the American left, whose sources of reliance are QAnon activists.
In the meantime, an excellent investigative report by a researcher from Honest Reporting has been published, which shatters many of Mordechai's claims. Those interested will find it under the name Aizenberg on X. Or an excellent comment on Facebook by doctoral student Neil Barr, who, as a soldier from the field, dismantles "the negligent and disgraceful investigation of Dr. Lee Mordechai." Worth reading.
One still has to wonder why Jews are so attracted to publish a report whose sources of inspiration are antisemitic. A report that pours fuel on the fire of antisemitism? We will revisit this issue in the future.
And just as Mearsheimer's book, Mordechai's more charlatan report deserves the same title. Yes, it is an antisemitic report.
- Ben-Dror Yemini is the author of "Industry of Lies"