“Beyond the Visible: Gaza, Genocide, and Historical Perspective” with Omer Bartov

As part of its Global Reflections series, Institute Social hosted historian and scholar Prof. Omer Bartov from Brown University on November 14. In his talk titled “Beyond the Visible: Gaza, Genocide, and Historical Perspective,” Bartov examined the unfolding humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza through a historical and ethical lens. He highlighted the historical patterns that contemporary conflicts often echo, drawing particular attention to one of the core principles of modern international law: the prohibition of disproportionate use of force.

Bartov emphasized that the operations carried out between October 2024 and May/June 2025 did not merely focus on military targets. Instead, they systematically destroyed residential areas, public buildings, infrastructure, water and energy facilities, and agricultural lands. Schools, universities, mosques, museums, and archives, he noted, were deliberately targeted as a part of an intentional strategy to render Gaza unlivable for its population.

These actions, Bartov argued, align closely with the defining features of modern genocides. With no safe place to flee, Gaza’s population faced conditions that pushed the violence beyond ethnic cleansing into the realm of genocide. Acts such as killing members of a group, inflicting physical and psychological harm, creating conditions that make survival impossible, and preventing births all fall under crimes against humanity. In Gaza, Bartov noted, four of these categories are simultaneously present.

Another central theme of the talk was the role of memory, testimony, and moral responsibility. Bartov stressed that genocide is not only a legal term but also a question of collective remembrance and ethical stance. Historical memory, he argued, is essential for understanding present crises and for questioning global silence in the face of mass human suffering.

The session concluded with a Q&A, during which participants engaged with Bartov on the historical, legal, and moral dimensions of the crisis.