Overview

• A letter finalized Friday from nearly 200 genocide, Holocaust and legal scholars asks the International Association of Genocide Scholars (IAGS) to withdraw its resolution declaring Israel’s actions in Gaza to be genocide.
• In a new statement, IAGS defended its process as inclusive, said members had 30 days to vote and that turnout was typical for resolutions, and reported receiving abusive emails targeting the organization and its leaders.
• IAGS says 86% of respondents backed the resolution, but reporting indicates roughly 128–129 of about 500 members voted (around 22–28%), with bylaws requiring only a 20% quorum.
• Critics and activists showed membership could be purchased for as little as $30 with minimal vetting, and said some prank sign-ups using names like “Adolf Hitler,” “Emperor Palpatine,” and “Cookie Monster” were briefly accepted.
• Following the scrutiny, IAGS removed its public membership directory, disabled new applications, took some social media offline, and marked many recent applicants inactive as debate continues over the group’s credibility and media portrayals of its authority.