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Only two weeks after the horrific events of Saturday, October 7, when Hamas terrorists committed abominable crimes, reminiscent of Holocaust crimes against the Jews and the tactics of ISIS, the next stage has already begun: the process of denying the events. Hamas denies the actions, and has made sure that all the videos uploaded by its members boasting of the atrocities they committed would be erased. The global movement of supporters of Palestinian terrorism, basking in the title of “Liberation of Palestine,” is leading a campaign in the international arena denying the crimes. As a result, there are increasing responses on social media by parties who are not aware of the actual events, questioning the veracity of the accounts. This is becoming the “Israeli version” versus the “Palestinian version,”  marked by the same techniques used by Holocaust deniers.

What must be done to prevent this:

1. Undertake full and detailed documentation of each of the crimes in the most comprehensive way possible, while integrating sources of documentation, interviews, and physical evidence. The goal is to prepare a separate file for each case. Hypersensitivity toward the feelings of the survivors and family members is required, and therefore the accompaniment of experts is required to prevent secondary harm from the very investigation and to prevent the need for victims to reproduce the case again and again in future investigations. The files must be translated into English.
2. Consider the integration of external parties, such as civil society parties, or researchers from abroad (for example, academics in a field study) who will document some of these investigations. This is to prevent future claims that the State of Israel “fabricated” the cases.
3. Document all statements by international officials who have referred to the atrocities, including President Biden, the Prime Minister of Great Britain, and all other parties. In addition, encourage foreign reporters and other foreign parties who witnessed the evidence to prepare their own documentation and report publicly. This is the opportunity for these parties to contribute to the fight against the horrific crimes and their recurrence in other places.
4. Demand unequivocally from those responsible for social networks, including Meta, X, and Google, to delete posts, tweets, and videos that deny the events, as was done with Holocaust deniers.
5. Demand that the countries of the world act against those who spread messages denying the events.
6. Establish a dedicated team that will include members of the police, the State Prosecutor’s office, and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, perhaps led by the National Security Council, to integrate the manner in which they fight the denial efforts by Hamas supporters around the world. In addition, a contact person should be appointed to coordinate and cooperate with civil society elements in this campaign.