A brief guide to Israel’s cultural genocide.

Interesting – Mark

Since its genocide against Palestinians in Gaza began, the Israeli military has destroyed hundreds of historical and religious sites, and centers of culture and learning like libraries, archives, and museums.

Here’s a brief guide to Israel’s cultural genocide in Gaza:

Great Omari Mosque: Gaza’s oldest mosque and the second-oldest mosque in all of Palestine, the Great Omari Mosque dates back 1,400 years. It was destroyed in an Israeli airstrike in December. In an instant, a place representing centuries of history — and housing dozens of rare books and priceless manuscripts — was reduced to rubble.
Church of Saint Porphyrius: This Greek Orthodox church was originally constructed in the 5th century, and its current structure was built in the 12th century. It is the oldest church in Gaza and is considered to be one of the oldest churches in the world. In the early weeks of the genocide, Israel bombed the compound where the church is located, causing a roof to collapse and killing over a dozen people sheltering inside.
Qasr el-Basha: Constructed in the 13th century, Pasha’s Palace was converted into a museum in 2010, housing precious antiquities like ceramics that dated back hundreds of years. It was all but reduced to rubble in an Israeli airstrike in December.
Rashad al-Shawa Cultural Center: A hub for artistic life in Gaza, the center housed a library and theater and hosted art exhibitions and film screenings. It was destroyed in an Israeli airstrike in November.
Central Archives of Gaza: Left in ruins after an Israeli airstrike in December, the archives housed historical documents dating back more than a century.

What is cultural genocide?

The United Nations Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide was drafted in the aftermath of the Nazi Holocaust. It defines genocide as “physical acts,” such as killings or measures intended to prevent births, which are carried out with “intent to destroy, in whole or in part, a national, ethnical, racial or religious group, as such.”