- December 9, 2024
- 9:19 pm
- World News
December 9 is a special date in world history. On this day in 1948 it was signed UN Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of Genocide.
This document was a response to the tragedies that shocked humanity in the twentieth century: the Holocaust, Holodomor and other massacres.
The author of the term “genocide” was the Polish-Jewish lawyer Rafael Lemkin, whose family died in the Holocaust. It was his work that formed the basis of the Convention.
At the beginning of 1920, Lemkin studied philology and then law at the Jan Casimir University of Lvov (Ukraine).
Lemkin not only examined the genocide of the Jews, but also emphasized that the systematic extermination of Ukrainians in 1932–1933 (Holodomor) also constituted genocide.
Quote from Raphael Lemkin:
“The destruction of a nation begins with the deprivation of its economic and cultural independence. This is the first step on the path to genocide.”
Genocide in the 20th century: lessons for modern times
Major tragedies:
- Holocaust (1941–1945):
- The extermination of 6 million Jews by the Nazi regime.
- Massive repression against Roma, disabled people and other groups.
- Holodomor (1932–1933):
- The systematic extermination of Ukrainians by starvation by the Soviet regime.
- About 3.9 million dead.
- Armenian genocide (1915–1917):
- The first large-scale attempt to exterminate a people in the 20th century.
- Roma genocide:
- Often left out of the main focus of history, hundreds of thousands of people were affected.
Modern challenges
Genocide is not only history. Conflicts in Rwanda (1994), Darfur (2003–2004) and Russian actions in Ukraine since 2022 show that the threat remains relevant.
Fact: On December 7, 2024, the US Senate recognized Russia's actions in Ukraine as genocide, supporting Ukraine in its struggle for justice.
Israel and Ukraine: common history lessons
Jewish and Ukrainian experience
Jews and Ukrainians survived some of the worst genocides of the 20th century. These tragedies became the basis for close cooperation between the two peoples in the struggle for human rights.
| Genocide | Number of victims | Responsibility |
|---|---|---|
| Holocaust | ~6 million | Nazi Germany |
| Holodomor | ~3.9 million | Soviet Union |
| Roma genocide | ~500 thousand | Nazi Germany |
| Crimean Tatar genocide | ~200 thousand | Soviet Union |
General conclusion: The affected peoples must be not just keepers of memory, but also active participants in the struggle to prevent new tragedies.
Modern War: Genocide in Ukraine
Since 2022, Ukraine has been experiencing new horrors. Massacres in Bucha, Irpen and other cities became a symbol of Russia’s crimes against the Ukrainian people.
Key facts:
- In April 2022, the Verkhovna Rada recognized the actions of the Russian Federation as genocide.
- The international community is gradually coming to the same conclusion.
Quote from NAnews:
“Preserving the memory of past genocides is a guarantee that future generations will not repeat these mistakes.”
Memory as the basis of the future
Every year on December 9th, the world remembers the importance of preventing genocide. But words alone are not enough. Israel and Ukraine should become an example of how remembering the past can become the basis for preventing new tragedies.
On the website NAnews – Israel News we continue to examine how historical tragedies shape contemporary geopolitics and what we can do to protect human rights in the future.
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