Family of man who coined 'genocide' fights institute using his name to accuse Israel of war crimes

A growing coalition of prominent U.S. rabbis is urging Pennsylvania's Democratic Gov. Josh Shapiro and state officials to review the Lemkin Institute for Genocide Prevention, arguing that the group has distorted the legacy of Raphael Lemkin, the Polish Jewish jurist who coined the term "genocide" by using his name to accuse Israel of committing genocide.

Joseph Lemkin, a New Jersey attorney and nephew of Raphael Lemkin, said the family acted reluctantly but felt compelled after seeing how the institute's materials were reaching younger audiences.

"A combination of factors led us to take formal steps against the Lemkin Institute," Lemkin told Fox News Digital. "I had heard about the Lemkin Institute's disturbing position but initially thought it was best to let the institute continue in anonymity. 

"However, when my 16-year-old son (at the time) asked me if I knew about the institute and what they were espousing on social media, I became more concerned about the impact the institution's conduct would have on the next generation.

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"I knew I had to do something to let the public know that the Lemkin Institute was not supported by my family. It was taken to the next level when I was connected with Rabbi Margolin of the European Jewish Association. His communication with my family made us realize that this was a far-reaching concern that should be addressed more formally."

Raphael Lemkin coined the term "genocide" in 1944 after studying the destruction of European Jewry and helped inspire the 1948 U.N. Genocide Convention. His family says his name was never meant to be used to brand the Jewish state as genocidal, a claim they say inverts his life's work.

The family's complaint asks Pennsylvania officials to examine the nonprofit's use of Lemkin's name in public materials, including its Oct. 13, 2023, "active genocide alert," which labeled Israel as committing genocide just days after Hamas' Oct. 7 massacre.

Lemkin said the timing of that alert was a turning point. "

The active genocide alert is very concerning. It made us realize the horrible agenda of the Institute," he said. "Merely days after Israelis were killed, raped, tortured and taken hostage and with no action yet taken by Israel to defend itself, the alert was issued. This makes it clear that the institute has an anti-Israel agenda and (is) not genuinely concerned about human rights and certainly not concerned about attacks on Jews. Whether the institute considers its positions as anti-Semitic … it is clear that its agenda foments antisemitism."

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In recent weeks, a series of letters from prominent rabbis have been submitted to state officials, reinforcing the concerns raised by the Lemkin family.

Rabbi Marvin Hier, founder of the Simon Wiesenthal Center, urged the state to review whether the group's use of "Lemkin" misleads the public about Raphael Lemkin's historical mission. Rabbi Aryeh Ralbag, chief justice of the Union of Orthodox Rabbis of the United States and Canada, also weighed in, calling the "genocide" label applied to Israel a distortion of historical truth. Similar letters came from rabbis Yitzchak Lasry and Tal Peretz, along with additional submissions from Rabbis Dana, Ovadia and Tobali.

"In terms of rabbis taking a position, I think this is extremely important," Lemkin said. "If an organization uses Raphael's name to distort or invert his legacy, religious and moral leaders have a duty to defend historical truth. … When a revered public figure's name such as Raphael, is misused, it becomes a form of false witness, which, as I understand it, is contrary to Jewish law and ethics."

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The rabbinic push comes as the Anti-Defamation League reports record-high antisemitic incidents in the U.S. Rabbis and family members argue that labeling Israel as "genocidal" under Lemkin's name does more than distort history. It reinforces rhetoric that spills into real-world antisemitism.

Lemkin said the connection is clear to him. 

"In terms of feeding narratives to help antisemitism spread, it seems obvious, and I believe it is supported by empirical evidence that spikes in accusations that Israel is committing genocide correlate with surges in antisemitic incidents in the U.S.," he wrote. "From my perspective, using the 'genocide' trope against Israel doesn't advance peace or justice. It just brings back antisemitic patterns. It turns the memory of Jewish victimhood into an accusation against the Jewish people and corrupts a word coined to prevent another Holocaust.

"Candidly using the word genocide against Israel while ignoring Darfur, Rwanda and Syria and others erodes the moral credibility of human rights activists, spotlighting their true antisemitic motivations."

Lemkin also warned that antisemitic and anti-Zionist rhetoric is becoming more mainstream.

"My view of this political moment - The recent anti-Zionist rhetoric is massively troubling and scary, not only from the streets and campuses but increasingly by elected officials," he said. "What we used to see confined to the fringe extremists is being heard in legislative chambers and political rallies."

He said he accepts criticism of Israeli policy but rejects efforts to delegitimize Israel's existence. 

"When political leaders adopt language condemning Zionism, it is denying Jewish peoplehood itself. Such language by politicians normalizes prejudice and puts our Jewish communities at risk."

Asked how his uncle would respond today, Lemkin said, "I think he would be truly pained to see his name or life's work used to distort his mission. He stood for the protection of all people and especially understood the Jewish people's right to live in safety and self-determination."

"To honor Raphael memory," he said, "would be to stay true to his moral clarity by calling out real injustice and to reject rhetoric that twists his legacy and turns his message of hate against those for whom he first spoke."

Fox News Digital reached out to the Lemkin Institute for Genocide Prevention for comment but did not receive a response.