Genocide scholars group, under fire for Israel condemnation, rejects criticism of its open-door policy

The International Association of Genocide Scholars, under fire after accusing Israel of genocide earlier this week, rejects criticism of its resolution against Israel and says it has blocked new members from joining.

The Monday resolution garnered widespread media coverage that portrayed the group as a prestigious cadre of experts, but pro-Israel activists later discovered that anyone could join the association for as little as $30. Some of the activists joined the association, some using prank names.

Critics said the open membership policy undermined the association’s position as a body of experts.

Other criticism focused on the substance of the resolution, which cited casualty figures from the Hamas-controlled Gaza Health Ministry that did not differentiate between civilians and combatants; cited international groups that reinterpreted the legal definition of genocide to accuse Israel; cited a UN investigator with a history of antisemitism; and misinterpreted an International Court of Justice ruling.

The association did not include any original scholarship in its resolution.

Members of the association also decried what they said was a lack of transparency while passing the genocide resolution. The association did not hold discussions about the resolution, did not allow a forum for publishing internal dissenting opinions after requests from members, and did not state who drafted the resolution.

The response, sent to members today and shared with The Times of Israel, highlights the “broad interest” and “positive” media coverage generated by the resolution, and reiterates that the statement was published in accordance with the group’s bylaws and standard practices.

International Association of Genocide Scholars responds to criticism in a message to its members from the executive board pic.twitter.com/GeFZsvuA1T

— Luke Tress (@luketress) September 4, 2025

The statement censures the “campaign to spam our membership” with fake names “such as ‘Adolf Hitler’ or email addresses such as fuckiags@retards.” In response, the association has temporarily blocked new members from joining.

The executive board also disabled the association’s public members directory for the protection of members, the statement says, adding that the executive board has been harassed in emails and on social media.

The group digs in on its open door policy, saying the association is “designed to be open to all who are committed to working on issues pertaining to genocide,” including “artists, advocates, independent scholars, global majority scholars, marginalized communities, and survivors.”

“The goal is to includes voices of those who may not have PhDs, official institutional affiliation, or the financial means to access ‘conventional education’ that often privileges Global North forms of expertise. It is intended to circumvent any ivory tower privilege,” the statement says.

The statement does not address the substantive criticism of the resolution or the lack of transparency surrounding the passing of the resolution.