Activists have brought into question the credibility of a new International Association of Genocide Scholars (IAGS) resolution declaring Israel to be engaged in genocide, with the discovery that admission into the organization could be obtained for $30, and its membership had spiked since October 2023.
Until Wednesday, applicants could purchase an annual membership subscription according to their income bracket.
Prices ranged from $30 to $125 to be able to participate in IAGS activities, including e-mail voting for resolutions, such as the Monday one on Israeli actions in Gaza.
Honest Reporting Board member Salo Aizenberg and Middle East analyst Eitan Fischberger demonstrated on social media the ease of joining the association on Wednesday, leading to a wave of applications. Those seeking to become “genocide scholars” inundated the website, with some applying as Nazi leader Adolf Hitler or Star Wars villain Emperor Palpatine.
“It turns out literally anyone can join this body and vote on matters that make international headlines – like the resolution claiming Israel is committing genocide,” Aizenberg said on X/Twitter.
“Yes, there are some legitimate academics who are members. But when an organization with no standards, no transparency, and no accountability makes sweeping pronouncements about ‘genocide,’ it isn’t scholarship – it’s politics masquerading as scholarship. And everyone deserves to know the difference."
By Wednesday evening, the membership application was deactivated on the IAGS website. New members such as Fischberger were designated as “inactive.”
Demanding refunds
“I want my $30 back,” Fischberger told The Jerusalem Post.
IAGS did not immediately reply to queries about its membership system, but the concern among critics about the ease of application was amplified by the rapid increase in membership since October 2023.
According to Internet archives, IAGS’s directory of members stood at about 150 on October 2, 2023. Membership in IAGS almost doubled to 280 by April 2024, and again to 440 by the release of its newest resolution.
Aizenberg questioned on social media how it was known who voted for the Israel resolution. According to a September 1 press release, 28% of the association’s members voted on the resolution, with 86% in favor.
The resolution, which made headlines around the world, declared that “Israel’s policies and actions in Gaza meet the legal definition of genocide and constitute war crimes and crimes against humanity.”