The National Jewish Assembly (NJA) is outraged by the recent publication in The Lancet, a reputable medical journal, which included a correspondence falsely estimating 186,000 deaths in Gaza. This misleading piece, authored by Rasha Khatib, Martin McKee, and Salim Yusuf, has sparked widespread misinterpretation and has been weaponised by anti-Israel propagandists to spread malicious falsehoods.
NJA Vice Chairman Keith Rowe stated, “This publication represents a new blood libel against Israel. The Lancet’s decision to publish such unverified and grossly exaggerated figures is not only irresponsible but dangerous. It fuels antisemitic hatred and delegitimises Israel’s right to defend itself against terrorism.”
Key points highlighting the falsehood and irresponsibility of The Lancet’s publication include:
- Admission By Authors: McKee published an X post on July 8 admitting that the figures are “purely illustrative” and not factual
- Baseless Figures: The claim of 186,000 deaths is not supported by any credible evidence. It is a hypothetical estimate, not based on verified data, and has been grossly misinterpreted as fact.
- Non-Peer Reviewed: The piece was a correspondence, not a peer-reviewed article, undermining its scientific validity. It has been presented misleadingly as an authoritative study.
- Misrepresentation of Sources: The authors falsely claimed Israeli intelligence supported their figures, which is categorically untrue. They also cited unreliable sources, further diminishing the credibility of their claims.
- Comparative Inaccuracies: The authors’ comparison to other conflicts fails to consider the unique dynamics of Gaza, including its civilian population density and the distinct nature of the conflict.
- Indirect Deaths Misused: The concept of “indirect deaths” was improperly applied, inflating the death toll by including future hypothetical deaths due to conflict conditions, not direct casualties.
Rowe continued, “This new blood libel is a grotesque distortion of reality. The Lancet has provided a platform for false narratives that endanger Jewish lives worldwide. We demand an immediate retraction and a formal apology from The Lancet for this grievous error.”
The NJA has written to the Lancet demanding the removal of the libellous paper and calls upon the UK media to exercise greater responsibility in their reporting and to verify facts before propagating such harmful misinformation.
