Former US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo stirred controversy by urging that future history books avoid focusing on Gaza's victims during Israel's ongoing conflict there. Speaking on January 13, 2026, at the pro-Israel MirYam Institute event, he emphasized shaping the narrative to highlight Israeli suffering from the October 7, 2023, Hamas attack, while downplaying Palestinian civilian deaths as typical wartime casualties.
Pompeo clarified that while Gaza saw losses, the true victims were Israelis, with Iran and Hamas as aggressors. His remarks, met with applause, drew sharp online backlash, including accusations of genocide denial amid reports of over 71,000 Palestinian deaths since 2023 and UN genocide warnings.
Social media critics, like journalist Motasem A Dalloul, condemned the call to erase Palestinian suffering, especially post a fragile US-brokered ceasefire violated by Israel. The statement underscores tensions over historical narratives in the protracted war.
