ILF launches dictionary to reclaim 'hijacked' terms related to October 7, Israel-Hamas war

On the third anniversary of October 7, the International Legal Forum (ILF) launched its 'Dictionary of Terms,' an online resource aimed at reclaiming terms it argues have been hijacked and inverted by anti-Israel activists. The dictionary currently has nine terms, with six more in progress, and includes definitions under international law, background, examples, and descriptions of how each term has been weaponized.

On the third anniversary of October 7, the International Legal Forum (ILF) launched its 'Dictionary of Terms,' an online resource aimed at reclaiming terms it argues have been hijacked and inverted by anti-Israel activists. The Israel-based ILF is a network of 4,000 lawyers led by CEO Michal Cotler-Wunsh. Cotler-Wunsh announced the release of the Dictionary of Terms website (www.dictionaryofterms.org) with the hope that it will help 'remember, reclaim, and renew the foundational principles of the law that have been systematically hijacked, redefined, inverted, and weaponized.' ILF describes a hijacked term as a word with a precise meaning in law or history that has been stripped of that meaning and repurposed as a political weapon. The dictionary currently has nine terms, with six more in progress. Under each term, users can find the definition under international law, the background, examples, and a description of how the term has been weaponized and by whom. There is also an option for users to submit a term. Alongside the website launch is a social media campaign featuring international experts including Irwin Cotler, Gerald Steinberg, and Natan Sharansky. Cotler-Wunsh told the Post that the dictionary is not just a resource 'for lawyers' but for the general public which 'uses these terms in this war of words.'