It's all part of trying to downplay the history of what has happened to the Jewish people. I've seen them try to stretch the meaning of "holocaust" too in an effort to deny the unique history of Jews. No, they're not victims of the unimaginable. They're just colonizing oppressors.
But, yes, it is indeed also to try in the short term to besmirch Israel's current actions because genocide, rightfully, has historically been a scary word.
-Samantha Jones, SatC