Israel is currently bombarding Gaza City, aiming to force civilians to leave, thereby allowing for the city’s destruction and a display of victory to the Israeli populace. Israeli officials rarely consider the suffering of Gaza’s people, and bombing to displace them has become normalized. The Israeli public’s concern for the mounting death toll in Gaza and the army’s actions remains low.
According to a poll, a significant percentage of Jewish Israelis believe that none of Gaza’s pre-war population was innocent. The dehumanization of Palestinians is not a recent development but has its roots in the historical occupation and is reflected in education systems and societal narratives that portray Palestinians as threats or enemies.
Israeli children’s books and school exercises have depicted Palestinians negatively, reinforcing the dehumanization. This view is prevalent among Israeli hardline religious groups, mobilized by the withdrawal from Gaza in 2005, leading to a campaign to control Israeli institutions and ensure their views become mainstream.
This societal attitude towards Palestinians, including the belief in the necessity of periodic ethnic cleansing, is deeply ingrained. It reflects a long-standing view of Palestinians as temporary presences, disconnected from their land and homes, a perspective adopted by Israel and influencing discussions on the potential ethnic cleansing of Gaza and the occupied West Bank.
