‘Red Indians of the Middle East’
on november 10, 1975, the united nations general assembly passed a resolution that categorized zionism as a form of racism. consequently, israel can be viewed as a racist state, with its establishment seen as an extension of the european colonial ideology prevalent in the nineteenth century.
this ideology was marked by the “scramble for africa,” “imperial expansion” in asia, and earlier, the discovery and colonization of the americas, which involved the brutal “ethnic cleansing” of millions of indigenous people.
racist zionism, as elaborated in my previous articles, employed similar methods and racist european thinking to displace or eliminate the palestinian people in various ways.
after the hamas attack on israel on october 7, 2023, extreme expressions of zionist racism emerged, exemplified by statements from israeli officials.
national security minister itamar ben-gvir called for the execution of palestinian prisoners, advocating shooting them in the head instead of providing more food. he also suggested that instead of sending wheat to gaza, explosives should be dropped as long as hamas refuses to release prisoners.
defense minister yoav gallant referred to palestinians as “human animals” and declared that they would be treated as such.
israeli army commander ghassan alian echoed these sentiments, stating that hamas “animals” should be treated accordingly, promising to deliver “hell” to them. general hakray emphasized the importance of destruction over precision in military strikes
prime minister benjamin netanyahu declared an intention to turn gaza into a “deserted island.” senior israeli officials have used dehumanizing language to describe palestinians, stripping them of their humanity and justifying violent actions through biblical narratives, such as the passage in 1 samuel 15:3, which calls for the complete destruction of the amalekites. these statements reflect a genocidal intent, aiming not merely to stop the war but to annihilate the palestinian population.
since the bombing campaign began on october 7, israel has dropped over 25,000 tons of explosives on gaza, equating to two nuclear bombs, according to the euro-mediterranean human rights monitor. this has led to the deaths of tens of thousands of palestinians and the widespread destruction of civilian infrastructure.
despite calls for peace, israel’s actions and rhetoric suggest a refusal to coexist with the palestinian people, aiming instead for their total elimination, akin to the historical treatment of indigenous populations in the americas. advocates for peace have failed to propose a viable solution, often suggesting surrender rather than addressing the root causes of the conflict.
as stated in my previous article, i am a proponent of peace and negotiation, but when faced with an enemy intent on annihilation, the right to self-defense becomes paramount.
advocates of peace need to provide logical solutions rather than merely condemning defensive actions or ignoring the existential threat faced by the palestinian people.
accepting the status quo without addressing these issues would reduce palestinians to the “red indians of the middle east.”
correction: yesterday’s article incorrectly stated that ilan pappé was born in 1954 and served in the golan in 1967. he was conscripted at 18 and served in the golan during the 1973 war.
