The Language of power: How the Israeli rhetoric has justified genocide in Gaza

By, Bachar Bakour

Language is not just a means of communication but a powerful tool that shapes perceptions, influences actions, and alters the collective consciousness of societies.

According to Ibrahim Anis, a leading Egyptian linguist, those in power put their own semantic spies to characterize fighters as terrorists, nationalists as reckless zealots, and view defeat as an unequivocal victory. Throughout history, the strategic manipulation of language has been used by those in power to justify violence, oppression, and dehumanization. This practice is particularly evident in the context of colonialism, where European powers employed derogatory and dehumanizing terms to rationalize the subjugation and exploitation of indigenous populations. In modern times, these tactics persist, as seen in the rhetoric surrounding the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. The use of dehumanizing language towards Palestinians by the state of Israel serves to justify extreme violence against them reflecting tactics typical of colonial power, which helps explain why the horrific deaths of Palestinians over the past seventy-five years have largely been overlooked by Western nations.

The following are six infamous statements made by Israeli leaders that call for genocide in Gaza in the aftermath of the Al-Aqsa Flood on October 7, 2023.

One: Just days after October, 7,  2023, Israeli Defense Minister, Yoav Gallant Announces Siege On Gaza To Fight ‘Human Animals’.  “There will be no electricity, no food, no fuel. Everything is closed,” Gallant said.

To label the people of Gaza or fighters as “human animals” and therefore announce a complete siege—cutting off electricity, food, and fuel—reflects a deeply troubling use of dehumanizing language. This racism-ridden rhetoric not only justifies extreme actions, like cutting off essential resources, but also significantly lowers the barriers to committing atrocities against them. Gallant’s labeling echoes the dehumanizing language historically employed by colonial European powers to justify brutal policies against colonized populations. In Australia, Indigenous Australians were often described as being part of the “fauna” or referred to as “subhuman,” justifying their exploitation and near-extermination.

In Africa, during the colonization of the Congo under King Leopold II of Belgium, the Congolese were often depicted as barbaric and in need of “civilizing,” which rationalized the extreme violence and forced labor they were subjected to. Similarly, during the Rwandan Genocide, Tutsis were referred to as “cockroaches,” a term used to incite mass violence against them. In the United States, African slaves were often dehumanized through language that depicted them as mere property or as animals, which rationalized the harsh realities of slavery and the denial of basic human rights. The Nazi regime branded European Jews  as “vermin” or “rat-like”.

Two: In late October, during a televised address to the Israeli public, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu referenced the Bible while announcing Israel’s full-scale invasion of Gaza, stating, “You must remember what Amalek has done to you.” In the Book of Exodus, the Amalekites attacked the Israelites as they fled from Egypt. Despite the Israelites’ victory over them, the descendants of Amalek were cursed by God.

This comparison implies not only a religious justification for military action but also frames the conflict in absolute terms, where compromise or coexistence is not an option. The Amalekites, in biblical lore, were condemned by God, and their total destruction was seen as a divine mandate. The implication of such a citation is profound. It serves to further dehumanize the Palestinian population by equating them with an ancient enemy cursed by God. This rhetoric can also be seen as an attempt to rally support among religious and nationalist segments of the Israeli population, who may view the conflict through a biblical lens.

Further, the biblical commandment says Amalekites must be destroyed. Verse 1 Samuel 15:3 frequently invoked by the Israeli far-right to justify killing Palestinians reads: “Now go and smite Amalek, and utterly destroy all that they have, and spare them not; but slay both man and woman, infant and suckling, ox and sheep, camel and ass.” While invoking this narrative, Netanyahu draws a parallel between the ancient enemies of Israel and people of Gaza, suggesting that they pose an existential threat that must be completely vanquished.

Three: In November 2023, Israeli Heritage Minister Amihai Eliyahu ignited widespread outrage during a radio interview when he suggested that using a nuclear bomb on the Gaza Strip was “one of the possibilities” in the current conflict.  Eliyahu is a member of the religious supremacist party Otzma Yehudit (“Jewish Power”). Following these controversial remarks, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu swiftly disavowed Eliyahu’s comments and suspended him from attending cabinet meetings.

Netanyahu’s office said: “Eliyahu’s statements are not based in reality. Israel and the IDF (military) are operating in accordance with the highest standards of international law to avoid harming innocents. We will continue to do so until our victory.”

Four: On March 9, 2024, an Israeli rabbi called for the killing of women and children in the Gaza Strip, claiming it was justified by the teachings of halakha, or Jewish law. “Today he is a baby; tomorrow he is a fighter,” the rabbi stated. He further elaborated, saying, “In our holy war, in the context of Gaza, the law is clear: ‘Not every soul shall live,’ and the reasoning behind this is straightforward—if you do not kill them, they will kill you.”

This alarming mindset fuels a cycle of violence in which the line between combatants and non-combatants becomes blurred, potentially resulting in widespread atrocities. It also erodes the principles of proportionality and distinction, which are essential to international humanitarian law and human rights. In the broader geopolitical context, such outrageous statements risk inflaming tensions not only between Israelis and Palestinians but also between Israel and the wider international community. They could potentially provide justification for extreme measures in the eyes of those who support this perspective, while simultaneously galvanizing opposition and condemnation from those who view these remarks as an endorsement of war crimes.

Five: On April 18, 2024, Israel’s far-right national security minister, Itamar Ben-Gvir, suggested the death penalty as a solution for prisons overcrowded with Palestinian captives. He welcomed a decision by the Israeli army to build 936 additional prison places for “security prisoners”. “The additional construction will allow the prison service to take in more terrorists, and will bring a partial solution to the prison crisis that exists in the Shabak,” he said, referring to the Israeli Prison Service.

Six:  In early August 2024, Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich made headlines by suggesting that starving Gazans could be a justified and moral tactic until Israeli captives were returned. This shocking statement prompted strong reactions from the international community, with the UK, France, and the EU condemning Smotrich’s remarks as tantamount to advocating war crimes.

These irresponsible remarks from ostensibly ‘responsible’ Israeli figures reveal a troubling pattern of dehumanization and incitement. The response from Netanyahu’s office, claiming that Israel and its military adhere to high standards of international law to avoid harming civilians, is nothing more than a blatant falsehood and a clear disregard for international law and human rights. If Israel were truly committed to upholding these standards, such statements would not only be condemned but would also be entirely absent from public discourse. The relentless and violent assault on the people of Gaza by the IDF for over ten months is a clear manifestation of the language of retaliation and annihilation.

Every hour in Gaza: 15 people are killed – six are children, 35 people are injured, 42 bombs are dropped, 12 buildings are destroyed.

Reports have surfaced detailing numerous testimonies from Palestinians, including women and children, who have been detained by Israel since the onset of the Gaza war. These detainees have reportedly faced torture, sexual abuse, violence, humiliation, starvation, and denial of proper medical care. Among those detained was Muhammad Abu Salmiya, the Director of al-Shifa Hospital, who was arrested amid Israeli military claims that Hamas was using the hospital as a base. Abu Salmiya stated that no charges were ever brought against him. After being held for more than seven months, he described the conditions in detention as involving “daily physical and psychological humiliation.”  Abu Salmiya recounted the harsh treatment endured by detainees, stating, “Our detainees have been subjected to all kinds of torture behind bars. Torture was almost a daily occurrence. Cells were frequently raided, and prisoners were beaten.” He also revealed that “several inmates died in interrogation centers and were deprived of food and medicine.”

In response to these atrocities and severe human rights violations, the International Court of Justice (ICJ) issued provisional measures on January 26, 2024, in a case brought by South Africa, which alleges that Israel is violating the Genocide Convention. The court’s orders require Israel to take steps to prevent genocide against Palestinians in Gaza, ensure the provision of basic services and humanitarian aid, and prevent and punish any incitement to commit genocide.

Despite ICJ’s orders, Israel continues to block the provision of basic services and the entry and distribution of fuel and lifesaving aid within Gaza. These acts of collective punishment, which include using starvation as a weapon of war, constitute war crimes. It is abundantly clear that Israel is hell-bent on persisting in its indiscriminate policy of bloodshed and dehumanization against the people of Gaza, a policy where actions clearly align with rhetoric. The bottom line is that Israel, frequently indulged with undue leniency akin to a spoiled brat, appears to dismiss fundamental principles like the rule of law, civic duty, human rights, and established codes of conduct, treating them as largely irrelevant or non-existent.***

(The writer is an academic in the Department of Fundamental and Interdisciplinary Studies, AbdulHamid AbuSulayman Kulliyyah of Islamic Revealed Knowledge and Human Sciences, International Islamic University Malaysia.)