From the construction of the enemy to genocide: social practices of extermination in Palestine

Abstract

Introduction: This article analyzes the Israel-Palestine conflict, arguing that it has transcended the category of an armed conflict to constitute a genocidal process. It adopts the theoretical framework of Daniel Feierstein, who conceptualizes genocide not as an isolated event, but as a social practice that occurs gradually, beginning with the discursive construction of the enemy.

Method: The research is conducted through a qualitative and critical analysis of documentary sources. This includes the use of theoretical frameworks on genocide, reports from human rights organizations, and official documents, applying the stages of the genocidal process proposed by the author to the Palestinian-Israeli case.

Results: The analysis identifies the presence and overlapping of all the stages of genocide as a social practice: 1) The construction of a negative Palestinian otherness through securitizing discourses; 2) Harassment through settler actions and state policies; 3) Physical isolation via walls and blockades; 4) Systematic weakening through attacks on vital infrastructure; 5) Industrialized material annihilation using technology; and 6) Symbolic realization, involving the erasure of identity and the transfer of blame.

Conclusions: Through this, it is concluded that the events in Palestine correspond to a planned and methodical genocidal process. This process has successfully produced social consensus and a propaganda machinery that inverts the roles of victims and perpetrators. It further demonstrates how genocidal practices are reinvented in modernity, employing new tools and being executed before a global audience.