Home > Genocide and ethnic conflict in Israel and Palestine

Claims and counterclaims of genocide involving the Israelis and Palestinians in the current State of Israel and its disputed territories date back at least as far as the founding of Israel itself. Though there is by no means consensus on whether ethnic cleansing and/or genocide has occurred or is occurring in this region, much less by which party or parties, there are certainly events and movements on both sides of the dispute for which claims of genocide could be legitimately debated. For detailed information about this region, see Arab-Israeli conflict, in which the competing views of this conflict are very comprehensively discussed, and its many related articles.

1 Palestinian Supporters' Position

In general, supporters of the Palestinians point to the creation of Israel itself as an act of ethnic cleansing. The Palestinians point to Israel disallowing them to return to the areas originally part of Arab Palestine conquered by Israel in the War of Independence that they had left prior to the entry of Arab forces into the area. Other acts and policies of the Israeli government that have also been seen by the Palestinian side as promoting ethnic cleansing and/or genocide:

• Opposition to Palestinian right of return for the purpose of preserving Israel as a majority Jewish state.
• Collective punishment of Palestinians, e.g., punishment of family members of alleged terrorists, or general restrictions on all Palestinians as a response to violence committed by individuals.
• Establishment of settlements in disputed territories, which have been denounced as illegal by the UN Security Council (see settlements article for details and Israel's response). Opponents of settlements consider them to be a "land grab" or outright ethnic cleansing of Palestinians from captured areas.

2 Israeli Supporters' Position

Supporters of Israel generally point to a trend of what appears to be regional anti-Semitism and the historical hostility of its neighbors to its existence as a Jewish state. Some of the actions by Palestinian organizations and neighboring Arab nations towards Israel following its creation are considered a show of this anti-Semitism, which in some cases is genocidal:

• The attack on Israel which became its 1948 war of independence, with the attackers'( Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, Jordan, Egypt, and Saudi Arabia) explicitly stated goal being the destruction of the newly-formed state.
• Continuing rhetoric by neighboring states claiming the illegitimacy of Israel and calling for its destruction.
• Ongoing intifadas by Palestinian groups, particularly the targeting of Israeli civilians by suicide bombers. Prominent figures within the Palestinian Authority, including Yasser Arafat, have made public statements on the PA State-Controlled Television calling for the destruction of Jews, strengthening claims of ethnic motivation and genocide in these attacks.
• Brainwashing of Palestinian children into hating Jews and Americans, both through television and through school education. Brainwashing includes teaching children to reject the right of Israel to exist and a Jihad against Israel and her supporters.