Israeli Officials Use Extreme Rhetoric Ahead of October Elections
High-level Israeli officials have surged in extreme rhetoric and calls for Palestinian expulsion ahead of the October 27 elections.
Extreme rhetoric from high-level officials has surged under the far-right government of Benjamin Netanyahu leading up to the October 27 elections. The Israeli think tank OFEK documented 227 extreme comments made by officials this year, noting a trend of incitement targeting Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank, as well as Arab citizens of Israel.
High-ranking officials have called for the expulsion of Gaza residents and denied the existence of a Palestinian identity. Defense Minister Israel Katz claimed responsibility for the destruction of Gaza, while National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir asserted that Gaza is Israeli territory. Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich advocated for the Judaization of the Negev and Galilee, and Zehut party leader Moshe Feiglin called for the forced expulsion of Gaza residents through means such as cutting off water supplies.
While Netanyahu has avoided the explicit language used by his allies, critics identify his campaign slogan, right or Palestine, as a form of incitement. This political discourse coincides with increased violence from Jewish settlers in the West Bank, including an incident in Lubban al-Sharqiya where settlers targeted a Palestinian shop. These patterns of speech have also been cited in genocide allegations brought by South Africa before the International Court of Justice, which Israel vehemently rejects.
