ABSTRACT
This chapter delves into the Israeli psyche and examines the dominant ideology that underlies the creation and development of the State of Israel, namely Zionism. Using historical and contemporary references, the chapter attempts to understand the reference points, self-perception, and aspirations of the two nationalisms that clash in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, examining also the role of external actors, notably the U.S. The end result is a State of Israel where non-Jewish Arab Israelis are second-class citizens and Arabs in the occupied West Bank are disenfranchised and subject to Jewish settler and military violence, while the inhabitants of Gaza are being killed in large numbers and starved to death following the October 7, 2023, attack by Hamas in southern Israel. In a great irony of history, Israel these days clearly violates the norms enshrined in the Geneva Conventions, which were enacted precisely to preclude a recurrence of the cruelties of World War II – most notably the genocide of Europe's Jews. The chapter ends in the hope, unfortunately against much evidence to the contrary, that with concerted international pressure, there is a chance of resurrecting the humane values of Judaism and in the process saving numerous human lives on all sides.
