Calls for the destruction of Israel

This article is about explicit calls for violence against Israeli people. For calls for the dissolution of the State of Israel, see Anti-Zionism.

Participants burn a large effigy adorned with an Israeli flag during Quds Day in Tehran, 2016

There have been explicit or implicit expressions, statements, and rhetoric made by individuals, political entities, and factions within Arab and Islamic discourse advocating for the elimination of the State of Israel as a political entity. These calls often involve the use of strong language, genocidal threats,[1][2] or declarations aiming at the complete eradication of Israel. Such expressions may be manifested in official statements, speeches, charters, or public discourse, reflecting a position that denies the legitimacy of Israel's existence and seeks its destruction through various means, including military or other forms of political and ideological action.[3][2]

The history of calls for the destruction of Israel is rooted in the prelude to its establishment. Leaders such as Azzam Pasha of the Arab League warned of a "war of extermination" in the event that a Jewish state was established, although the interpretation of this quotation is disputed. Prior to the 1967 Six Day War, there was a nearly unanimous consensus among Arab nations aimed at the obliteration of Israel.[4] Egyptian president Gamal Abdel Nasser reiterated calls for the annulment of Israel's existence in the lead-up to the war.

Islamist Palestinian organizations like Hamas[5] and the Palestinian Islamic Jihad[5] advocate for Israel's destruction.[6] Instances of media and propaganda within Palestinian discourse also contribute to expressions advocating for the destruction of Israel. The political slogan "From the river to the sea" has been characterized by some commentators as a call for Israel's destruction.

  1. ^ Tsesis, Alexander (2014–2015). "Antisemitism and Hate Speech Studies". Rutgers Journal of Law and Religion. 16: 352.
  2. ^ a b Krell, Gert; Müller, Harald (2012). Noch ein Krieg im Nahen Osten? Zum misslungenen Anstoß von Günter Grass zu einer überfälligen öffentlichen Debatte [Another war in the Middle East? On Günter Grass's failed attempt to spark a long-overdue public debate]. HSFK-Report (in German). Vol. 2/2012. Frankfurt am Main: Hessische Stiftung Friedens- und Konfliktforschung. ISBN 978-3-942532-40-2.
  3. ^ "הפלסטינים רוצים להשמיד את ישראל" [The Palestinians want to destroy Israel]. www.inn.co.il (in Hebrew). Retrieved 2023-11-07.
  4. ^ Freilich, Charles D. (2018). Israeli National Security: A New Strategy for an Era of Change. New York, NY: Oxford University Press. pp. 34, 37. ISBN 978-0-19-060293-2.
  5. ^ a b Jaeger, David A.; Paserman, M. Daniele (2006). "Israel, the Palestinian Factions, and the Cycle of Violence" (PDF). The American Economic Review. 96 (2): 45–49. doi:10.1257/000282806777212008. hdl:10419/33218. ISSN 0002-8282. JSTOR 30034612. S2CID 18626011.
  6. ^ Cite error: The named reference haaretz 2023 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).