{"id":96743,"date":"2025-10-25T04:23:07","date_gmt":"2025-10-25T04:23:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/96743\/"},"modified":"2025-10-25T04:23:07","modified_gmt":"2025-10-25T04:23:07","slug":"israel-faces-dire-future-unless-it-addresses-past-crimes-says-leading-genocide-scholar","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/96743\/","title":{"rendered":"Israel faces \u2018dire future\u2019 unless it addresses past crimes, says leading genocide scholar"},"content":{"rendered":"

Israel will become increasingly violent and repressive as long as it denies the crimes it has committed in Gaza and other parts of Palestine<\/a> since 1948, a leading genocide scholar has told The National.<\/p>\n

\u201cIn many ways, a dire future that I see for Israel<\/a> right now is very much part of its inability to face up to this past,\u201d Omer Bartov, Dean’s Professor of Holocaust and Genocide Studies at Brown University in the US, said in an interview. <\/p>\n

Israel will remain trapped with \u201cghosts and demons\u201d unless it can face up to its history, said Mr Bartov. <\/p>\n

\u201cI would say that it won’t be able to do that, which will mean that it will become increasingly repressive, increasingly isolated and increasingly violent, until it’s confronted with the limits of its own power. And it hasn’t been confronted with them.\u201d<\/p>\n

An articulate and erudite expert on genocide, Mr Bartov has written extensively on Nazi indoctrination of the Third Reich\u2019s army, Eastern European Jewry and the Israel-Palestine conflict. <\/p>\n

He has faced widespread criticism for his characterisation of the Israeli military\u2019s actions in Gaza<\/a> as genocide, which he believes has been the case since at least the invasion of the southern city of Rafah in May 2024. <\/p>\n

An Israeli-American citizen, Mr Bartov challenges mainstream narratives that he says dehumanise Palestinians and keep Israel trapped in denial.<\/p>\n

Israel’s refusal to fully examine its past goes back to the 1940s, when the country was created, he said. The Arab-Israeli war of 1948 included the expulsion of hundreds of thousands of Palestinians from their homes. Known in Israel as the War of Independence, it is described in Arabic as the Nakba \u2013 \u201cthe catastrophe\u201d. <\/p>\n

\u201cI would say that the inability of Israel, including during the Oslo Accords, to come to terms with what happened in 1948 is what sustains the conflict,\u201d he said, referring to the set of agreements from the 1990s that laid the foundations for a two-state solution. <\/p>\n

\u201cThat’s at the root of it. You can’t reverse history \u2013 that doesn’t work \u2013 but you have to acknowledge it, and you have to, to the best of your ability, redress the wrongs that you carried out.\u201d<\/p>\n

Israel’s inability to come to terms with what happened in 1948 is what sustains the conflict<\/p>\n

Omer Bartov<\/p>\n

Israel is widely accused of breaching international law not only in Gaza, but also in its occupation and settlement of land in the West Bank<\/a> and the Syrian Golan Heights. It denies breaching international law and says it fully upholds its obligations. <\/p>\n

Cost of denial<\/p>\n

The destruction that has taken place in Gaza<\/a> is \u201ccompletely unprecedented\u201d, said Mr Bartov. The UN said earlier this month that reconstruction costs for the strip stand at around $70 billion and \u201cfar too little aid\u201d continues to reach Palestinians living there. <\/p>\n

Societies that commit genocide<\/a> without going through a process of recognition of and recompense for their actions remain in a long-term state of denial, said Mr Bartov. \u201cAs long as these societies don’t come to terms with what they did, which means acknowledge it first of all, and acknowledge the wrongs that they perpetrated, they remain abnormal societies.\u201d<\/p>\n

He added that Israel\u2019s allies could pressure Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu<\/a>\u2019s government into realising that denial of the past is isolating and deforming Israeli society, but seem unwilling to do so. <\/p>\n

\u201cThere will have to be major pressure on Israel \u2013 political pressure, economic pressure or military pressure \u2013 for it to acknowledge, or come face to face, with the limits of its power, and to realise that in order to readjust itself to that reality, it also has to face up to the genocide,\u201d he said. <\/p>\n

US President Donald Trump\u2019s 20-point peace plan for Gaza<\/a> is \u201cvery vague\u201d, according to Mr Bartov. But he believes it is better than nothing in providing a first step towards ending the bloodshed, and pushes Israel from a trajectory of force to one of politics. Still, he doubts it will fully succeed, predicting that Gaza may instead come to resemble the West Bank, which Israel controls militarily.<\/p>\n

A later point in Mr Trump\u2019s plan outlining a pathway to Palestinian statehood cannot happen without \u201ctalking about what Israel did to Palestinians\u201d, said Mr Bartov. <\/p>\n

Faint hope for change<\/p>\n

For the political process to succeed, he proposes an equivalent of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission set up in South Africa to address the violence and human rights abuses that occurred during apartheid. <\/p>\n

It investigated gross violations, held public hearings where victims and perpetrators could tell their stories and offered amnesty to those who fully disclosed politically motivated crimes. Its goal was to uncover the truth, promote national healing and foster reconciliation.<\/p>\n

Mr Bartov says such a mechanism should address not only Gaza but also crimes committed since 1948. <\/p>\n

\u201cIt has to go back to the Nakba<\/a>, not because you can return everybody \u2013 but because if you don’t speak about it, you’re just keeping all these skeletons in the closet,\u201d he said. \u201cThey pile up and the whole thing collapses.\u201d <\/p>\n

There’s a complete indifference to Palestinian life, not least children. I don’t think that is going to change any time soon<\/p>\n

Omer Bartov<\/p>\n

That will be difficult in part because of the long-term dehumanisation of Palestinians in Israeli society, he said. <\/p>\n

Alongside the release of living and dead hostages from Gaza as part of the ceasefire agreement\u2019s first stage, there is little space for sympathy with ordinary Palestinians. <\/p>\n

More than 68,000 Gazans have been killed since Israel began military operations in the strip following the October 7, 2023 Hamas attacks, in which 1,200 people were killed and around 250 taken hostage. <\/p>\n

\u201cI have to admit that it’s sort of frightening when you listen to Israelis,\u201d he said, describing the lack of pity and sorrow over Palestinians\u2019 deaths, and the loss of their homes and livelihoods.<\/p>\n

He last visited the country in 2024 and is unsure when he will return. \u201cThere’s a complete indifference to Palestinian life, not least children,\u201d he said. \u201cI don’t think that is going to change any time soon.\u201d<\/p>\n

He said the only glimmer of hope may come if Mr Netanyahu’s government \u2013 among the most conservative in Israel’s history \u2013 is one day replaced by a new leadership. A new government that allows a Palestinian Authority to take control of Gaza and work alongside Israel may create the conditions for the public at large to reassess its views on Palestinians, he added. <\/p>\n

\u201cLet’s say all of that happens. Then in the long run, I think there will be some ability in the public to start rethinking about Palestinians as human beings,\u201d Mr Bartov said. \u201cBut it’s very far off in many ways.\u201d<\/p>\n

He has lost friends over his stance on Gaza. \u201cI’ve probably lost more than I know,\u201d he said. But he has received more support from people, in a way that has propelled him to keep speaking out. <\/p>\n

\u201cI’m really trying to understand and then explain to others as clearly as I can what I think we must know, and not doing it in a way that is interested just in laying blame,\u201d he said. \u201cBut also in understanding, and trying to maybe propose some kind of way forward.\u201d<\/p>\n

Killing of Qassem SuleimaniCompany profile<\/p>\n

Name:\u00a0Tharb<\/p>\n

Started:\u00a0December 2016<\/p>\n

Founder:\u00a0Eisa Alsubousi<\/p>\n

Based:\u00a0Abu Dhabi<\/p>\n

Sector:\u00a0Luxury leather goods<\/p>\n

Initial investment: Dh150,000 from personal savings<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

Profile of RentSher<\/p>\n

Started: October 2015 in India, November 2016 in UAE<\/p>\n

Founders: Harsh Dhand; Vaibhav and Purvashi Doshi<\/p>\n

Based: Bangalore, India and Dubai, UAE<\/p>\n

Sector: Online rental marketplace<\/p>\n

Size: 40 employees<\/p>\n

Investment: $2 million<\/p>\n

Real estate tokenisation project<\/p>\n

Dubai launched the pilot phase of its real estate tokenisation project last month.<\/p>\n

The initiative focuses on converting real estate assets into digital tokens recorded on blockchain technology and helps in streamlining the process of buying, selling and investing, the Dubai Land Department said.<\/p>\n

Dubai\u2019s real estate tokenisation market is projected to reach Dh60 billion ($16.33 billion) by 2033, representing 7 per cent of the emirate\u2019s total property transactions, according to the DLD.<\/p>\n

RESULTS<\/p>\n

%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3E5pm%3A%20Sheikh%20Mansour%20bin%20Zayed%20Racing%20Festival%20%E2%80%93%20Handicap%20(PA)%20Dh100%2C000%20(Turf)%202%2C200m%3C%2Fstrong%3E%3Cbr%3EWinner%3A%20Suny%20Du%20Loup%2C%20Pat%20Dobbs%20(jockey)%2C%20Hamad%20Al%20Marar%20(trainer)%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3E5.30pm%3A%20Sheikh%20Mansour%20bin%20Zayed%20Racing%20Festival%20Cup%20%E2%80%93%20Conditions%20(PA)%20Dh150%2C000%20(T)%201%2C600m%3C%2Fstrong%3E%3Cbr%3EWinner%3A%20Nadia%20Du%20Loup%2C%20Antonio%20Fresu%2C%20Sulaiman%20Al%20Ghunaimi%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3E6pm%3A%20Sheikha%20Fatima%20bint%20Mubarak%20Cup%20%E2%80%93%20Conditions%20(PA)%20Dh150%2C000%20(T)%201%2C600m%3C%2Fstrong%3E%3Cbr%3EWinner%3A%20Dareen%2C%20Dane%20O%E2%80%99Neill%2C%20Jean%20de%20Roualle%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3E6.30pm%3A%20Sheikh%20Zayed%20bin%20Sultan%20Al%20Nahyan%20National%20Day%20Cup%20%E2%80%93%20Group%203%20(PA)%20Dh500%2C000%3C%2Fstrong%3E%3Cbr%3EWinner%3A%20AF%20Alwajel%2C%20Pat%20Dobbs%2C%20Ernst%20Oertel%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3E7.15pm%3A%20Sheikh%20Zayed%20bin%20Sultan%20Al%20Nahyan%20Jewel%20Crown%20%E2%80%93%20Group%201%20(PA)%20Dh5%2C000%2C000%20(T)%202%2C200m%3C%2Fstrong%3E%3Cbr%3EWinner%3A%20First%20Classs%2C%20Ronan%20Thomas%2C%20Jean%20De%20Mieulle%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3E8pm%3A%20Sheikh%20Zayed%20bin%20Sultan%20Al%20Nahyan%20National%20Day%20Cup%20%E2%80%93%20Listed%20(TB)%20Dh380%2C000%20(T)%201%2C600m%3C%2Fstrong%3E%3Cbr%3EWinner%3A%20San%20Donato%2C%20Pat%20Dobbs%2C%20Doug%20Watson%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3E8.30pm%3A%20Wathba%20Stallions%20Cup%20%E2%80%93%20Handicap%20(PA)%20Dh100%2C000%20(T)%201%2C600m%3C%2Fstrong%3E%3Cbr%3EWinner%3A%20AF%20Rasam%2C%20Fernando%20Jara%2C%20Ernst%20Oertel%3C%2Fp%3E%0A<\/p>\n

Killing of Qassem SuleimaniFeeding the thousands for iftar<\/p>\n

Six industrial scale vats of 500litres\u00a0each are used to cook the kanji or broth\u00a0<\/p>\n

Each vat contains kanji or porridge to feed 1,000 people<\/p>\n

The rice porridge is poured into a 500ml plastic box<\/p>\n

350 plastic tubs are placed in one container trolley<\/p>\n

Each aluminium container trolley weighing 300kg is unloaded by a small crane fitted on a truck<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Israel will become increasingly violent and repressive as long as it denies the crimes it has committed in…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":96744,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[64519,50,85,46,43,48,2865,789,77],"class_list":["post-96743","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-israel","tag-foreign-desk-team","tag-gaza","tag-il","tag-israel","tag-news","tag-palestine","tag-standard","tag-story","tag-west-bank"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/96743","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=96743"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/96743\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/96744"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=96743"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=96743"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=96743"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}