By: Prof. Dr. Mohsen Mohammad Saleh.
A Noticeable Zionist Phenomenon:
Many observers are struck by the Israeli public’s response to the killing of approximately 18 thousand children and 12,400 women in the Gaza Strip (GS) by the Israeli army, alongside the large-scale destruction of hundreds of schools, mosques and hospitals, and a systematic campaign of starvation and humiliation. These atrocities appear to generate little meaningful reaction within Israeli society. At the same time, the institution that commands the highest level of trust among Israelis is the Israeli army, with a confidence rate of 82%, according to the latest opinion polls. Although a sizable majority (around 67%) supports ending the war and reaching a prisoner exchange agreement, and despite the deep political rift between the ruling coalition and the opposition, the public debate remains narrowly focused on the release of Israeli captives and their humanitarian “suffering” as hostages. There is no comparably strong or effective discourse about halting the targeting of civilians, ending the genocidal campaign, or stopping the starvation tactics.
Israeli behavior also finds ample justification for carrying out military attacks against sovereign states such as Syria and Iran, based solely on a perceived potential threat or with the intent to subjugate and impose dominance, regardless of whether these actions violate international law and UN regulations.
The Erasure Mentality:
This mentality is not confined to the Israeli government; it extends to the vast majority of Israelis. It is a mindset that monopolizes victimhood and erases the other, viewing itself as a “unique” case in both human history and the present. It grants itself the right to commit injustice, oppression, aggression, occupation, displacement, extermination and to impose dominance, under the self-justifying pretext of protecting itself as a “potential victim”!!
Dr. ‘Abdel Wahab El-Messiri was one of the most prominent scholars to examine the Zionist mentality. He argued that Zionist thought is rooted in the erasure of the other as a means of affirming the self. It is a mentality of erasure that operates on three levels:
1. Historical Erasure: This mindset treats the people of Palestine as a fleeting episode in history or a mere historical error, ignoring their deep-rooted presence spanning thousands of years. At the same time, it disregards the political and civilizational rupture of Jewish presence in Palestine for over 1,800 years, speaking as if the Jews had only been absent for a few days before returning!!
2. Demographic Erasure: It denies Palestinians their right in their land, views Palestine as “a land without a people,” and treats the displacement and expulsion of Palestinians, or even acts of extermination against them, as normal or justified!!
3. Religious Erasure: It grants Jews exclusive and absolute rights over al-Aqsa Mosque, Jerusalem and the rest of Palestine (and beyond, according to many Zionists). This “exclusionary” mindset, when in power, fails to coexist religiously with others, unlike the “inclusive” Islamic mentality, which is founded on religious tolerance and embracing the other. This helps explain the aggressive religious behavior toward Islamic and Christian holy sites, and the attempts to fabricate a religious identity, even through falsifying history and archaeology.
The Monopoly of Victimhood:
This concept lies at the heart of Zionist thought, portraying Jews as the sole and exceptional victims throughout history and across the diaspora, with particular emphasis on the Holocaust under the Nazis. It grants them an “exclusive claim” to the role of the victim!!
This monopolization is used to justify Israel’s policies of occupation and aggression—including settlement expansion, forced displacement and the extermination of Palestinians—by denying Palestinians their status as victims. Instead, they are cast as enemies, “Amalekites,” or “goyim.” Zionists deploy this narrative as both a religious and political tool to entrench their aggressive, expansionist settler-colonial project, regardless of the cost to others.
Constructivist theory helps explain this behavior by positing that a state’s identity, values and perceptions shape its conduct. From this perspective, Israel sees itself as a “small state” under threat in a hostile environment and a potential victim. This self-image drives its pursuit of regional security dominance as a structural necessity. It compels Israel to seek qualitative military superiority and to ensure others remain technologically and militarily inferior, so the “victim” may feel “safe”!!
Similarly, Security Exception Theory highlights how Israel presents itself as exempt from the international system and its rules. It views itself as a unique society facing existential threats; historical, religious and demographic. On this basis, it claims the right to maintain security superiority and engage in aggressive military conduct, even when that contradicts international norms and moral or humanitarian standards.
To be clear, these two theories aim to describe and analyze the phenomenon; they do not offer moral, legal or behavioral justification for it.
Preventive Domination:
The idea of “preventive domination” falls under the above framework; Israel does not merely deter threats but seeks to weaken regional powers, perpetuating their fragmentation and underdevelopment. This ensures Israel’s superiority and domination, preventing any potential balance of power, which it views as an existential threat. Both Classical Realism and Offensive Realism schools of thought provide explanations for this behavior, as Israel sees its security not in balance but in full regional domination; justifying its monopoly on nuclear weapons and advanced arms.
The Manufactured Civilizational Superiority:
It is a mentality that presents itself as part of the “advanced” West at the heart of the “backward” Middle East, accompanied by claims of civilizational superiority, “technologically, morally and democratically,” to justify its dominance over “backward” peoples or those who pose a cultural or demographic threat. This mentality portrays the people of the region as a violent, irrational “primitive” enemy who can only be controlled by force and cannot coexist on the basis of equality and mutual respect!! This narrative reinforces stories of domination and control. This alleged “right” is baseless, lacking objective foundations and possessing no ethical or behavioral legitimacy.
What is striking is that Israelis boast such claims, while they are the primary supporters, alongside their Western allies, of authoritarian and corrupt regimes in the region, and the main obstacle to any genuine transformations reflecting the will of the peoples and their aspirations for revival and unity. Meanwhile, the peoples of the region enjoy deep-rooted culture and great ancient civilizations that have played a central role in the course of history for thousands of years.
This mentality is rooted in the colonial legacy of the “white man,” who sees himself as superior and entitled to colonize and exploit others. This is a colonial mentality whose only remaining traditional form today is the Israeli Zionist colonialism.
Selective International Legitimacy:
Israel continues to enjoy the backing of major world powers, chiefly the US, as a “fortified outpost” of Western imperialism and a “heavy stick” that safeguards its interests. It serves as a “functional state,” tasked with curbing the “Islamic tide,” thwarting Arab unity initiatives, and ensuring the region remains weak, dependent on the West and a steady market for its products.
This selective Western double standard grants Israel “legitimacy” to monopolize power, dominance and control, while denying regional states the right to acquire advanced or nuclear weapons, even if they join the “normalization camp.”
This behavior is best explained through the Regional Security Complex Theory, which sees the region as a deeply interconnected security environment where Israel must assert its dominance to prevent the rise of any power, alliance, or unification project that could threaten its security. Likewise, the Asymmetric Deterrence Theory emphasizes the need for Israel to retain exclusive control over strategic power. Meanwhile, the Managed Regional Dominance theory highlights how global powers, particularly the US, provide Israel with protective cover to suppress regional actors, “manage” them, and keep them firmly under control.
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Thus, the dialectic of the Zionist “mentality of erasure” comes full circle, granting itself what it denies to others. It sheds legal, ethical and humanitarian obligations, inventing justifications and excuses for violently seizing others’ land, forced displacement, genocide, acts of aggression, the destruction of human and material resources across the region, and the obstruction of its civilizational revival and unity. This mentality evolves into a Zionist popular culture shared by scholars, experts, university professors, intellectuals, think tank leaders, and political, media and cultural figures… none of whom hesitate to legitimize the so-called Zionist “exception.”
Still, it is important to note that this analysis aims to present a clearer picture of the Zionist mentality of erasure and to expose its flawed reasoning. It does not, in any way, accept the logic used to justify injustice, occupation and domination. This mentality cannot maintain its dominance for long; it is not strong in itself, but rather an artificial condition sustained by global powers. Any genuine and unified awakening in the region will, sooner or later, stop this phenomenon, which lacks the solid foundations required for lasting survival.
Al-Zaytouna Centre for Studies and Consultations, 14/7/2025
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