𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐌𝐨𝐫𝐚𝐥 𝐂𝐨𝐥𝐥𝐚𝐩𝐬𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐙𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐢𝐬𝐦 “𝐈𝐬𝐫𝐚𝐞𝐥 𝐰𝐚𝐬 𝐚 𝐟𝐮𝐥𝐥 𝐝𝐞𝐦𝐨𝐜𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐲 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐨𝐧𝐥𝐲 𝐬𝐢𝐱 𝐦𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐡𝐬.”

 

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Dov Waxman reviews Bartov's book in Lawfare, 23 October 2026.

𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐌𝐨𝐫𝐚𝐥 𝐂𝐨𝐥𝐥𝐚𝐩𝐬𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐙𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐢𝐬𝐦

“𝐈𝐬𝐫𝐚𝐞𝐥 𝐰𝐚𝐬 𝐚 𝐟𝐮𝐥𝐥 𝐝𝐞𝐦𝐨𝐜𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐲 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐨𝐧𝐥𝐲 𝐬𝐢𝐱 𝐦𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐡𝐬.”

That is the devastating observation of Israeli Holocaust and genocide historian Omer Bartov.

From 1949 to 1966, Israel subjected its Palestinian citizens to military rule. Six months after ending that system, it illegally occupied the West Bank and Gaza.

In his new book, Israel: What Went Wrong?, Bartov traces the transformation of Zionism into an ideology increasingly defined by Jewish supremacy and the domination of Palestinians.

He argues that decades of occupation have brutalised Israeli society and normalised Palestinian suffering.

Even the memory of the Holocaust has been turned against its supposed lesson. “Never Again” became a justification for almost anything Israel claimed necessary for Jewish security.

Bartov, a former Israeli military officer, initially resisted describing Israel's destruction of Gaza as genocide. By 2024, he had concluded that genocide was precisely what Israel was committing.

His argument is not simply that Israel's leaders have abandoned morality.

𝐈𝐭 𝐢𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐠𝐞𝐧𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐨𝐜𝐜𝐮𝐩𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧, 𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐢𝐬𝐦 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐝𝐞𝐡𝐮𝐦𝐚𝐧𝐢𝐬𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐡𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐦𝐚𝐝𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐝𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐮𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐨𝐟 𝐏𝐚𝐥𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐢𝐚𝐧 𝐬𝐨𝐜𝐢𝐞𝐭𝐲 𝐩𝐨𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐲 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐲 𝐚𝐜𝐜𝐞𝐩𝐭𝐚𝐛𝐥𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐦𝐮𝐜𝐡 𝐨𝐟 𝐈𝐬𝐫𝐚𝐞𝐥’𝐬 𝐉𝐞𝐰𝐢𝐬𝐡 𝐩𝐨𝐩𝐮𝐥𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧.

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Dov Waxman reviews Bartov's book in Lawfare, 23 October 2026.