Dehumanization of Palestinians. A critical discourse analysis of Israeli political and official discourse

Abstract

This study examines how Palestinians are represented in Israeli political, military, and public discourse following the Hamas attacks of 7 October 2023, and the extent to which these representations contribute to the legitimisation of mass violence against them. The study is based on dehumanisation theory and employs Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA) as its methodological approach. The data consist of thirteen excerpts from statements made by Israeli political, military, and other officials, published between 9 October 2023 and 13 January 2024. The analysis showed that dehumanisation is not expressed through a single strategy but through a network of interconnected discursive forms, including animalistic dehumanisation, delegitimising beliefs, social categorisation, moral disengagement, and the representation of Palestinians as a collectively responsible group. The most important finding of the study is that Palestinians are systematically constructed as a single, undifferentiated collective entity, without any distinction between combatants and civilians, thereby facilitating the legitimisation of mass violence against them. The findings confirm the theoretical link between dehumanisation and the legitimisation of mass violence and highlight the crucial role of language in constructing representations that make violence against a particular group more easily justifiable.