The Jewish State is Behaving Like the Nazis

Katie Halper | Trusted Newsmaker

“A Jewish State Behaving Like Nazis?”

In an era of escalating global tension and rampant information warfare, few statements hit harder than international relations scholar John Mearsheimer’s unsettling observation: “The Jewish state is behaving like Nazis.” A comment that would normally spark instant outrage now sits uncomfortably atop a stack of increasingly grim headlines out of Gaza. Mearsheimer’s comparison isn’t cheap provocation—it’s rooted in academic rigor and historical analysis.

The Genocide Threshold Has Been Crossed

Initially, Mearsheimer did not label Israel’s actions in Gaza a genocide. Like many observers, he condemned the bombings and siege tactics as war crimes, but he stopped short of the G-word. That changed in December 2023. After reading South Africa’s brief submitted to the International Court of Justice and watching the situation deteriorate, Mearsheimer concluded that Israel’s conduct had undeniably become genocidal.

The Holocaust Parallel: Rhetoric and Strategy

The eerie comparison begins with rhetoric. According to Mearsheimer, Israeli leaders, especially after October 7th, have used dehumanizing and eliminationist language that echoes the early Nazi period. This includes discussions of forcibly relocating Palestinians—reminiscent of the infamous 1941 “Madagascar Plan,” in which Nazis contemplated deporting Europe’s Jews to Africa.

But the overlap is more than verbal. Mearsheimer points to the horrifying images of starving Palestinian children as tragically similar to photographs from Nazi concentration camps. The visual parallels are impossible to ignore—and damning in their implications.

Lebensraum for a Growing Population?

Mearsheimer invokes the Nazi concept of “Lebensraum” (living space), suggesting that modern Israel is expanding its territory

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