'Depopulation,' 'Kill Zone,' and 'Second Nakba': The Lexicon of Brutality Exposes How Israelis Talk About the War : Shared by Fouad Kronfol
Depopulation,’ ‘Kill Zone,’ and ‘Second Nakba’: The Lexicon of Brutality Exposes How Israelis Talk About the War
By Sheren Falah Saab,
Haaretz,
May 4, 2025
Click here for the article
Summary
Haaretz reporter Sheren Falah Saab reviews A Lexicon of Brutality, a new Hebrew-language book by historian Adam Raz and sociologist Assaf Bondy that dissects how militarized, dehumanizing language has shaped Israeli public discourse around Gaza. The book catalogues some 150 phrases—such as “depopulation,” “transfer,” “no uninvolved people in Gaza,” and “Nakba 2023”—arguing that they normalize brutality, erase Palestinian suffering, and perpetuate a historical continuum of violence dating back to 1948.
The authors contend that this language is not merely descriptive but instrumental in legitimizing policies of siege, displacement, and starvation. They draw direct lines between the rhetoric of the current war and the expulsions of the 1948 Nakba, showing how sanitized terminology—“humanitarian zones,” “voluntary emigration,” or “security operations”—masks forced displacement and collective punishment.
Quotes
“The entries keep evolving under the shower of shells and missiles, as the pile of bodies in Gaza keeps growing.” — Adam Raz & Assaf Bondy
“We’d like to avoid falling into the symmetry trap that seeks to defuse any deep criticism. The book cries out the language prevalent during the war, but its roots reach well before that.” — Assaf Bondy
“In Deir Yassin and Kafr Qasem the killing was done at close range. Today, a pilot drops a one-ton bomb on a humanitarian zone, sometimes without knowing what he’s bombing.” — Adam Raz
“There’s no longer any shame or desire to conceal. That’s what’s so unique about this war… the leaders have been saying exactly what they’re going to do – and they do exactly that.” — Assaf Bondy
“You can’t understand the current policy of starvation if you believe that it came out of nowhere. Israel has been blockading Gaza for many years.” — Adam Raz
“We have hope that Israeli society has not yet leaped into the abyss… that some of our readers will do something for more coexistence in the region.” — Assaf Bondy
Summary
Haaretz reporter Sheren Falah Saab reviews A Lexicon of Brutality, a new Hebrew-language book by historian Adam Raz and sociologist Assaf Bondy that dissects how militarized, dehumanizing language has shaped Israeli public discourse around Gaza. The book catalogues some 150 phrases—such as “depopulation,” “transfer,” “no uninvolved people in Gaza,” and “Nakba 2023”—arguing that they normalize brutality, erase Palestinian suffering, and perpetuate a historical continuum of violence dating back to 1948.
The authors contend that this language is not merely descriptive but instrumental in legitimizing policies of siege, displacement, and starvation. They draw direct lines between the rhetoric of the current war and the expulsions of the 1948 Nakba, showing how sanitized terminology—“humanitarian zones,” “voluntary emigration,” or “security operations”—masks forced displacement and collective punishment.
Quotes
“The entries keep evolving under the shower of shells and missiles, as the pile of bodies in Gaza keeps growing.” — Adam Raz & Assaf Bondy
“We’d like to avoid falling into the symmetry trap that seeks to defuse any deep criticism. The book cries out the language prevalent during the war, but its roots reach well before that.” — Assaf Bondy
“In Deir Yassin and Kafr Qasem the killing was done at close range. Today, a pilot drops a one-ton bomb on a humanitarian zone, sometimes without knowing what he’s bombing.” — Adam Raz
“There’s no longer any shame or desire to conceal. That’s what’s so unique about this war… the leaders have been saying exactly what they’re going to do – and they do exactly that.” — Assaf Bondy
“You can’t understand the current policy of starvation if you believe that it came out of nowhere. Israel has been blockading Gaza for many years.” — Adam Raz
“We have hope that Israeli society has not yet leaped into the abyss… that some of our readers will do something for more coexistence in the region.” — Assaf Bondy
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