Human history is replete with examples of genocidal acts committed by leaders, states, militaries and armed groups.

But the genocide is taking place before our eyes in Gaza stands out for its level of careful documentation and the speed of information flow. Billions of people around the world receive live, uncensored coverage of what is happening in the besieged enclave, from the perspectives of both the victim and the perpetrator.

As we witness the massive scale of destruction and massacres, it is essential to note the development of a “culture of genocide” within Israeli Company.

One of its most recent protests took place on Thursday, when Israeli hooligans, supporters of the Maccabi Tel Aviv football club, provoked clashes with Dutch youth in Amsterdam. They chanted anti-Arab slogans, demolished Palestinian flags and ignored a minute of silence for Spanish flood victims.

Apparently, these Israeli hooligans never thought that racist chants and acts of vandalism against private property in a foreign country constituted unacceptable behavior, likely to anger local residents.

The hooligan mentality aligns with the genocidal culture that has permeated Israeli society since October 7, 2023, allowing Israelis to imagine themselves above the law and morality – not only in Israel, but around the world .

The violent chants of Maccabi supporters must be understood in the context of a society that continues to justify Israel’s genocidal war against the Palestinians in Gaza.

Increase in violence

These fans are the expression of a culture that does not only prevail among a handful of racists; rather, it has become routine in stadiums, with chants of “death to the Arabs” or “let your village burn” often heard in Israel well before October 7, 2023.

The behavior of Israeli supporters in Amsterdam was therefore not new. A recent report by the New Israel Fund has seen a significant increase in expressions of violence in football stadiums during the 2023/24 season, with an increase in incidents of 18 percent – a significant increase compared to the previous year, which had already seen violence and racism reach a decade-high peak.

The real story here, then, lies not in the racist chants, but in the shock of Israeli fans when they realize that such behavior is not tolerated outside their country’s borders.

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This comes at a time when, for over a year, cultural codes and rituals have been invoked in Israel to promote and encourage genocide, with limited public criticism. Justifications for the killing of Palestinian children and the starvation of civilians in Gaza have received widespread support.

Last month, Al Jazeera published a documentary focused on social media posts by Israeli soldiers in Gaza who documented their war crimes in real time.

How the war on Gaza exposed Israeli and Western fascism

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While much of the world was horrified by the reports, Israeli society defended the soldiers and attacked critics who questioned Israel’s right to defend itself. Israeli society is trapped in a state of political dissonance, which limits its ability to understand the logical flaws in such arguments.

To understand how we got here, we must pay attention to the nation’s culture of genocide, which is based on a set of beliefs, morals and customs that encourage, justify and even celebrate the actions of soldiers.

Over the past year, we have been exposed to songs, comedy shows, news broadcasts and cultural events, as well as comments from religious leaders, football players and academics, who have openly encouraged genocide, including the murder of children.

Israeli analysts I didn’t hold back on calls for the massacre of tens of thousands of Palestinians, with some saying the army should kill more people or withdraw all humanitarian aid from Gaza.

Instead of condemning and denouncing such statements, scholars and commentators have philosophized about how to justify starving a civilian population if it refuses to comply with Israeli military orders.

Thus, beyond the horrifying testimonies emerging from Gaza, we must examine the mechanisms at work within Israeli society. In some ways, we are witnessing a collective psychotic episode, in which many seem incapable of feeling sympathy or empathy for the suffering of others.

Zero liability

Worse still, this phenomenon is present everywhere in the public sphere. Walking Israeli streets and listening to conversations among people of all ages on trains and in public parks reveals broad underlying assumptions about the war in Gaza, with a collective cry for more death and destruction.

Lifeguards on Tel Aviv beaches publicly applauded the death of Hamas and Hezbollah leadersas audience members clapped and raised their glasses in a celebratory “toast”. Some residents baklava distributed to mark the occasion. To exacerbate the sense of dystopia, all of this is happening in a society where many civilians are armed.

Israeli society has thus internalized a feeling of impunity, knowing that it is above the law, with the support of the world.

It could be argued that Israeli political and cultural elites are responsible for shaping the public’s mindset, thereby laying the foundation for this culture of genocide. Furthermore, for almost a century, the international community allowed Israel to act freely, violating international law without any accountability.

In fact, the world has rewarded Israel for its creativity in developing mechanisms of oppression. The Israeli arms industry has flourished amid the occupationwith Palestinians serving as test subjects.

Israeli universities grew and flourished, providing infrastructure and research into ways to suppress Palestinians, while Arab states promoted normalization with Israel.

Israeli society has thus internalized a feeling of impunity, knowing that it is above the law, with the support of the world. This fueled the evolution of its culture of genocide.

Enter Trump

This culture will probably be reinforced by the return of WE President Donald Trump at the White House. Trump is expected to continue his country’s unprecedented support for the Israeli war machine, thereby encouraging the culture of genocide.

The messianic right in Israel was quick to celebrate Trump’s victory – not because of future military or diplomatic aid, but because a president like Trump is supposed to allow the starvation of Palestinians in Gaza, while turning a blind eye to any undemocratic laws passed by Israel, aimed solely at harming the Palestinian people.

This includes Israel’s ban on Unrwathe United Nations agency for Palestinian refugees; THE expulsion families whose loved ones have committed security violations; and the disqualification of Arab politicians from holding elected office if they makes statements this could be interpreted as support for an armed struggle.

This war will end one day, but until there is a fundamental critique of Israel’s conduct, the culture of genocide – in addition to the devastation it continues to wreak on the Palestinian people – will begin to demand a price on the Israelis themselves.

The opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the editorial policies of Middle East Eye.