The greatest obstacle to peace is dehumanisation: Ittay Flescher’s new book

Of all the factors that make peace impossible, perhaps the greatest is dehumanisation. This process of depriving individuals or groups of their human qualities is something I see all around me, and it breaks my heart.

Dehumanisation often arises from psychological processes categorising others into “us” versus “them” groups. When individuals or groups are perceived as different or threatening, it becomes easier for people to justify collective violence against them. Dehumanisation can occur when individuals fail to empathise with others or recognise their inherent worth and dignity.

Given that Arabs make up 21% of the population in Israel, there aren’t any Jewish Israelis who don’t know or interact regularly with Arab and Palestinian citizens of the country. Most of these interactions happen in workplaces, shopping centres and hospitals. While there are always underlying tensions, these relations are usually cordial and respectful on both sides. Yet the relationship with Palestinians in Gaza is something else.

Since October 7, the indifference I have observed among so many of my Jewish-Israeli acquaintances to Palestinian civilians suffering in Gaza is something that doesn’t surprise me but leaves me saddened.

While I understand that it comes from a place of rage after the horrendous Hamas attack, the fact that it has lasted for so long and is so immune to the many harrowing personal stories of loss and grief in Gaza is hard to fathom. It manifests in several ways, from disregard and sometimes even complete denial of the humanitarian situation in Gaza, to justifications for the destruction of every home and life in Gaza.