Victim Mentality, Scapegoating, Dehumanization, are the Path to Genocide

The historical trajectory of pre-World War II Germany and the actions of
Israel as of May 17, 2025, reveal a profound and unsettling similarity
in how a nation’s victim mentality can lead to the systematic targeting
of a minority group, ultimately culminating in genocide. Both cases
demonstrate a pattern of fostering a narrative of national victimhood,
blaming a minority for societal challenges, dehumanizing that group,
inciting violence against them, and resulting in genocidal acts. This
essay examines Israel’s actions against Palestinians—through public
rhetoric, military operations, human rights reports, and academic
analyses—comparing them to Germany’s treatment of Jews in the 1920s and
1930s, which led to the Holocaust.

I. Victim Mentality: The Foundation for Aggression

Pre-WWII Germany (1919–1939): Following World War I, Germany nurtured a
deep sense of victimhood, fueled by the Treaty of Versailles, which
imposed severe reparations and territorial losses. This narrative
portrayed Germany as unjustly oppressed, betrayed by internal forces
that weakened its position. Through propaganda, education, and public
discourse, Germans were conditioned to see themselves as victims,
focusing on national suffering and the need to reclaim their former
glory. This mindset, marked by self-pity and a refusal to acknowledge
the nation’s role in its own challenges, laid the groundwork for
aggressive policies against those deemed responsible for Germany’s
struggles.

Israel (1948–2025): Israel’s national identity is profoundly shaped by
the trauma of the Holocaust, which took the lives of 6 million Jews and
left a lasting impact on Jewish consciousness. The principle of “Never
Again” positions Israel as a perpetual victim, constantly under threat
from forces seeking its annihilation, reminiscent of Nazi persecution.
The Wikipedia article on victim mentality identifies traits such as
self-pity, moral elitism, and lack of empathy, which are deeply embedded
in Israeli society. Holocaust education, national commemorations, and
political rhetoric reinforce this victimhood, often linking historical
trauma to contemporary threats like Palestinian resistance. This mindset
is evident in Israel’s response to international criticism—such as South
Africa’s 2024 ICJ case—where accusations of genocide are dismissed as
antisemitic attacks on Israel’s right to exist, reflecting a
hypersensitivity to criticism and a need for recognition of its
suffering.

Parallel: Both nations cultivated a victim mentality that inverted the
aggressor-victim dynamic. Germany portrayed itself as a victim of
betrayal and oppression, while Israel sees itself as a victim of
antisemitic aggression, rooted in Holocaust memory. This mindset, as
described in the Wikipedia article, fosters a refusal to accept
responsibility—Germany for its role in WWI, Israel for its role in the
occupation—enabling both to justify violence against a scapegoated
minority.

II. Scapegoating: Blaming the Minority for Societal Challenges

Pre-WWII Germany: During the 1920s and 1930s, Germany scapegoated Jews
for its societal woes, attributing economic crises like the 1923
hyperinflation, unemployment, and cultural decline to their influence.
Propaganda portrayed Jews as disloyal opportunists who exploited
Germans, framing them as an internal enemy responsible for the nation’s
struggles. This narrative was reinforced through media, education, and
public policy, such as laws excluding Jews from public roles,
solidifying the perception that they were the root of Germany’s
troubles.

Israel: Since its founding in 1948, Israel has consistently blamed
Palestinians for its security and political challenges, often
overlooking the systemic oppression caused by the occupation. The 2023
article on the killing of 36 Palestinian children in the West Bank
illustrates this, as Israeli forces justified the deaths by labeling the
children as threats for minor acts like stone-throwing, scapegoating
even the youngest Palestinians for unrest. The October 7, 2023, attack,
initially reported as a Hamas-led massacre resulting in 1,195 Israeli
deaths, was used to vilify the entire Palestinian population. However,
investigations have since shown that the Israeli military’s use of the
Hannibal Directive—employing indiscriminate force to prevent the capture
of Israeli soldiers, even at the cost of Israeli lives—contributed to
these casualties, with reports indicating that helicopter fire and tank
shelling killed Israeli hostages alongside Hamas fighters. Despite this,
the broader narrative scapegoats all Palestinians, as reflected in human
rights reports from December 2024 that document systematic violence
against civilians. Public rhetoric, such as the “Death to the Arabs”
chants at the 2023 Jerusalem Flag March, further scapegoats
Palestinians, implying their mere presence is a problem, a sentiment
echoed by far-right leaders who portray Palestinians as obstacles to
Israel’s survival.

Parallel: Both nations scapegoated a minority for societal issues.
Germany blamed Jews for economic and cultural problems, while Israel
blames Palestinians for security threats, often ignoring the
occupation’s role in fueling resistance and its own actions, such as the
Hannibal Directive’s contribution to Israeli deaths on October 7. The
Wikipedia article’s trait of “identifying others as the cause for an
undesired situation” is evident in both cases, with Germany denying its
own failures and Israel deflecting responsibility, justifying aggressive
actions against the scapegoated group.

III. Dehumanization and Incitement of Violence

Pre-WWII Germany: Dehumanization was a cornerstone of Germany’s pre-WWII
policies, with propaganda depicting Jews as subhuman threats to the
“Aryan” race. Media and public campaigns stripped Jews of their
humanity, portraying them as societal dangers. This rhetoric incited
violence, with mass rallies glorifying German superiority while
vilifying Jews, normalizing hostility. By 1938, state-sanctioned
violence against Jewish communities erupted, a direct result of years of
dehumanizing propaganda that desensitized the population to Jewish
suffering.

Israel: Israel’s dehumanization of Palestinians is evident in both
rhetoric and actions. The 2023 Jerusalem Flag March, where participants
chanted “Death to the Arabs,” reflects a public incitement to violence,
portraying Palestinians as a collective enemy deserving of death, akin
to the hostile slogans of German rallies. The 2023 article on the
killing of Palestinian children in the West Bank further demonstrates
this dehumanization, as children were treated as threats to be
neutralized, with Israeli forces showing little regard for their
humanity, often justifying lethal force against minor acts. In Gaza, the
December 2024 human rights report highlights systematic violence,
including attacks on civilian infrastructure like hospitals and the
imposition of starvation conditions, reducing Palestinians to mere
targets in a military campaign, with no consideration for their basic
humanity.

Parallel: Both nations dehumanized a minority to incite violence.
Germany used overt propaganda to portray Jews as subhuman, while
Israel’s dehumanization is practical, treating Palestinians as threats
to be eliminated, as seen in the evidence. The Wikipedia article’s “lack
of empathy” trait is evident in both cases—Germany ignored Jewish
suffering, and Israel disregards Palestinian lives, normalizing violence
against the dehumanized group.

IV. Culmination in Genocide

Pre-WWII Germany to WWII (1939–1945): Germany’s trajectory culminated in
the Holocaust, beginning in 1941, resulting in the genocide of 6 million
Jews.
This was the outcome of years of indoctrination, scapegoating, and
dehumanization, with the state employing systematic methods—death camps,
mass shootings, and starvation in ghettos—to eradicate the Jewish
population. The intent to destroy the group was clear, meeting the UN
Genocide Convention’s definition, and was justified by a victim
mentality that framed Jews as an existential threat to Germany’s
survival, desensitizing the population to the atrocities committed.

Israel (2023–2025): Israel’s actions against Palestinians, following the
October 7, 2023, attack, have culminated in genocide, as confirmed by
the May 2025 Genocide Studies NRC article, which notes that researchers
unanimously qualify Israel’s actions in Gaza as “genocidal,” and the
December 2024 Amnesty International report. The evidence includes:

-   Systematic Violence and Deprivation: The December 2024 report
    documents attacks on civilian infrastructure, such as hospitals, and
    the imposition of starvation conditions, alongside a death toll of
    over 44,000 Palestinians and 1.9 million displaced by November 2024,
    according to UNRWA.

-   Intent: The systematic nature of these actions, aimed at making Gaza
    uninhabitable, aligns with the UN Genocide Convention
    criteria—killing, causing serious harm, and inflicting conditions to
    bring about physical destruction.

Israel’s victim mentality, as outlined in the Wikipedia article, enables
this genocide through traits like moral elitism (viewing Israel as
morally superior), lack of empathy (ignoring Palestinian suffering), and
rumination (focusing on Israel’s trauma), justifying the systematic
destruction of Palestinians as a “defensive” act against a perceived
threat.

Parallel: Both nations culminated their trajectories in genocide, driven
by a victim mentality. Germany’s Holocaust and Israel’s genocide in Gaza
involve state-driven violence targeting a minority for destruction,
using systematic methods (killings, deprivation) and exhibiting a clear
intent to eradicate the group. The scale differs—6 million Jews versus
44,000+ Palestinians—but the intent and mechanisms are strikingly
similar.

V. Nietzsche’s Warnings: The Transformation Through Victim Mentality

The Nietzsche quotes—“Whoever fights monsters should see to it that in
the process he does not become a monster” and “If you stare into an
abyss, the abyss stares back into you”—offer a philosophical lens to
understand how victim mentality transforms both nations into
perpetrators of genocide.

Fighting Monsters

-   Pre-WWII Germany: Germany framed Jews as the “monster” threatening
    its survival, using this narrative to justify their exclusion and
    eventual extermination. In fighting this perceived evil, Germany
    became monstrous, dehumanizing Jews through propaganda and
    committing genocide during the Holocaust.

-   Israel: Israel positions Palestinians as “monsters,” often likening
    them to historical oppressors, as a justification for its actions.
    However, in doing so, it adopts monstrous tactics—killing children
    in the West Bank, attacking civilian infrastructure in Gaza, and
    committing genocide, as evidenced by the 2024 human rights report
    and the 2025 NRC article. The victim mentality, with its moral
    elitism, excuses these acts as necessary for survival, mirroring
    Germany’s justifications.

Staring into the Abyss

-   Pre-WWII Germany: Germany’s fixation on its post-WWI grievances—the
    “abyss” of national humiliation—led it to reflect that darkness,
    descending into moral corruption with the Holocaust, as it became
    the evil it claimed to oppose.

-   Israel: Israel’s obsession with Holocaust trauma—the “abyss” of
    historical suffering—reflects in its actions, as it commits genocide
    in Gaza, mirroring the atrocities it vows to prevent. The Wikipedia
    article’s traits of lack of empathy and rumination exacerbate this
    descent, as Israel focuses on its own pain while ignoring
    Palestinian suffering.

Parallel: Nietzsche’s warnings highlight the transformative power of
victim mentality in both nations. In fighting a perceived enemy, they
become perpetrators of genocide; in staring into their respective
abysses of trauma, they reflect that darkness, adopting the tactics of
their historical oppressors.

VI. Broader Implications and Ethical Concerns

The parallels between pre-WWII Germany and Israel as of May 17, 2025,
reveal a dangerous pattern: a victim mentality, when weaponized, can
lead to the systematic destruction of a minority group. Germany’s
trajectory—from the early 1920s to the Holocaust—demonstrates how
indoctrination, scapegoating, and dehumanization culminate in genocide.
Israel’s trajectory—from its founding in 1948 to the genocide in
Gaza—follows a similar path, with victim mentality enabling the same
mechanisms, as seen in the evidence of public chants, military violence,
and systematic destruction.

Ethical Concerns:

-   Moral Irony: Israel, established as a refuge from genocide,
    replicates tactics reminiscent of Nazi Germany against Palestinians,
    contradicting its foundational ethos of “Never Again.” The lack of
    empathy and moral elitism blind Israel to this irony, as it
    prioritizes its victimhood over Palestinian humanity.

-   International Complicity: The international community’s failure to
    stop the Holocaust until 1945 is echoed in its insufficient response
    to Israel’s genocide, as noted in the 2025 NRC article, allowing
    atrocities to continue despite legal actions like the 2024 ICJ case.

-   Cycle of Trauma: Israel’s actions perpetuate a cycle of trauma, as
    Palestinian suffering mirrors Jewish suffering under the Nazis,
    potentially fueling future conflicts and resentment. The initial
    narrative around the October 7, 2023, attack, which scapegoated
    Palestinians despite Israel’s role in some of the casualties,
    exacerbates this cycle.

Conclusion

The parallels between pre-WWII Germany and Israel as of May 17, 2025,
are both profound and deeply troubling. Both nations, driven by a victim
mentality—Germany post-WWI, Israel post-Holocaust—scapegoated a minority
(Jews, Palestinians) for societal problems, dehumanized them, incited
violence, and ultimately committed genocide. Germany’s Holocaust and
Israel’s genocide in Gaza, as evidenced by public rhetoric, military
actions, human rights reports, and academic consensus, reflect the same
mechanisms: state-driven violence, systematic methods, and an intent to
eradicate, justified by a refusal to accept responsibility and a lack of
empathy for the targeted group. Nietzsche’s warnings illuminate this
transformation, as both nations became the “monster” they fought and
reflected the “abyss” of their trauma in their actions. This analysis
underscores the dangers of victim mentality in perpetuating cycles of
violence, urging a critical reflection on how historical trauma can lead
to new atrocities if not addressed with empathy and accountability.