Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's remarks have attracted widespread attention, as he turns his attention to World War II events in response to Hamas's attack on southern Israel. Netanyahu cited the 9/11 attacks in 2001 to describe Hamas's October 7 attack on southern Israel. However, his analogy does not stop there, as he draws attention to a misguided British air raid on the Gestapo in 1945 (in fact, he mistakenly called 1944), which killed 86 children in a school in Copenhagen. Netanyahu stressed that this was not a war crime, but a legitimate act of war, albeit with tragic consequences.
The remarks come against the backdrop of Israel's bombing campaign in the Gaza Strip, which has been going on for weeks, raising strong international concern about civilian deaths. Netanyahu has tried to respond to criticism of the Palestinian issue by comparing his country's actions to those of the Allies against Nazi Germany and Japan in World War II. This comparison has caused controversy, with some arguing that Israel is trying to downplay the underlying issues of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
Israeli historian and socialist activist Ilan Pape said Israel used these metaphors to "justify its brutal tactics against the Palestinians" and dismissed them as an outdated playbook used by the state. Such rhetoric has raised questions about Israel's position, which has been accused of trying to divert attention through metaphors of historical events rather than solving pressing issues of the moment.
At a time when the international community is expressing strong concern over the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, the Israeli Prime Minister's remarks will trigger more discussion and controversy.