'Palestine must be obliterated,' says deleted Times of Israel column

Such arguments are making their way into the lifeblood of the Israeli political mainstream, analysts say.

2 min read

22 May, 2023

The article was published as Israeli nationalists marched through occupied Jerusalem [Getty images]

The Times of Israel has deleted a column calling for the obliteration of Palestine on the same day extremist nationalists marched through occupied East Jerusalem chanting "death to Arabs".

"Palestine must be obliterated," the now deleted column read, "in order to make peace".

Jeffrey Camras, the author of the piece, is an American writer who reportedly lives in Chicago.

While telling Palestinians to give up their idea of homeland - saying that "if you want rights, you have to give up your nationhood" - he even offered Palestinians descended from Jewish residents of historic Palestine, and willing to reject their Palestinian identity the opportunity, for "their return to our civilisation".

"Shame on the Times of Israel for publishing such a venomous article," tweeted Jamal Dajani.

The Times of Israel published and then deleted an article calling for the genocide of Palestinians. The article was published on Flag Day, the day Israeli extremists held their racist march in occupied East Jerusalem. https://t.co/su4CtbVDS5 via @PalestineChron pic.twitter.com/Za4C9fCbWw
— Adri Nieuwhof (@steketeh) May 20, 2023

In 2014, when Israel was pounding Gaza and killing scores of civilians, Yochanan Gordon from The Times of Israel asked readers "what other way then is there to deal with an enemy of this nature other than obliterate them completely?"

Then, as now, The Times of Israel’s article was published and then quickly deleted after a furious backlash from Palestinians.

The rejection of Palestinian identity is common among many in Israeli society, particularly the hard-right who are now in power in Israel.

Extremist Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich earlier this year declared there are “no Palestinian people".