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Elliot Benjamin is a philosopher, mathematician, musician, counselor, writer, with Ph.Ds in mathematics and psychology and the author of over 230 published articles in the fields of humanistic and transpersonal psychology, pure mathematics, mathematics education, spirituality & the awareness of cult dangers, art & mental disturbance, and progressive politics. He has also written a number of self-published books, such as: The Creative Artist, Mental Disturbance, and Mental Health. See also: www.benjamin-philosopher.com.

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Israel Killing Starving Palestinians Trying To Get Food

No Rational Integrative Perspective

Elliot Benjamin

I have been trying to understand why Israel is killing starving Palestinians trying to get food, and I am having trouble coming up with anything. I asked my old high school buddy what he thought about this—we are both Jewish—and here is a brief report of our conversation:

Me: “And here is another question--it's a gruesome one but I am trying to understand what possible reason Israel can have for killing starving Palestinians waiting for food, and I'm not finding anything or understanding what possible rationale Israel can have for these unspeakable horrible acts. As much as I hated their rationale for killing hordes of innocent people including children to try to kill a few Hamas militants, at least it was understandable in some kind of depraved way as "collateral damage." But killing people waiting for food? I don't get it--do you have any understanding about why Israel is doing this?”

My Friend: “They want to force them all off the land so they can annex the whole thing. That's why they're destroying everything including housing, hospitals and infrastructure. They want to make it so that the Palestinians have nothing to return to. Ben Gvir and Smotrich said as much. Same reason they cut off food and medicine. Because of Gaza and now Iran, the West Bank isn't getting as much press, but they're starting to tear Palestinian society there down also, and to force them off the land. These are Jews without souls. And Trump and the Evangelicals give them license to keep going. The Evangelicals think it will fulfill biblical prophecy and bring Jesus back and they are Trump's biggest supporters.”

Then I asked my old college buddy what he thought about all this—he is also Jewish—and here was his reply:

“Yes, horrible news from Gaza. In short, Netanyahu is a war criminal and should be charged with genocide before the International Court of Justice in the Hague along with his cabinet enablers. He does NOT speak for all Israelis (including my own family), much as Trump does not represent us. Just a thought—why do you think Hamas is holding on the two dozen living hostages if releasing them would remove the major excuse Netanyahu is making for continuing this slow-paced genocide? If they were released then the naked act of genocide would not have a leg to stand on. Note that both Hamas (it's leadership in Quatar) and Netanyahu want to keep the hostages and lopsided war to continue for their own self-preservation and the people of Gaza be dammed.”

Well I don't know if any of this has given me any real understanding of my question, but my high school buddy's phrase “Jews without souls” and my college buddy's phrase “Netanyahu is a war criminal” does have an impact upon me. What it brings up for me are human beings devoid of any ingredient of being human that I value. It conveys to me that these are people who have no regard for the lives of anyone who are not Jewish. But I have always tried to entertain what I have referred to as an “integrative perspective,” meaning that I try to look at diverse perspectives and see the rationale behind them and the possibilities of uniting them [1]. But here I am drawing a blank. I just do not see any kind of rational integrative perspective to explain this. I felt the same way when I wrote an article about whether terrorists are “normal and sane” [2]. Perhaps my friends' explanations might make some sense in some kind of deranged way, but I would not include it in any kind of “rational” integrative perspective. Rather what comes to mind to me is a perspective not unlike that of Hitler—just kill off those who are deemed worthless human beings. As much as I have been critical of Biden for his unwavering support of Israel, at least he did make some attempts at getting Israel to lessen the number of innocent Palestinians they were killing [3]. But Trump has been completely silent about Israel's horrific actions of killing starving Palestinians who are trying to get food.

I have not wanted to watch the utter horror that Israel has been doing to the Palestinians, children being torn apart by bombs, shot to death, etc., but I finally decided to watch a 30 minute video that had a title that supposedly was going to shed some light on an answer to my question of why Israel is killing starving Palestinians trying to get food [4]. Well the video was horrific to watch in its graphic and gruesome depictions, and the only answer to my question that I got from watching the video was something to the effect that the Israeli IDF was looking into the matter, and they are “protecting their soldiers.” No—I don't see how they are protecting their soldiers—from starving Palestinians trying to get food? So I was at a loss to come up with an integrative perspective here, like I have tried my best to do in a number of my other Integral World essays [1], including in some of my essays on Israel/Gaza [5].

However, I posted this video on my Humanistic Psychology and Progressive Politics in the Trump Era Facebook page and asked the same question there. One of the comments to my question I found interesting and perhaps it can shed a bit of light on things for me. Here is the comment:

“It's a kill or be killed mentality on the side of Israel. I took entrance exams at university of Berlin Germany and successfully defended both nazi and Jews. You have to look at victim psychology and see how the victim is provoking and aggressive. Really dig deep see nuances how abuse fuels behavior and numbs people. Biological changes of trauma Bessel van der kolk how body keeps score. From a Buddhist karma. Hindu Krishna life lessons and reincarnation. I'm not familiar with Palestine culture so I can't comment but as a Catholic psychologist trained in exorcism I believe also in demonology. Another take on conflicts is look at Nazis as social democrats who believed everyone should be supported and everyone should contribute to ability where in Judaism it's capitalistic they give you three chances Jewish guilt everything saved and passed to children and biblical chosen people. Just some thoughts.”

And here was my response: “Thank you. . . the part about victim psychology and how abuse fuels behavior and numbs people is helpful for me to consider, as yes I think this is what has happened to Jewish people in Israel as a result of Hitler.”

So yes this reminds me that Israel is reacting as victims from Hitler and the Nazis and victim psychology can perhaps explain the numbness of what Israel is doing to the Palestinians [6]. I don't know if this makes me feel any better, but perhaps it is at least some kind of semblance of an integrative perspective? I don't know--my intellect is not working very well right now. I do not have the state of mind to think much more about this, as I am just horrified and sick to my stomach with what my fellow Jews are doing. But what did come to me was that at least I could write an essay and express how I am feeling and what I am thinking. It's mind boggling to me how human beings can be doing this to other human beings, and it makes me ashamed to call myself Jewish. I know there are many Jewish people who feel the same as I do, and I could get involved with these groups of Jewish people. Perhaps I will do that. But for now I want to leave this little essay as my testament that I am repulsed by what this particular group of Jewish people in Israel is doing.

Notes/References

1) See a number of my Integral World essays at www.integralworld.net

2) See my article Are Terrorists Normal and Sane? Perspectives from Humanistic and Transpersonal Psychology, Self & Society, 2019, 47(2), 23-33.

3) See my Integral World essay Israel's War in Gaza: Genocide or War Crimes? www.integralworld.net, January 2024.

4) See this video at Al-Jazeera: "Why is Israel killing so many Palestinians seeking food in Gaza?", , 18 Jun 2025.

5) See my Israel/Gaza Integral World essays at "Thoughts About the Gaza Crisis, An Overview of Essays", www.integralworld.net.

6) See information about victim psychology, which is also referred to as victim mentality, at Medical News Today.