From Victims to Oppressor: The Theology of Perpetual Siege
Faisal AlsagoffShare
Israel’s greatest threat is not from its enemies, but from the story it tells itself. A nation born from persecution now risks perishing from moral decay. The same covenant that once bound it to survival has hardened into justification for domination. When seventy percent of a society can say there are no innocents in Gaza, the sickness runs deeper than politics — it is spiritual. History offers only two choices for a people trapped in their own mythology: change, or perish. Repentance, not retaliation, is the only path to redemption.
Throughout history, the people of Israel have seen themselves as survivors — chosen, persecuted, yet preserved. From the enslavement in Egypt to the Babylonian exile, their story is one of endurance under oppression. Yet in the twenty-first century, this identity of the eternal victim has evolved into something more complex and troubling. The state of Israel, born out of the ashes of the Holocaust, now wields immense military and political power while continuing to see itself as under siege. The transformation from victim to victor has not erased the trauma; it has simply redirected it.
#1. The Birth of a Covenant Nation
The origins of Israelite identity are deeply intertwined with suffering and divine promise. The Exodus narrative defines survival as divine selection — God rescues His people and binds them by a covenant. This covenant was not merely religious; it was existential. Being “chosen” meant carrying a divine mission in a hostile world. Every conquest, defeat, and exile was interpreted as part of this cosmic contract. The Israelites believed that their survival, no matter the odds, was proof of divine favor.
#2. The Theology of Violence and Justified War
The Torah’s historical books — particularly Exodus, Deuteronomy, and Joshua — contain disturbing moral paradoxes. Commands to annihilate Canaanite populations, destroy cities, and kill women and children were presented as divine imperatives. The concept of ḥērem or “devotion to destruction” gave genocide a sacred veneer. In those texts, moral righteousness and military conquest became indistinguishable. This theology of sanctified violence seeded a pattern: the oppressed believed that moral authority could justify the destruction of their enemies.
#3. The David and Goliath Complex
The legend of David and Goliath symbolized Israel’s eternal underdog status — the small nation defeating a giant adversary through faith and courage. That myth has persisted through centuries, forming the psychological backbone of Jewish endurance. Even today, Israel frames every existential challenge through this narrative lens. Surrounded by enemies, outnumbered yet righteous, Israel sees itself as David once again — even when it holds all the power of Goliath.
#4. The Holocaust and the Reinforcement of Victimhood
No event has more profoundly reinforced the Jewish sense of victimhood than the Holocaust. The industrialized extermination of six million Jews etched into modern consciousness the belief that the world will never stop persecuting them. This trauma, inherited through generations, became a central pillar of both Jewish and Israeli identity. It justified the need for an impregnable state and a permanent defense stance. Even secular Jews who reject religion often unconsciously carry this worldview — that survival itself is righteousness.
#5. From Biblical Faith to Political Power
Modern Israel was founded as both a refuge and a revival — a secular state with a religious soul. Zionism secularized the ancient covenant, replacing divine promise with national destiny. Yet it could not escape its biblical undercurrents. The early Zionist dreamers saw themselves as modern Joshuas, reclaiming a promised land. The wars of 1948, 1967, and 1973 were framed as miraculous survivals against overwhelming odds. Each victory deepened the conviction of divine or historical entitlement.
#6. The Paradox of a Religious Democracy
Israel calls itself the Middle East’s only democracy. Yet it defines citizenship through ethnicity and religion. It is both a state for all its citizens and the state of the Jewish people. This contradiction lies at the heart of its moral crisis. Theocratic privilege coexists uneasily with democratic ideals. Jewish citizens enjoy full rights; Palestinians, whether within the occupied territories or under unequal laws, do not. The democracy exists within the walls of religious nationalism.
#7. The Modern Siege Mentality
Despite unmatched military strength and global support, Israel’s self-perception remains one of perpetual siege. Every rocket, protest, or international criticism is seen not as political opposition but as existential threat. The trauma of exile and genocide has been repurposed into a justification for occupation and suppression. This psychological inversion — where the oppressor believes himself oppressed — fuels the moral blindness of the present conflict. Palestinians are cast not as dispossessed people but as reincarnations of ancient enemies.
#8. Voices of Conscience and Dissent
Not all within Israel or the Jewish diaspora accept this narrative. Scholars and humanists such as Gideon Levy, Amira Hass, Norman Finkelstein, and Gabor Maté have challenged the moral rot at the heart of modern Zionism. They argue that true safety can never be built on domination. Maté, himself a Holocaust survivor, warns that collective trauma unhealed becomes collective cruelty. These dissenting voices represent the moral conscience of a people struggling with the weight of their own history.
#9. A Nation Trapped by Its Own Story
The tragedy of Israel is not simply political but psychological. The same stories that once gave meaning to suffering now imprison its soul. The covenant that once promised life has become a license for destruction. Until Israel re-examines its foundational myths — Moses’ holy wars, Joshua’s conquests, David’s heroism — it will remain trapped in a theology of perpetual siege. Freedom requires more than survival; it demands reflection, empathy, and the courage to see oneself not as a chosen victim, but as a responsible actor.
#10. The Mirror of Public Opinion: What Israelis Believe About Gaza
Norman Finkelstein’s indictment of Israeli society as “the problem” rather than just its leadership rests on disturbing empirical data. He cites recent polls showing that between 70 and 75 percent of Jewish Israelis agree with the statement that “there are no innocents in Gaza.” This sentiment, first reported by Haaretz and based on research conducted by the aChord Centre for Social Psychology at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem in June and August 2025, exposes a moral crisis that runs deeper than political leadership.
The aChord poll (11–13 August 2025) found 76 percent of Jewish respondents concurring with the phrase, compared with only 8 percent of Arab Israelis. Earlier, a June 2025 poll yielded 64 percent agreement. Both polls were later covered by major outlets including Haaretz, Middle East Monitor, and Anadolu Agency, confirming the normalisation of collective punishment in mainstream Israeli opinion. Finkelstein argues that these results reflect how decades of occupation, dehumanising rhetoric, and biblical narratives of moral superiority have permeated national consciousness. The findings suggest that the theology of siege has become a psychology of denial — one that sanctifies violence through self-perceived victimhood.
Breaking The Psyche
The arc of Jewish history, from bondage to power, is among humanity’s most extraordinary journeys. Yet moral evolution must accompany survival. When the memory of persecution becomes a weapon, righteousness turns into hubris. Israel’s future — and the moral integrity of Judaism itself — depends on breaking the ancient spell of chosenness. True faith, whether in God or humanity, demands compassion over conquest, justice over justification, and the courage to see one’s own reflection in the eyes of the oppressed.
Bibliography (Harvard Style)
Armstrong, K. (1993). A History of God: The 4,000-Year Quest of Judaism, Christianity and Islam. London: Heinemann.
Finkelstein, N. (2000). The Holocaust Industry: Reflections on the Exploitation of Jewish Suffering. London: Verso.
Maté, G. (2023). The Myth of Normal: Trauma, Illness, and Healing in a Toxic Culture. London: Vermilion.
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aChord Centre for Social Psychology (2025). Public Sentiments in Israel regarding the Gaza War. Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Survey Report (August 11–13). Available at: https://social.accord.huji.ac.il
Haaretz (2025). ‘64% of Israelis See No Need for More Reporting on Gazans’ Suffering’. Haaretz, 10 June 2025. Available at: https://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/2025-06-10/
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Anadolu Agency (2025). ‘64% of Israelis Believe There Are No Innocents in Gaza – Poll’. AA News, 22 June 2025. Available at: https://www.aa.com.tr/en/middle-east
Finkelstein, N. (2025). Interview with Chris Hedges on The Chris Hedges Report, “The Problem Is Israeli Society.” Released September 2025. Available at: https://thechrishedgesreport.com
Biblical References: The Covenant and Sacred Violence
The Book of Exodus (c. 1200–1000 BCE). Exodus 17:13–16 — The Lord commands Moses to destroy Amalek utterly, establishing an "everlasting war" as divine decree.
The Book of Deuteronomy (c. 700–600 BCE). Deuteronomy 7:1–6 — The Israelites are instructed to “utterly destroy” seven nations of Canaan and “show them no mercy,” sanctifying conquest as covenant duty.
The Book of Deuteronomy (c. 700–600 BCE). Deuteronomy 20:16–18 — Explicit command to annihilate all that breathes in Canaanite cities, framing genocide as protection from idolatry.
The Book of Numbers (c. 700–600 BCE). Numbers 31:1–18 — Moses orders the slaughter of Midianite men, women, and male children, keeping only virgin girls as spoils of war.
The Book of Joshua (c. 600–500 BCE). Joshua 6:21 — The Israelites “devoted to destruction” every man, woman, child, and animal in Jericho as an offering to the Lord.
The Book of Joshua (c. 600–500 BCE). Joshua 10:40 — Joshua “struck all the land… he left none remaining but devoted all that breathed to destruction, as the Lord God of Israel commanded.”
The First Book of Samuel (c. 600 BCE). 1 Samuel 15:2–3 — The Lord commands Saul to destroy the Amalekites completely — “men and women, children and infants, cattle and sheep, camels and donkeys.”
The Book of Psalms (c. 500–400 BCE). Psalm 137:9 — The exile’s lament ends with celebration of vengeance: “Happy is the one who seizes your infants and dashes them against the rocks.”
The Book of Kings (c. 600 BCE). 2 Kings 2:23–24 — When youths mock Elisha, he curses them, and two bears maul forty-two children — an emblem of divine-sanctioned retribution.
