Dr. Elie Fagan
Throughout history, the rise of extremist ideologies has paved the way for unspeakable atrocities, as seen with the Nazi regime’s genocidal actions during the Holocaust and, more recently, with the Oct. 7 attacks carried out by Hamas. Both regimes constructed ideological frameworks that enabled mass violence against Jews, although for different reasons and with different methods. While the Nazis sought the total extermination of the Jewish people across Europe, Hamas aims to destabilize Israel through brutal acts of terror. Despite these differences, both employed systematic dehumanization to justify the killing
of civilians.
Disturbingly, in both historical contexts, the perpetrators were not limited to armed militants or soldiers. Ordinary civilians, influenced by years of propaganda and indoctrination, became complicit in these atrocities — either through direct participation or by supporting the mass killings. To understand this widespread complicity, we must examine the ideologies that justified these atrocities in Nazi Germany and Hamas-controlled Gaza.
Ideology: The Foundation of Mass Violence
The Nazis developed an ideological framework that enabled both soldiers and ordinary German civilians to participate in the genocide of Europe’s Jews. Their belief system — rooted in racial pseudo-science, nationalism and extreme antisemitism — portrayed Jews as an existential threat that needed to be eliminated. Nazi propaganda systematically depicted Jews as subhuman parasites corrupting society. This narrative, reinforced by obedience to authority and societal pressure, transformed ordinary Germans into willing collaborators in genocide.
Hamas’ ideology, grounded in radical Islamism, views the Jewish presence in Israel as a colonial imposition and an affront to the Islamic world. This ideology is reinforced by a narrative of victimhood and resistance, where violence is framed as a religious and moral imperative. Like the Nazis, Hamas relies on dehumanizing rhetoric, invoking religious and historical grievances to justify attacks on Jewish civilians. While Hamas lacks the industrial capacity of the Nazi regime, its ideological framework similarly encourages extreme violence. The objective, while different in scale, still involves a form of “cleansing” of an illegitimate presence through violent means.
Both ideologies rely on dehumanization to mobilize followers and justify mass violence. In Nazi Germany, antisemitism became deeply embedded in society, leading to widespread participation in genocide. Similarly, Hamas has fostered a culture where violence against Jews is not only normalized but celebrated. Public displays of joy over hostage-taking and mass killings illustrate that, for many in Gaza, Hamas’ genocidal ideology is more than a political stance — it is a deeply ingrained belief system.
Civilian Complicity in Violence
Together with Hamas operatives, many Gaza civilians actively participated in the atrocities of Oct. 7. This mirrors the complicity of segments of the German population during the Holocaust, where civilians not only facilitated but also actively engaged in the mass killing of Jews. Some served as informants, others worked in administrative roles enabling deportations and executions, and many became direct perpetrators of murder.
In a similar vein, the events of Oct. 7 demonstrate how Hamas’ ideological indoctrination led civilians to take part in extreme violence. Just as Nazi propaganda dehumanized Jews, depicting them as a threat to be eliminated, Hamas’ rhetoric and indoctrination have long portrayed Israelis as illegitimate and hostile occupants of Muslim land, deserving of violence.
Unlike the Nazis, who sought to cover up their crimes as the war turned against them, Hamas proudly documented its mass killings. On Oct. 7, Hamas operatives filmed themselves brutally attacking, murdering and abducting civilians, sharing these gruesome videos on social media to boast of their actions and incite further terror. That same day, as Israeli hostages and bodies were brought into Gaza, civilians gathered to celebrate, cheering, filming and parading the captives through the streets. These public displays of joy at mass murder and abduction reveal a deeply ingrained culture of dehumanization, where the suffering of Jews is not only justified but actively glorified.
The Dehumanization of Hostages
Hamas’ systematic dehumanization is further exemplified by its treatment of hostages — both in captivity and in staged releases. The group has orchestrated hostage handovers as propaganda spectacles, ensuring that the event is humiliating for the hostages while glorifying their captors. These public displays are designed not only to showcase Hamas’ control but to strip victims of their dignity and humanity.
A particularly harrowing example is the return of Shiri Bibas’ body along with her two children, only for it to be revealed that Hamas sent someone else’s remains instead. This deception, seemingly meant to further torment the victims’ families, underscores Hamas’ total disregard for human dignity and its reliance on psychological terror.
Hamas has also weaponized psychological torture against hostages still in captivity. During a recent hostage release, Hamas forced two captives who remain in captivity to watch from a vehicle as others were freed, recording their reactions and pleas for release. Recent hostages who were freed have also described the severe psychological terror they endured, including being forced to watch the graphic videos Hamas operatives filmed on Oct. 7 or being chained for months on end.
This cruel manipulation highlights Hamas’ deliberate use of psychological warfare to break its victims, ensuring that their suffering extends beyond physical captivity and into emotional and public humiliation. Just as the Nazis engaged in manipulative cruelty — forcing Jews onto trains under false pretenses or making them dig their own graves — Hamas employs similar methods to extend suffering beyond physical violence.
Conclusion
The historical parallels between Nazi Germany and Hamas serve as a stark warning: when societies allow dehumanization to take root, ordinary people can become complicit in atrocities. The celebrations of violence in Nazi Germany and Hamas-controlled Gaza illustrate how societies can become desensitized to cruelty when ideology takes precedence over humanity. Just as Nazi ideology permeated German society, Hamas has cultivated a culture where violence against Jews is not only accepted but glorified. Recognizing and confronting these ideologies is essential to preventing future atrocities. If we ignore the lessons of history, we risk watching them unfold once again.
Dr. Elie Fagan hold a Ph.D. in Holocaust and Genocide Studies and serves as the Israel education chair and educator at Krieger Schechter Day School in Pikesville, Maryland. Originally from Israel, he specializes in historical analysis and Jewish education.
