Hegseth, Netanyahu meet in unannounced visit days before Israeli elections - report

Under Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's far-right government, extreme speech has intensified in the run-up to Israel's upcoming elections on October 27. According to a spreadsheet shared with The Associated Press by Israeli think tank OFEK, 227 extreme comments were made this year by officials. While Netanyahu has not directly employed such rhetoric, he campaigns under the slogan "right or Palestine," which some critics deem incendiary.

In response to the October 7, 2023 attacks, a defense minister described the military operation in Gaza as combating "human animals." Such language has been highlighted by South Africa in a genocide case against Israel before the International Court of Justice, an accusation Israel strongly denies.

The hate speech, exacerbated by artificial intelligence and social media platforms, has been shown to shape daily attitudes in Israel. One supporter of Netanyahu has likened the prime minister's primary rival, Gadi Eisenkot, to a "monkey," a remark widely regarded as a slur against Israel's Sephardic Jewish community. While some extreme comments are directed at Israel's Arab citizens – who are entitled to vote and hold office – most rhetoric is focused on Palestinians in Gaza and the occupied West Bank.

In the West Bank, characterized by checkpoints and barriers for Palestinians, some Arabic road signs have had their Arabic text painted over. Settlers display Israeli flags and jeer as they pass Palestinian shops, with owner Mouayad Oweis threatened if he removes them.

The most vitriolic speech in Israel seems to stem from a desire to see Palestinians leave the country. Achiya Schatz, the founder of the Israeli disinformation monitor FakeReporter, describes the toxic discourse as "endless" and "insane," adding that "In Israel, it’s quite regular," and "getting worse." A West Bank resident, Achiya Schatz, remarked, "It’s endless.

It’s insane." "What is happening in Judea and Samaria (the West Bank) should, ultimately, also happen in Gaza," declared Itamar Ben-Gvir, the minister of national security, echoing a desire to see the West Bank and Gaza treated similarly.