82% of Israelis Support Ethnic Cleansing in Gaza, Poll Finds

Occupied Palestine (Quds News Network)- A new poll has revealed alarming support among Israeli Jews for the ethnic cleansing in Gaza. The survey, published Thursday in Haaretz, shows that 82% of Jewish Israelis back the idea of expelling native Palestinians from the strip.

The poll was conducted in March by one of the researchers on behalf of Penn State University. It surveyed 1,005 Jewish respondents across Israel.

When asked if the Israeli army should act like the biblical Israelites under Joshua in Jericho—killing all inhabitants of a conquered city—47% agreed.

More than 65% of respondents believe in a modern-day incarnation of Amalek, a biblical enemy of the Jews. Of those, 93% believe the biblical command to “erase Amalek” still applies today.

Support for forced expulsions has spiked. 82% support expelling all Palestinians from Gaza. Over half—56%—also back expelling Native Palestinians who are citizens of Israel. In 2003, support for these views was lower at 45% and 31%, respectively.

Secular Israelis also favor radical measures. Among them, 69% support expelling Gaza’s population, and 31% support mimicking the biblical destruction of Jericho.

The trend is strongest among younger generations. Among Jewish Israelis under 40, 66% support expelling native Palestinian citizens, and 58% support repeating the Jericho conquest. Only 9% of men under 40—those most likely to serve in the army—rejected all notions of expulsion or genocide.

Analysts warn that the roots of these beliefs run deeper. “Zionism is a settler-colonial movement—seeking to displace the native population”, Haaretz acknowledged. “Such projects often face violent resistance from the indigenous, leading to calls for their removal. Hence, every colonial settlement contains the potential for ethnic cleansing and genocide—as seen in 17th–19th century North America or early 20th-century Namibia.”