Between Holocaust and National Tragedy – The Case of Israel

Thesis. The thesis of the article is to examine the discourse in Israel, which compares the events of the Holocaust in Europe in the twentieth century and the events of October 7, in which the terrorist organization Hamas attacked Israel, murdering, raping and kidnapping hundreds of people. Concept. Regardless of the testimonies, terminology, and discourse in the public, leadership, and academic sphere linking the events of the Holocaust to those of the Swords of Iron war, there is room to inquire whether Holocaust-related concepts and displays can be used in reference to the events of October 7, 2023 in Israel, and to what degree. Do the comparison or similarity between the events result in disparagement or in reducing the enormity of the Holocaust, and to what degree, or do they on the contrary serve to illustrate these events? The study examines journalistic articles, both printed and digital, in several categories: ideology, symbols, and satire. All these were examined in three spheres: in the public-journalistic discourse, in the leadership-political discourse, and in the academic discourse. Results. The study shows that the discourse comparing the events of October 7 and the Holocaust exists both within the Israeli discourse and within the global discourse. Conclusion. In light of the comparison between the grave events, the research findings may have pedagogic and public implications for the narrative of the October 2023 events in Israel.