Unveiling the Layers: Understanding the Ten Stages of Genocide

Renowned scholar Michael Ignatieff once said, “Genocide is not just a murderous

madness; it is, more deeply, a politics that promises a utopia beyond politics– one people, one

land, one truth, the end of difference. Since genocide is a form of political utopia, it remains an

enduring temptation in any multiethnic and multicultural society in crisis.” As I delve into one of

the darkest aspects of human history, it’s important to understand that genocide not an abrupt

outbreak of violence. Instead, it’s a calculated mission with identifiable stages, fueled by the

pursuit of homogeneity at the expense of diversity. Today, I’ll explain the stages of genocide

through the perspective of two distinct yet interconnected tragedies: the Holocaust, where the

Nazi regime murdered millions of Jews and other groups, and the ongoing displacement and

killings of Palestinians during Israel’s 76-year-long occupation of Palestine. There are ten stages

of genocide, them being: classification, symbolization, discrimination, dehumanization,

organization, polarization, preparation, persecution, extermination and denial. The stages of

genocide, outlined by scholars like Gregory H. Stanton, aren’t always linear. Instead, they often

overlap, reflecting the intricate nature of the genocidal process.

The first stage of genocide is classification. It’s often the initial step where those in power

segregate individuals based on perceived differences, fostering an "us" versus "them" mentality.

During the Nazi regime, Jews, Roma, homosexuals and disabled people were branded as

"less-than" and undesirable, fostering prejudice. Similarly, in the Israeli-Palestinian context,

Palestinians who aren’t in the Occupied Palestinian Territory (OPT) and Israelis, are classified

through mandated identity cards, called the "Teudat Zehut," which until 2015, denoted one’s
ethnicity. However, although one’s ethnicity isn’t required to be stated anymore, there’s still a

clear two-tiered citizenship division.

Moving to the second stage, symbolization, visual manifestations of hatred come to the

forefront. For instance, Jews and homosexuals in Nazi-occupied Europe were mandated to wear

the yellow Star of David and a pink triangle badge, respectively, while Palestinians detained by

Israeli authorities often wear ID tags on their wrists or ankles. Furthermore, in the West Bank,

Israelis drive cars with yellow license plates, distinguishing them from Palestinians who drive

with white plates. These symbols make it easier to identify a targeted group and contributes to

stage three of genocide, discrimination.

Discrimination witnesses the denial of civil rights or citizenship to targeted groups.

Through the Nuremberg Laws in 1935, Jews were stripped of their German citizenship meaning

they were legally excluded from the rights and protections given to citizens. It’s paralleled today

by the Palestinians in Gaza lacking the right to vote or freely travel, and those with Israeli IDs

facing housing restrictions and social segregation. For example, Palestinians in Gaza have no

right to vote for the sovereign government and are prevented from leaving and entering Gaza,

while Palestinians with Israeli IDs are banned from living in more than 70% of the land because

they aren't "Jewish nationals."

While discrimination strips targeted groups of their citizenship, it’s dehumanization, the

fourth stage, that strips them of their humanity. The Nazis portrayed Jews as "vermin," echoing

sentiments by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu who tweeted, "This is a struggle

between the children of light and the children of darkness, between humanity and the law of the

jungle." Amplified through hate speech and propaganda, these rhetorics make it easier to justify
acts of violence. And violence is most effective when the pride for one’s nation combines with

systemic planning.

This leads to stage five, organization, which emphasizes the planning behind genocidal

acts. The establishment of concentration camps and the paramilitary organization of the

Schutzstaffel (SS) under Adolf Hitler echo the situation in Gaza, known as the “world’s largest

open-air prison,” and the mandatory enlistment of Israeli citizens into the Defense Force.

Additionally, Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir has armed militant settler groups across the West Bank

with 10,000 assault rifles since last October.. And although it wasn’t mandatory to join the SS,

many German citizens voluntarily joined due to pride, career opportunities or social pressure.

During organization, the “intent to destroy” disguises itself as the “intent to protect.” Any

objection to this mission statement will prompt polarization, the sixth stage of genocide.

Polarization thrives on propaganda aimed at dividing societies. Just as anti-Semitic

rhetoric fueled discrimination and hate during the Holocaust, today, divisive narratives

perpetuate violence between Israelis and Palestinians. For example, many pro-Israelis believe

that it is necessary to displace, oppress and even kill Palestinians in order for Israelis to exist

peacefully, mirroring how the Nazis felt with the Jews. It further divides societies through

inhibiting reconciliation efforts and normalizing violence.

This often contributes to the seventh stage, preparation. During preparation, plans for

mass displacement and extermination, often disguised as “national security” and

"counter-terrorism," are created. This makes it more difficult for international communities to

believe and intervene genocide. In this stage the Nazis prepared for “The Final Solution,” a

euphemism used to validate genocide as self-defense and a necessary means to an end, by

transporting evicted Jews to constructed death camps. Similarly, settlement expansion, land
confiscation, and military occupation and blockades persist in Palestine, especially Gaza, by the

Israeli government, supported by international aid and military assistance.

What directly follows is stage eight, persecution, which entails systematic oppression

through segregation, deportation, home demolitions, arbitrary detention, and starvation. The

persecution of Jews during World War II and the oppression of Palastinians in Gaza today mirror

each other, exemplifying the cyclical nature of genocide. The destruction of their entire

communities, the denial of their basic human rights and their collective punishment led to an

immense amount of suffering and trauma for the Jews, and it’s what’s happening in Palestine

right now. Persecution is what contributes to the ninth stage, extermination.

Extermination signifies the mass killings perpetrated by hate groups. While the Holocaust

saw the systematic murder of millions of Jews and other minorities, the large-scale military

attacks and killings persist in Palestine leading to the deaths of thousands of Palestinians. Some

recent examples include assassinations of Palestinian activists and leaders and around 600

attacks on Gazan healthcare facilities. Additionally, over 65,000 tons of explosives were dropped

on Gaza, with the explosive force exceeding four times that of the nuclear bomb dropped on

Hiroshima, Japan. It’s not easy to deny or minimize these facts, right? Well actually it’s a lot

more common than one might think.

The final stage of genocide is denial, in which the perpetrators attempt to justify their

actions, deny the scale of the atrocities, victim-blame, or even erase historical records of it. To

this day, there are people who minimize the horrors during the Holocaust or deny its existence

completely. Likewise, pro-Israel supporters tend to downplay or deny the brutality and

displacement of Palestinians. There are many reasons why denial is common, especially during

the time of or immediately following the genocide. They could range from serving political
agendas, to ideological beliefs rooted in racism or nationalism, to a form of psychological

defense mechanism. However, the fear of reparations or accountability for the perpetrators and

their supporters might be the most common among these.

Throughout history, humanity has grappled with the intricate and deeply troubling layers

of genocide. Despite the passage of time and the evolution of societies, patterns of oppression

and injustice still continue, reminding us of our shared responsibility to confront and prevent

such atrocities. As Michael Ignatieff said, genocide isn’t an eruption of violence but rather a

political agenda that promises a homogeneious utopia at the expense of diversity. We’ve

explored each stage of genocide by drawing parallels between the horrors of the Holocaust and

the ongoing persecution of Palestinians, confirming the complexities of it. Rather than a singular

event, genocide is an elaborate process with ten distinct stages often overlapping with one

another. From classification all the way to denial, it’s easy for people to progress their hatred or

pride into something more gruesome, perpetuating cycles of oppression and division. By

understanding what genocide truly is and acknowledging the horrors of it, we can strive to

prevent from more occurring.