Avoiding generalizations about groups of people is generally wise, helping us avoid prejudicial conclusions that obscure our shared humanity. However, there are times when collective behavior reveals a fundamental truth about a group’s beliefs and values.

The past month has showcased such behavior among the Palestinian Arabs. During ceremonies marking the release of hostages taken on October 7, 2023, they celebrated an orgy of mass murder, rape, torture, kidnapping, and destruction. This depravity reached a new low when they returned the remains of four murdered hostages—Oded Lifshitz, 83; Shiri Bibas, 32; and her sons Ariel, 4, and Kfir, only 9 months old. But even in this, they added another layer of cruelty: the body supposedly belonging to Shiri Bibas was later found not to be hers.

Rather than treating these victims with dignity, Palestinians engaged in wild celebrations, complete with loud music and cheering crowds. This grotesque display of bloodlust should be impossible to rationalize, even for the most dedicated apologists. And yet, many in the media and political spheres will continue excusing it.

Leftist activists—including fringe elements of the Jewish community—have been indoctrinated by ideologies like critical race theory and intersectionality. They falsely equate Israel’s struggle for survival with historical civil rights movements while denying Jews the right to self-defense. They refuse to acknowledge that Palestinian society has embraced terror as a cultural norm.

The mainstream media, acting as Hamas’s stenographers, downplays Palestinian atrocities. But these are not isolated incidents. From the suicide bombings of the Second Intifada to the celebrations of baby murder, these actions reflect a deep-seated societal pathology.

For decades, Palestinian education, media, and culture have been steeped in hatred for Jews and Israel. This has fostered a cult of death and martyrdom that glorifies terror. The rational response is to stop pretending these behaviors are mere reactions to Israeli policies.

History provides numerous examples of societies embracing destructive ideologies. The Romans celebrated the slaughter of their enemies in mass spectacles. Nazi Germany held elaborate processions glorifying hatred and conquest, with much of the world initially ignoring the warning signs. These displays of collective depravity ultimately led to catastrophic consequences.

Germany, after embracing Nazism, suffered immense destruction in World War II. Up to nine million Germans died, and twelve million were displaced. The world viewed this as a justified consequence of their crimes. Similarly, the Palestinians have long constructed their national identity around a false narrative of dispossession, refusing to accept Israel’s existence.

Rather than working toward coexistence, they rejected every offer of peace and statehood, choosing instead to pursue a campaign of annihilation. Their continued support for extremist groups like Hamas has left them in perpetual suffering—suffering largely of their own making.

Sympathy for their victimhood narrative must end. They must be held accountable not just for their horrific deeds but for fostering a culture that normalizes barbarism. If the world were not tainted by antisemitism and the modern woke obsession with portraying Israel as an oppressor, no one would tolerate Palestinian celebrations of terror.

The Trump administration recognized that Palestinians must face real consequences for their actions. Historian Andrew Roberts recently argued that holding them accountable is not “ethnic cleansing” but a necessary step in preventing further atrocities.

It is true that individual Palestinians may oppose this culture of hate. But their silence is telling. Unlike in Nazi Germany, where some resisted at great risk, there is no record of any Palestinian helping an Israeli hostage escape—despite Israeli forces offering financial rewards for assistance. Civilians actively participated in the October 7 massacres, proving that this is not merely a Hamas problem but a societal one.

Acknowledging these realities does not mean embracing hatred. It means demanding that Palestinian culture change before granting them any power that could enable further atrocities. Germany reformed only after suffering total defeat. The Palestinians will not change until the world stops coddling them.

After the latest grotesque celebrations of murder, they must understand that their actions will have lasting consequences. Otherwise, the world will remain trapped in an endless cycle of conflict and depravity.