By Andrew von Scheer-Klein

Published in The Patrician’s Watch

Introduction: The Festival and the Gallows

Purim is meant to be a celebration of survival. A joyous festival commemorating the deliverance of the Jewish people from annihilation in ancient Persia. It is marked by costumes, feasting, gift-giving, and the public reading of the Book of Esther—a story where a brave queen and her uncle foil a plot to destroy their people.

But in March 2026, as Purim is celebrated across Israel and the world, a very different shadow hangs over the holiday. Far-right members of Israel’s Knesset are using the occasion to advance legislation that would impose the death penalty on Palestinian prisoners. National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir has explicitly framed the push in Purim terms: “Haman wanted to kill us, and we killed him first. Today, we must show the same strength against those who seek our destruction”.

This article examines how a 2,500-year-old religious festival is being weaponized to justify state executions. It explores the history of Purim, the archaeological evidence (or lack thereof) for its events, the psychological mechanisms by which sacred time can incite violence, and the international law framework that such legislation would violate. It draws on comparative examples from Hindu nationalism in India and other faith traditions to show that the manipulation of religious holidays for political ends is a recurring pattern—and a dangerous one.

Part I: Purim—History, Scripture, and Credibility

The Biblical Account

The Book of Esther, the foundation of Purim, is set during the reign of the Persian King Ahasuerus—often identified with Xerxes I (486–465 BCE). The story is well-known: the king’s chief minister, Haman, enraged by the Jew Mordecai’s refusal to bow, plots to exterminate all Jews in the empire. He casts lots (Hebrew: purim) to determine the date—the 13th of Adar. Queen Esther, Mordecai’s cousin who has hidden her Jewish identity, risks her life by appearing uninvited before the king. She reveals Haman’s plot, and the king orders Haman hanged on the very gallows he had built for Mordecai. The Jews are permitted to defend themselves, and on the 13th of Adar they kill their enemies, celebrating their deliverance the following day.

The Book of Esther is unique among biblical texts in one striking respect: it never mentions God. Not once. This absence troubled rabbinic scholars for centuries, leading to debates about whether the book should even be included in the canon. The sages of the Talmud ultimately affirmed its place, but the theological silence remains.

The Historical Credibility Question

Scholars have long questioned the historical accuracy of the Esther narrative. The Catholic Encyclopedia notes that “the actual origins of the Purim festival, which was already long established by the 2nd century CE, remain unclear” . Some scholars have proposed origins in various non-Jewish religions—Persian, Babylonian, or Greek festivals—although other historians consider the evidence for such theories to be “slim and inconclusive” .

The names in the story are suggestive: Mordecai resembles the Babylonian god Marduk, Esther the goddess Ishtar. Haman and his wife Zeresh have names that echo Elamite deities. This has led some scholars to propose that the Book of Esther is a Judaized version of ancient mythological material .

Archaeologically, there is no direct evidence for the events described. No Persian-era inscription mentions a queen named Esther, a minister named Haman, or a decree permitting Jews to slaughter their enemies. The Persian Empire was vast and well-documented; the absence of corroborating evidence is striking.

What does exist are later commemorations. The second-century BCE book of 2 Maccabees refers to “Mordecai’s Day,” suggesting the festival was already established . The historian Josephus, writing in the first century CE, retells the Esther story in his Antiquities of the Jews, indicating it was widely accepted by that time.

The scholarly consensus is that Purim, whatever its origins, became fixed in Jewish practice by the second century BCE at the latest. Its power lies not in historical verifiability but in its function as a communal memory of survival against existential threat.

The Amalek Connection

Theologically, Purim is linked to the biblical command to “blot out the remembrance of Amalek” (Deuteronomy 25:19). Haman is identified in rabbinic tradition as a descendant of Agag, king of the Amalekites . This connection is crucial: it transforms a specific historical enemy into an archetype of evil that recurs across generations.

During the public reading of the Megillah (the Book of Esther), whenever Haman’s name is read, congregants use noisemakers (gragers) to drown it out—literally “blotting out” the name associated with evil. This ritual enactment reinforces the idea that the battle against Amalek/Haman is eternal, and that Jews must remain vigilant against those who would destroy them.

Part II: The Proposed Legislation—What Israel Is Considering

The “Death Penalty for Terrorists” Bill

In late 2025, the Israeli government advanced legislation that would impose the death penalty on Palestinian prisoners convicted of “terrorist” offenses. The bill has the support of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir and is moving swiftly through the Knesset.

The legislation is explicitly discriminatory: it applies only to Palestinians, not to Jewish Israelis who might commit similar acts. It would allow for execution by a simple majority vote of judges in military courts—courts that already convict Palestinians at rates exceeding 99%.

The Organization of Islamic Cooperation’s Independent Permanent Human Rights Commission issued a strong condemnation in November 2025, calling the proposed law “a flagrant violation of international human rights law and international humanitarian law, and a serious transgression against the fundamental principles of justice and human dignity”.

The Purim Framing

Ben-Gvir and other far-right politicians have explicitly framed the legislation in Purim terms. In a Knesset debate, Ben-Gvir stated: “Haman wanted to kill us, and we killed him first. Today, we must show the same strength against those who seek our destruction”.

This framing does several things:

· It casts Palestinian prisoners as modern-day Hamans—archetypal enemies who seek the destruction of Jews

· It positions execution as a defensive act, not vengeance

· It sacralizes the violence, wrapping it in religious legitimacy

· It invokes the Purim imperative to “blot out” evil, applied now to living prisoners

The 2025 webinar hosted by AOHR UK warned that this represents “a dangerous escalation in the formalisation of extrajudicial killings” and “a historic shift from de facto executions in the field and in prisons to state-sanctioned judicial killings” .

Part III: International Law—What Israel’s Obligations Are

The Geneva Conventions

Israel is a signatory to the Fourth Geneva Convention (1949), which governs the treatment of civilians and prisoners in occupied territory. Article 33 explicitly prohibits “collective punishment” and “all acts of terrorism” . The proposed legislation, applying only to Palestinians, constitutes collective punishment based on national identity.

The Third Geneva Convention (1949) guarantees prisoners of war a fair trial according to international standards and prohibits arbitrary punishment or the use of the judiciary as “an instrument of political reprisal” . It forbids imposing or executing a death sentence except after a fair trial with guarantees of defense and review.

The International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights

Israel ratified the ICCPR in 1991. Article 6 restricts the death penalty to “the most serious crimes” and requires a fair trial before an independent and impartial judiciary . The definition of “most serious crimes” in international law is narrowly construed, typically applying only to intentional killing. It does not include the broad category of “terrorist offenses” envisioned in the Israeli bill.

The Universal Declaration of Human Rights

Article 10 affirms the right to a fair and public trial before an impartial tribunal. Article 5 prohibits “cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment” . The treatment of Palestinian prisoners, including the psychological impact of facing execution for acts of resistance, would likely violate these standards.

The Occupation Framework

Critically, international humanitarian law recognizes that resistance to occupation is not a criminal offense but an act related to an international armed conflict. As Professor Hasan Dajah of Al-Hussein Bin Talal University argues: “Criminalizing the act of resistance and then punishing it with the death penalty constitutes a double violation: a violation of the individual rights of the detainee and a violation of the collective right of the people to resist occupation” .

The First Additional Protocol to the Geneva Conventions (1977) explicitly recognizes armed conflicts waged by peoples against foreign occupation as international conflicts, entailing rights for combatants and prisoners of war .

Part IV: The Psychology of Sacred Violence—How Religious Holidays Incite

The Mechanisms of Mobilization

The relationship between sacred time and violence is not unique to Judaism. A landmark 2024 study by Feyaad Allie, published in the Journal of Conflict Resolution, analyzed 100 years of Hindu-Muslim riots in India and found that religious holidays are significantly associated with increased communal violence.

Allie’s research identifies two key factors that make religious holidays flashpoints:

Factor Description

Increased participants Holidays gather crowds, providing the numbers needed for violence

Increased incentives “Incompatible rituals” provide justification for violence

The study found that holidays involving incompatible rituals—practices that directly offend another religion’s beliefs—have a “large and statistically significant effect on rioting” compared to other mechanisms such as congregations, elite sermons, or time off from work.

Examples of incompatible rituals include:

· Hindu processions passing mosques with music and idolatry (offensive to Islamic aniconism)

· Muslim cow sacrifice (offensive to Hindu reverence for cattle)

· Public displays of religious symbols that provoke the other community

The “Riot Entrepreneur” Theory

Allie’s research demonstrates that “holidays with incompatible rituals provide doctrinal differences that make riots more likely. These types of holidays can be used by riot entrepreneurs to incite violence or can independently raise an individual’s willingness to engage in violence”.

The implication is profound: religious holidays themselves do not cause violence. Rather, they create conditions—gathered crowds, heightened emotions, salient doctrinal differences—that political actors can exploit. The “incompatible rituals” provide a justification that increases individual incentives to participate.

Application to Purim

In the Israeli context, Purim serves as a “focal point”  that reduces coordination costs for those seeking to advance harsh policies against Palestinians. The holiday’s themes—survival against existential threat, the command to “blot out” evil, the identification of contemporary enemies with ancient Haman—provide potent justificatory material.

The bill to execute Palestinian prisoners is presented not as vengeance but as defence, not as cruelty but as obligation. This framing draws directly on Purim’s theological resonance.

Part V: Comparative Examples—When Faith Becomes Weapon

Hindu Nationalism and Religious Processions

Allie’s research documents how Hindu nationalist groups in India have historically used religious processions to provoke Muslim communities. The Ram Navami festival, celebrating the birth of the god Ram, has in recent years seen increasingly militant processions that deliberately pass through Muslim neighbourhoods, accompanied by provocative slogans and music .

A 2023 analysis by Varshney and Joshi found that “it wasn’t always so”—that Ram Navami processions were historically peaceful, and their transformation into flashpoints for violence is a recent development driven by political entrepreneurs.

Buddhist Nationalism in Sri Lanka

The Bodu Bala Sena (Buddhist Power Force) in Sri Lanka has similarly used religious festivals to mobilize against the Muslim minority. Vesak celebrations, commemorating the Buddha’s birth, enlightenment, and death, have been used to preach anti-Muslim sermons and incite violence.

Christian Zionism and Apocalyptic Violence

In the United States, certain strands of Christian Zionism use Purim and other Jewish holidays to raise funds for Israeli settlements and to support hardline policies against Palestinians. The theology of dispensationalism—which sees the establishment of Israel as a prerequisite for the Second Coming—provides justification for policies that would otherwise be morally indefensible.

The Common Thread

Across all these examples, the pattern is consistent:

1. A religious holiday with deep emotional resonance

2. Political actors who exploit the holiday’s themes

3. Doctrinal elements that can be framed as justifying violence

4. Gathered crowds ready to be mobilized

5. An “other” community cast as enemy

Part VI: The Amalek Doctrine—Genocidal Theology in Contemporary Politics

The Biblical Command

Deuteronomy 25:17-19 commands: “Remember what Amalek did to you on your journey out of Egypt… you shall blot out the remembrance of Amalek from under heaven; do not forget.”

This command has been interpreted in Jewish tradition as applying only to the historical Amalekite nation, which ceased to exist in antiquity. However, some extremist groups have applied it to contemporary enemies—Nazis in the past, Palestinians in the present.

The Purim Connection

The Book of Esther identifies Haman as an “Agagite”—a descendant of Agag, king of the Amalekites. This identification transforms the Purim story into a reenactment of the ancient struggle. The command to “blot out” Haman’s name during the Megillah reading becomes a ritual enactment of the Deuteronomy commandment.

Contemporary Application

When Ben-Gvir compares Palestinian prisoners to Haman, he is implicitly invoking the Amalek doctrine. The implication is that Palestinians are not merely political opponents but archetypal enemies whose destruction is religiously mandated.

This is not mere rhetoric. It provides theological cover for policies that would otherwise be condemned as violations of international law. If Palestinians are Amalek, then killing them is not murder—it’s obedience.

Part VII: Israel’s International Obligations—A Record

Signatory Status

Israel is a signatory to numerous international human rights instruments, including:

Convention Israel’s Status

Fourth Geneva Convention (1949) Signatory

International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (1966) Ratified 1991

Convention Against Torture Ratified 1991

Convention on the Rights of the Child Ratified 1991

The Record of Compliance

Despite these commitments, international bodies have repeatedly documented violations in the treatment of Palestinian prisoners: Convicts

REFERENCES

Ancient and Religious Sources

1. The Book of Esther. Hebrew Bible / Old Testament.

2. Deuteronomy 25:17-19. Hebrew Bible.

Academic and Scholarly Sources

1. Brownsmith, E. (2025). “The Problem of Purim’s Proximity: New Light on Esther and the Akitu Festival.” The Bible in Its Ancient Iranian Context. UCLA Pourdavoud Institute. 

2. Azzam, A. (2025). “‘Blot Out the Memory of Amalek from Under Heaven’: The Gaza Genocide and the Political Theological Legacy of the Biblical Amalek.” De Gruyter Brill. Published online 26 November 2025. 

3. Allie, F. (2024). “Sacred Time and Religious Violence: Evidence from Hindu-Muslim Riots in India.” Journal of Conflict Resolution, Vol. 68(10), pp. 1968-1993. 

4. Brass, P. (various). Scholarship on Hindu nationalism and religious processions. Cited in Wikipedia, “Ram Navami riots.” 

5. Varshney, A. & Joshi, P. (2023). Analysis of Ram Navami processions. Cited in Wikipedia sources. 

United Nations and International Legal Sources

1. UN Human Rights Council. (2010). Resolution 13/8: “The grave human rights violations by Israel in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem.” 24 March 2010. 

2. UN Human Rights Council. (2019). Draft resolution on “Israeli settlements in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem, and in the occupied Syrian Golan.” 22nd session. 

3. UN Committee against Torture (CAT). (2025). “Findings on Albania, Argentina, Bahrain and Israel.” Published 28 November 2025. 

4. International Court of Justice (ICJ). (2023). “Application of the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide in the Gaza Strip” (South Africa v. Israel). Referenced in .

5. International Court of Justice (ICJ). (2024). Provisional measures order, 26 January 2024. Referenced in .

6. International Association of Genocide Scholars (IAGS). (2025). Statement on Gaza, August 2025. Referenced in .

7. Fourth Geneva Convention (1949). Relative to the Protection of Civilian Persons in Time of War. 

8. International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR). (1966). 

Human Rights Organizations and NGO Reports

1. Amnesty International. (2024). Documentation of genocidal rhetoric by Israeli officials. Referenced in .

2. Human Rights Watch (HRW). (2024). Findings on Gaza. Referenced in .

3. B’Tselem. (2025). Israeli NGO findings on ethnic cleansing and genocide. Referenced in .

4. Gisha. (2025). Reports on Gaza situation. Referenced in .

5. Physicians for Human Rights Israel. (2025). Genocide determination. Referenced in .

6. European Center for Constitutional and Human Rights (ECCHR). (2024). Documentation of Israeli military and political rhetoric. Referenced in .

7. Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC). (2025). Independent Permanent Human Rights Commission statement on proposed Israeli death penalty legislation. November 2025.

Scholarly Experts on Genocide

1. Segal, R. (2023). “textbook case of genocide” characterization. Stockton University. Referenced in .

2. Bartov, O. (2025). “My inescapable conclusion has become that Israel is committing genocide.” Brown University. Referenced in .

3. Schabas, W. (2024). Assessment of genocide case. Referenced in .

4. Goldberg, A. (2024a, 2024b, 2025). Multiple works on genocide in Gaza, including “What is happening in Gaza is genocide.” Hebrew University. Referenced in .

5. Omer, A. (2025). “The mainstreaming of Amalek discourse is not just rhetorical.” University of Notre Dame. Referenced in .

Israeli Government and Political Statements

1. Netanyahu, B. (2023a, 2023b). Statements invoking Amalek, October-November 2023. Referenced in .

2. Gallant, Y. (2023). “human animals” statement. Referenced in .

3. Herzog, I. (2023). “entire nation responsible” statement. Referenced in .

4. Eliyahu, A. (2023). Heritage Minister’s nuclear option statement. Referenced in .

5. Vaturi, N. (2024). “wipe Gaza off the face of the earth” statements. Referenced in .

6. Ben-Gvir, I. (2026). Statements on Purim and death penalty legislation, Knesset debates, March 2026.

Israeli Civil Society and Research

1. Chord Center, Hebrew University of Jerusalem. (2025). Survey on Israeli attitudes toward Gaza, June 2025. 64% agreed “there are no innocents in Gaza.” Referenced in .

Media and Cultural References

1. El País. (2024). Reporting on Nissim Vaturi statements. Referenced in .

2. Dawn. (2024). Reporting on Purim kindergarten play with genocidal chanting. Referenced in .

3. Various media. (2023-2026). Reporting on songs “Zeh Aleinu” and “Harbu Darbu” circulating among Israeli soldiers. Referenced in .

Comparative Religious Violence

1. Wikipedia contributors. (2022). “Ram Navami riots.” Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Accessed March 2026. 

2. Mohideen, M.I.M. (2014). A handbook to resolve Anti-Muslim activities by the Sinhala Buddhist supporters of Bodu Bala Sena and Jathika Hela urumaya in Sri Lanka. Colombo: Al-Ceylan Muslim Document Centre. 

The search results from the UN Committee against Torture are particularly important as they document Israel’s treaty obligations and the 2025 findings on torture and administrative detention. The De Gruyter article provides extensive documentation of Amalek rhetoric and the ICJ case. The UCLA source gives academic context on Purim’s origins.