Genocide in the Hebrew Bible

"Extermination of Canaanites" by Félix Philippoteaux , 1912 Some events depicted in the Hebrew Bible 's narrative which involve violence and warfare are considered by some academics and commenters to amount to genocide , most notably the conflicts with the Midianites as well as the Canaanites. Various interpretations have been given of these passages throughout history, with some who consider that God has commanded the Israelites to destroy some nations, often referred to as Amalek, while others hold the commandments as allegorical. Critics of Christianity and Judaism have often cited the passages to prove that the biblical god is a malevolent being . Still others have invoked the passage to incite genocide or ethnic cleansing against religious or ethnic minorities , such as was done during the Rwandan genocide . A reference to the commandment by Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu during the Gaza war was cited as proof of genocide in the Gaza strip in South Africa's genocide case against Israel . In mainstream scholarship, the historicity of the Biblical Narrative and stories is questionable.