While Sir Isaac Newton’s third law wasn’t intended to solve the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, it is very much relevant here: For every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction.
I think that the most damaging error in Israel's feeble efforts at hasbara was the failure to hammer away at the accusation of "occupying Palestinian land." The land never belonged to any sort of Arab entity known as "Palestine," and the so-called "Palestinians" were mainly the descendants of Arab guest-workers who arrived after the Jews had developed sufficient infrastructure for life to begin again in a desolate land. There are so many holes in the Nakba/Occupation narrative that it could have been demolished and ridiculed into oblivion if Israel had only made the slightest effort. Instead, the Arabs repeated the Big Lie everywhere every time they spoke, and the Jews limited themselves to writing scholarly books and articles in academic journals. And so, today, we find ourselves in a situation where "everyone knows" that the Jews were colonizers who stole the land from the indigenous Palestinian people.
This article by Melanie Phillips was very interesting to me. She cites all the legal reasons, agreements, conventions proving Israel's legal rights to Gaza and Judea and Samaria as nonnegotiable parts of Israel:
Thanks for posting the link to this. It's one of the most thorough and compelling summaries I've seen of Israel's legitimacy and legal rights. Perfect for sharing with others who have no idea where the truth lies in the ongoing propaganda war.
Yes, and it's tragic that even many Jews have no idea that this is the simple truth. And so, Jewish students find themselves always on the defensive when they are accused of having stolen another people's land. Instead, they should be shouting that we Jews are the indigenous inhabitants of Israel who have returned to reclaim our homeland that was dominated for centuries by Arab invaders.
I've always felt that Egypt, Syria, and Jordan were so confident that they would defeat Israel and didn't, they've never gotten over that loss. For me, it's a misnomer to call them "occupied" since they were won during wars. If that's true, then the English, Spanish, French, and the US have all been occupiers, through invasions. I know it's always different for Jews. Rules never apply to them as they do to everyone else, which is very evident with the war presently going on. Just my opinion, but Israel cannot be held hostage by Hamas using the hostages for leverage. How many of them are Israelis? How many are still alive or in good physical condition? It is a very sad situation, but Israel's tough decision has to be regardless of the hostage situation, it must call Hamas's bluff and continue to defeat this evil. If there is anymore compromise, the people and State of Israel will be at risk. As you've shown quite clearly in your article, there is no peacemaking for any of these Arab countries and so called leaders.
Good questions about the hostages! We know that the majority are Israelis, although their conditions are unknown from what we read in the media. Hamas did not honour the part of the ceasefire agreement to allow the Red Cross to visit them.
Exactly right, Joshua, which is why they cannot be trusted. More distrubing news today that they drugged and finally fed the hostages before they were being released, so they could appear happy and content.
I’m curious, when the Jews who populated the Sinai peninsula after 1967 and then left after Israel returned it, was it a big fight? I mean, did the Israeli government have a hard time doing that (and also did they have a hard time during Gush Katif)? I’m sadly too ignorant about the history.
Yes, there was considerable pushback by Jews living there, and by others who ideologically and otherwise supported Jewish settlement in these regions. Still, the State of Israel withdrew as a show of good faith towards peace in the Middle East.
These good faith efforts have fallen on deaf ears and blind eyes. Let me tell you, I am a very unassimilated, Jewish woman with a love for Israel. But even I was someone who clung to Haaretz just bc I was born a good, American, Jewish liberal. Just bc I’m unassimilated and have a love of Israel does not mean I had information. I saw the Gush Katif-ers with their orange hats and just wrote them off as right wing extremists. I’ve spent the last 2 months trying to catch up on everything and my mind is blown at the ignorance, starting right at my own self and then emanating to all.
You are so right- that, and everything that Israel has ever done in good faith and in the name of furthering peace, as in non-war, has always fallen on deaf ears and blind eyes.
I think that the most damaging error in Israel's feeble efforts at hasbara was the failure to hammer away at the accusation of "occupying Palestinian land." The land never belonged to any sort of Arab entity known as "Palestine," and the so-called "Palestinians" were mainly the descendants of Arab guest-workers who arrived after the Jews had developed sufficient infrastructure for life to begin again in a desolate land. There are so many holes in the Nakba/Occupation narrative that it could have been demolished and ridiculed into oblivion if Israel had only made the slightest effort. Instead, the Arabs repeated the Big Lie everywhere every time they spoke, and the Jews limited themselves to writing scholarly books and articles in academic journals. And so, today, we find ourselves in a situation where "everyone knows" that the Jews were colonizers who stole the land from the indigenous Palestinian people.
This article by Melanie Phillips was very interesting to me. She cites all the legal reasons, agreements, conventions proving Israel's legal rights to Gaza and Judea and Samaria as nonnegotiable parts of Israel:
https://melaniephillips.substack.com/p/why-israel-is-entitled-in-law-to?utm_source=substack&publication_id=77655&post_id=139302938&utm_medium=email&utm_content=share&utm_campaign=email-share&triggerShare=true&isFreemail=true&r=1ripb
Thanks for posting the link to this. It's one of the most thorough and compelling summaries I've seen of Israel's legitimacy and legal rights. Perfect for sharing with others who have no idea where the truth lies in the ongoing propaganda war.
Yes, and it's tragic that even many Jews have no idea that this is the simple truth. And so, Jewish students find themselves always on the defensive when they are accused of having stolen another people's land. Instead, they should be shouting that we Jews are the indigenous inhabitants of Israel who have returned to reclaim our homeland that was dominated for centuries by Arab invaders.
I've always felt that Egypt, Syria, and Jordan were so confident that they would defeat Israel and didn't, they've never gotten over that loss. For me, it's a misnomer to call them "occupied" since they were won during wars. If that's true, then the English, Spanish, French, and the US have all been occupiers, through invasions. I know it's always different for Jews. Rules never apply to them as they do to everyone else, which is very evident with the war presently going on. Just my opinion, but Israel cannot be held hostage by Hamas using the hostages for leverage. How many of them are Israelis? How many are still alive or in good physical condition? It is a very sad situation, but Israel's tough decision has to be regardless of the hostage situation, it must call Hamas's bluff and continue to defeat this evil. If there is anymore compromise, the people and State of Israel will be at risk. As you've shown quite clearly in your article, there is no peacemaking for any of these Arab countries and so called leaders.
Good questions about the hostages! We know that the majority are Israelis, although their conditions are unknown from what we read in the media. Hamas did not honour the part of the ceasefire agreement to allow the Red Cross to visit them.
Exactly right, Joshua, which is why they cannot be trusted. More distrubing news today that they drugged and finally fed the hostages before they were being released, so they could appear happy and content.
Yes I saw that. Unbelievable.
I’m curious, when the Jews who populated the Sinai peninsula after 1967 and then left after Israel returned it, was it a big fight? I mean, did the Israeli government have a hard time doing that (and also did they have a hard time during Gush Katif)? I’m sadly too ignorant about the history.
Yes, there was considerable pushback by Jews living there, and by others who ideologically and otherwise supported Jewish settlement in these regions. Still, the State of Israel withdrew as a show of good faith towards peace in the Middle East.
These good faith efforts have fallen on deaf ears and blind eyes. Let me tell you, I am a very unassimilated, Jewish woman with a love for Israel. But even I was someone who clung to Haaretz just bc I was born a good, American, Jewish liberal. Just bc I’m unassimilated and have a love of Israel does not mean I had information. I saw the Gush Katif-ers with their orange hats and just wrote them off as right wing extremists. I’ve spent the last 2 months trying to catch up on everything and my mind is blown at the ignorance, starting right at my own self and then emanating to all.
Better late than never! And I admire your self-awareness! 🙏
You are so right- that, and everything that Israel has ever done in good faith and in the name of furthering peace, as in non-war, has always fallen on deaf ears and blind eyes.