This is a powerfully accurate and truthful review of Israeli-Arab history. This should be required reading for anyone who is interested or curious about the Middle East. Perhaps it would be helpful if Steve Witkoff read this article.
Concise and powerful! Should be distributed to high school and college students, whose attention spans have diminished and need "short and sweet" things to read.
Students need help with a quick articulate and powerful defense when they are accused of genocide in Algebra 1. This article should be taped to the refrigerator in every kitchen.
The document presents a narrative of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, framing it as a series of cause-and-effect reactions rooted in historical Jewish persecution, Arab rejectionism, and Palestinian violence. Below is a critical review of its historical accuracy and argumentative cogency, based on mainstream scholarship and historiographical debates.
Strengths of the Argument
1. Historical Context
- The document correctly notes that Jewish ties to Judea/Palestine date back millennia and that Jewish communities faced systemic discrimination (e.g., *dhimmi* status) under Islamic rule. Events like the Battle of Khaybar (7th century) and medieval pogroms are documented, though their relevance to modern conflict is debated.
- Zionist land purchases in Ottoman Palestine (late 19th–early 20th centuries) are well-documented, as are Jewish agricultural developments (e.g., draining swamps).
2. Rejection of Partition Plans
- It accurately states that Arab leaders rejected the 1937 Peel Partition and 1947 UN Partition Plan, while Jewish leaders accepted both (albeit reluctantly). This is a key point in understanding the 1948 war.
3. Soviet Influence on Palestinian Nationalism
- The USSR did support Arab states and the PLO during the Cold War, and Yasser Arafat’s rhetoric shifted toward "anti-colonial" framing. Soviet defector Ion Mihai Pacepa’s claims about PLO-Soviet ties are cited by some historians, though his reliability is contested.
4. Palestinian Violence and Israeli Security Measures
- The document’s timeline of Palestinian uprisings (Intifadas, Hamas’s takeover of Gaza) and Israeli responses (security barrier, blockades) is factually correct. Suicide bombings during the Second Intifada (2000–2005) did erode Israeli trust in territorial concessions.
5. Hamas’s Role
- Hamas’s use of Gaza as a base for attacks, embedding military infrastructure in civilian areas, and provoking conflicts (e.g., 2014, 2021, 2023) is well-documented by NGOs and media.
Weaknesses and Omissions
1. Overemphasis on Ancient History
- While Jewish historical ties to the land are real, framing the modern conflict as a direct continuation of 7th-century events (e.g., Khaybar) is reductive. Modern nationalism (Zionism and Palestinian nationalism) emerged in the 19th–20th centuries as responses to colonialism and state-building, not medieval grievances.
2. Dismissal of Palestinian Indigenous Claims
- The claim that most Palestinians are "recent migrants" drawn by Jewish economic activity is misleading. While migration occurred (as in all regions), Palestinian Arab society had deep roots in the area, as documented by Ottoman records and British censuses.
3. 1948 War and Refugee Crisis
- The document downplays Israeli expulsions (e.g., Deir Yassin, Lydda) and the role of Zionist militias (Haganah, Irgun) in displacing Palestinians. Historians like Benny Morris acknowledge both Arab flight *and* forced removals. The line "Arabs fled because their leaders told them to" is contested; many fled due to fear of violence.
4. Soviet Influence Oversimplified
- While the USSR backed the PLO, Palestinian nationalism predated Soviet involvement. The PLO’s 1964 founding charter (pre-Soviet grooming) already framed Zionism as colonialist.
5. Neglect of Israeli Settlements and Occupation
- The argument ignores how post-1967 Israeli settlements in the West Bank (now numbering ~700,000 settlers) undermined Palestinian trust in a two-state solution. Even pro-Israel scholars like Dennis Ross acknowledge settlements as a major obstacle to peace.
6. One-Sided Moral Accountability
- The document absolves Israel of all blame (e.g., no mention of disproportionate Gaza wars, settler violence, or Netanyahu’s empowerment of Hamas to weaken the PA). Hamas’s atrocities are real, but Israeli policies (blockades, raids) also radicalized Gazans.
7. Misrepresentation of Oslo Accords
- Arafat’s rejection of Clinton’s 2000 offer was partly due to unresolved issues (e.g., East Jerusalem, right of return), not mere rejectionism. Israeli offers (e.g., Barak’s) were seen by Palestinians as insufficient, a view shared by some Israeli negotiators.
Conclusion: The document’s cause-and-effect logic holds for some events (e.g., Arab rejectionism → Israeli militarization; Hamas violence → Israeli blockades). However, it ignores key complexities (e.g., mutual radicalization, occupation dynamics) and presents a “teleological narrative” where Palestinian actions alone drive the conflict.
- Historical Accuracy: Mostly correct on facts but often interprets them through an ideological lens. For example, it cites real pogroms against Jews but omits Palestinian dispossession in 1948.
- Cogency: The argument is internally consistent but lacks balance. A robust historical account would acknowledge both sides’ agency, mistakes, and legitimate grievances.
Recommendation: To critically engage with this narrative, supplement it with works by historians like Benny Morris (centrist), Ilan Pappé (pro-Palestinian), and Rashid Khalidi (Palestinian perspective). For geopolitical context, see Avi Shlaim’s “The Iron Wall”.
This is solid correction to the author’s regrettably skewed history. It is worth noting that in 1878, the Arabic-speaking population was over 400,000 while Jews numbered 25,000. This population shared more genetic material with those living in ancient Palestine than most modern Jews, particularly Ashkenazi.
It is not surprising that Arab leaders who claimed to represent the indigenous population rejected the 1947 Partition, which gave more and better land to the smaller Jewish population than the majority Palestinian residents. In any event, the Zionists used terrorism, massacres and forced expulsions to expand the areas set aside for them.
Nothing has changed. As part of the Zionist project, the current Israeli government has continued to deploy terrorism, killings and expulsion in both Gaza and the West Bank in order to remove Palestinians and prevent the possibility of a two state solution or, indeed, any solution that allows any Palestinians to remain between the river and the sea. The strategy of extremists that rule Israel is to take such actions as predictably cause Palestinian reactions that, the Zionists then claim, require the death or removal of all Palestinians. “Look at what you made me do” is not the moral bedrock the author thinks it is.
This is a must read for anyone interested in the true unvarnished history of the Arab Israeli conflict as opposed to the post modern and Orientalist garbage and post historical narratives peddled in academia and the media
The cumulative result of 10's of 1000's of profoundly informed and considered essays by 1000's of brilliant 'specialists' and 'experts' uniquely channeled, refined, summarized and essentialized by the one and only Joshua Hoffman. Excellent. Well done. Thank you.
Obviously those lacking even a single working brain cell due to infection with the insidious antisemitism virus cannot possibly comprehend the complicated concept of cause and effect.
I would recommend remedial Sesame Street episodes - Grover is particularly effective at explaining to three year olds FIRST this THEN that - but I fear that with too many commenters no amount of tutoring will be effective.
The facts have always been on the side of the Jews. It's the propaganda war where Israel needs to do better. While I hope this wonderful article can help, I doubt anyone who actually needs to read it will.
Joshua, great recap and detailed discussion. I relate to it all as I too have been writing about this topic for years. Mainstream media, which has been a great influencer in misinformation, has forgotten the basics of journalism's 5 W's + H = Who, What, When, Where, Why, and How. They keep leaving off the WHY.
Yes, this historically accurate and powerfully written piece is spot on and should be the cornerstone to every academic foray into the topic. But that's a fantasy. Wishful thinking. The sad fact is that it's a numbers game: 15 million Jews vs 2 billion Muslims. It's also a money game: the combined GDP of the 57 member states in Organization of Islamic Cooperation is north of 30 trillion. Israel's GDP is 500 billion.
Against this backdrop, the idea that somehow the truth, known to a tiny minority, can supplant a lie propagated by a quarter of the globe is a fool's errand. Schools -- from London to Melbourne, Toronto to Madrid, Los Angeles to São Paulo, Paris to Tokyo -- have become breeding grounds for anti-Israel, anti-Zionist and anti-Semitic sentiment.
What's more, the gross deception has been paved by 2000 years of false and incendiary attacks on Jews, making the current global obsession with anti-Semitism merely a passing of the baton. So, the blood libel charge from the Middle Ages has morphed into the "genocide" charge of today.
Simply put, the 21st century retelling of the Jewish story to a generation of young people across the globe is in the hands of Islamists and their sympathizers.
I’m convinced! Palestinians should be dispossessed in 1948 and Palestinian children should be slaughtered now because Romans kicked the Jewish people out of Judea 2000 years ago. It’s all about antiquity and who was there first. In fact, why start with the Romans? Let’s go way way back. How did the children of Abraham enter Israel in the beginning? A land with no people for a people with no land? Totally legit, no problems with this line of reasoning.
I don't think Josh is promoting what you think. What I get out of this article is that without a cult deprogramming of Jihadism into something more peace loving and life affirming, peace is impossible. If this paradigm change happened, then there would be no reason not to let Palestinians back to their ancestral villages and treat them as equal citizens. Jewish majority could still be maintained, by Jews having more babies, and by more Jewish immigration. No need for dispossession and expulsion. Also, if this paradigm change happened, most Palestinians would choose to build a life where they are, not to come back to their ancestral villages.
Unfortunately, those who have “bought” the propaganda will call this synopsis “Israeli Hasbara” and ignore it. I also don’t think it’s sufficient to invoke “cause and effect”. Yes, it does give the entire conflict context, but we are not simply bodies in motion running into equal and opposite forces, or reacting mindlessly to violence. Vengeance could be justified using “cause and effect” — indeed, that is the “natural” human response to something like 10/7. The problem with that is that Judaism specifically forbids vengeance; self-defense and defense of one’s own people is permitted (and in some cases obligatory), but retaliation is not. Consequently, “cause and effect’ does nothing to avert the claim that Israel is engaged in vengeance in Gaza, rather than self-defense. You need to include an explanation as to the necessity of eliminating Hamas, even at the cost of human life, the obligation of Israel to protect its own citizens, and the fact that the responsibility for the safety of civilians in the event of a possible (or extremely likely!) war rests with THEIR OWN GOVERNMENT.
Meaning, even just the fact that there are no bomb shelters in Gaza is criminal. However, what Hamas did, far from providing PROTECTION for the people, they intentionally and maximally EXPOSED the people for whom THEY were legally responsible to maximal risk of death and severe injury in the event of war, by turning the Gazans’ residential areas, their busy market streets and schools, their mosques and hospitals, into the very military targets that Israel would need to strike in order to defend itself. This was a whopping war crime by Hamas. They did this by consciously building military installations under these and other crowded areas.
Thus, in order to take out a neighboring government, which had demonstrated both capacity and intent to commit further genocidal atrocity like that of 10/7 upon Israelis, Israel could only protect its own people (an obligation, not an “option”) in a campaign where Hamas had put its own people at maximal risk. Israel has tried to reduce that risk, but the crucial choice was between submitting themselves to genocide, or, while trying to minimize the likely high number of Gazan casualties, go ahead, defying Hamas’ attempt to cravenly protect itself by threatening the lives of its own civilians. And, predictably, the world has blamed the high body count on Israel, calling it “genocide”, and discrediting Israel’s moral position, rather than putting the blame for the carnage in Gaza squarely where it belongs. Hamas sacrificed the people of Gaza, as involuntary “martyrs”, to further its own genocidal campaign against Israel.
I’m not sure you’ve managed to convince even yourself that the Israeli government’s atrocities are Hammas’ fault. With this contorted “moral” reasoning. But maybe just enough to sleep at night. More’s the pity.
There is nothing wrong with my moral reasoning. Hamas leadership actually bragged recently that it had “sacrificed” the people of Gaza in order to defeat Israel, and that, happily, new “martyrs” were being born in Gaza all the time. I did not claim that the current Israeli government’s ethical lapses are the fault of Hamas. But Israel didn’t go to war because of Netanyahu’s special lack of ethical sense. Israel went to war because the atrocity committed against them by Hamas justified a serious defensive response. Believe it or not, Israel is not the aggressor. Hamas is. Hamas intentionally did the one thing that would lead Israel to take serious defensive action. They intentionally left the civilians exposed, so that, even with the IDF’s efforts to get people out of the way, a large number of them would be killed. Not coincidentally, it wasn’t very long before the “genocide” lie was cranked out of Hamas’ propaganda mill.. Likewise, the food shortages in Gaza have been caused by the fact that Hamas steals 80-90% of the aid donated by Israel and others, and it is a bald-faced lie that Israel has not been sending in food. The idea to air-drop food into Gaza probably won’t prevent the stealing, but at least the UN can’t make excuses as to why they won’t deliver it. You suggest that I might otherwise be kept up at night by “Israel’s atrocities”, if I didn’t blame Israel’s crimes on Hamas. I find it kind of funny that you feel the need to defend Hamas, which is a branch of the Muslim Brotherhood, who were allies of the Nazis during WWII. But besides that, what keeps me up at night is Hamas’ calculated evil against both Israelis and Gazans, unjust accusations and propaganda, and the destruction of Israel’s (and Jewish) credibility by monsters, ideologues, and useful idiots. I don’t get a lot of sleep.
I am not defending Hamas. 10/7 was an atrocity. It is an atrocity to slaughter 10s of 1000s of children who were not responsible for it. Seek justice, by all means. Vengeance, as you have acknowledged, is not permitted. If Israel can sabotage pagers in a targeted attack on its specific enemies, surely it can conduct its war without slaughter. There is no justification for what is happening now, only rationalisation for a crime. For a sin.
Are you a military expert? Thr pager business was an exceptional circumstance. War is always hardest on civilians, and Israel takes more measures than the US does to minimize civilian casualties. The numbers and reports coming out of Gaza are from Hamas itself and cannot be counted on. There are military experts who have pointed out that even with those numbers, the ratio of civilian to combatant casualties is exceptionally low. The issue is not that so many people are dying (which they are, it being urban wsrfare, and the lack of civilian protection), but that Israel decided to go to war at all, knowing that Hamas would not only not protect the civilians, but might as well have tied them up and put them on the roof.
Israel's reputation with Hamas is actually that they are "soft" and "sentimental" (about children, in particular) which is why Hamas figured it had to commit absolute atrocity to get Israel to go to war despite the risk to the Gazans. Which was indeed the case.
There is so much actual evidence on how the IDF is prosecuting this war that, honestly, these propaganda based views are no longer excusable. There will be a reckoning on the other side of this monstrous action. And “we didn’t know” will never have been are more hollow refrain.
I find that interesting; “There is so much actual evidence…” — who reported that “evidence”? You’re calling what I’m saying “propaganda”. Why do you think the vilification of Israel is more likely to be true, than a nuanced understanding? I am not saying that the IDF has perfectly executed this war. No army ever has ever done so. Yes, there have likely been pockets of both strategic error and ethical lapse. What I’m talking about is the overall intent. What is it you think the overall intent is, then? Why do you think that Israel so desires Gaza, of all places, such that it would just raze the place, kill and displace the inhabitants, and starve the remainder? Why, then, have they been warning the Gazans to get the hell out of the way? If it’s a way to get rid of Palestinians, don’t you think that if that were their aim, they could have done so in a more intelligent and efficient way, and a long time ago? Why do actual military experts say that, once you take the combatants out of the body count, the civilian-to-combatant ratio is THE lowest ever seen in the case of an urban war? Why the Hell have they tried somewhere between 5 and 9 times to offer the West Bank and Gaza to the Palestinians, only to be turned down, and now all the Pro-Pal folks are claiming that it is Israel standing in the way of their building a state? Do you even know who Hamas is, such that Israel would be so determined to mop it up? I don’t know what “evidence” you’re talking about, but if it comes from the AP, it’s getting all its information from Pro-Pal outlets, whether it’s the UN, other “Human Rights” organizations, or the “reporters” within Gaza. You are aware, I suppose, that the desire to wipe out Israel has, for all 75 years, been about 100 times as intense as the desire for the Israelis to wipe out the Palestinians? Which is why the Israeli Defense Force has to be be strong and technologically advanced (though at times it is still only as smart as the least-able person who uses the technology)? Ever heard of antisemitism? It has never gone away, it just pops up again, fresh as a daisy, whenever another excuse appears to revile the Jews for supposedly taking advantage of everyone else. Yes, we’re all scheming to take it away from ___________ (fill in the blank). Get a clue.
This is a powerfully accurate and truthful review of Israeli-Arab history. This should be required reading for anyone who is interested or curious about the Middle East. Perhaps it would be helpful if Steve Witkoff read this article.
Concise and powerful! Should be distributed to high school and college students, whose attention spans have diminished and need "short and sweet" things to read.
Students need help with a quick articulate and powerful defense when they are accused of genocide in Algebra 1. This article should be taped to the refrigerator in every kitchen.
One of your best essays.
The document presents a narrative of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, framing it as a series of cause-and-effect reactions rooted in historical Jewish persecution, Arab rejectionism, and Palestinian violence. Below is a critical review of its historical accuracy and argumentative cogency, based on mainstream scholarship and historiographical debates.
Strengths of the Argument
1. Historical Context
- The document correctly notes that Jewish ties to Judea/Palestine date back millennia and that Jewish communities faced systemic discrimination (e.g., *dhimmi* status) under Islamic rule. Events like the Battle of Khaybar (7th century) and medieval pogroms are documented, though their relevance to modern conflict is debated.
- Zionist land purchases in Ottoman Palestine (late 19th–early 20th centuries) are well-documented, as are Jewish agricultural developments (e.g., draining swamps).
2. Rejection of Partition Plans
- It accurately states that Arab leaders rejected the 1937 Peel Partition and 1947 UN Partition Plan, while Jewish leaders accepted both (albeit reluctantly). This is a key point in understanding the 1948 war.
3. Soviet Influence on Palestinian Nationalism
- The USSR did support Arab states and the PLO during the Cold War, and Yasser Arafat’s rhetoric shifted toward "anti-colonial" framing. Soviet defector Ion Mihai Pacepa’s claims about PLO-Soviet ties are cited by some historians, though his reliability is contested.
4. Palestinian Violence and Israeli Security Measures
- The document’s timeline of Palestinian uprisings (Intifadas, Hamas’s takeover of Gaza) and Israeli responses (security barrier, blockades) is factually correct. Suicide bombings during the Second Intifada (2000–2005) did erode Israeli trust in territorial concessions.
5. Hamas’s Role
- Hamas’s use of Gaza as a base for attacks, embedding military infrastructure in civilian areas, and provoking conflicts (e.g., 2014, 2021, 2023) is well-documented by NGOs and media.
Weaknesses and Omissions
1. Overemphasis on Ancient History
- While Jewish historical ties to the land are real, framing the modern conflict as a direct continuation of 7th-century events (e.g., Khaybar) is reductive. Modern nationalism (Zionism and Palestinian nationalism) emerged in the 19th–20th centuries as responses to colonialism and state-building, not medieval grievances.
2. Dismissal of Palestinian Indigenous Claims
- The claim that most Palestinians are "recent migrants" drawn by Jewish economic activity is misleading. While migration occurred (as in all regions), Palestinian Arab society had deep roots in the area, as documented by Ottoman records and British censuses.
3. 1948 War and Refugee Crisis
- The document downplays Israeli expulsions (e.g., Deir Yassin, Lydda) and the role of Zionist militias (Haganah, Irgun) in displacing Palestinians. Historians like Benny Morris acknowledge both Arab flight *and* forced removals. The line "Arabs fled because their leaders told them to" is contested; many fled due to fear of violence.
4. Soviet Influence Oversimplified
- While the USSR backed the PLO, Palestinian nationalism predated Soviet involvement. The PLO’s 1964 founding charter (pre-Soviet grooming) already framed Zionism as colonialist.
5. Neglect of Israeli Settlements and Occupation
- The argument ignores how post-1967 Israeli settlements in the West Bank (now numbering ~700,000 settlers) undermined Palestinian trust in a two-state solution. Even pro-Israel scholars like Dennis Ross acknowledge settlements as a major obstacle to peace.
6. One-Sided Moral Accountability
- The document absolves Israel of all blame (e.g., no mention of disproportionate Gaza wars, settler violence, or Netanyahu’s empowerment of Hamas to weaken the PA). Hamas’s atrocities are real, but Israeli policies (blockades, raids) also radicalized Gazans.
7. Misrepresentation of Oslo Accords
- Arafat’s rejection of Clinton’s 2000 offer was partly due to unresolved issues (e.g., East Jerusalem, right of return), not mere rejectionism. Israeli offers (e.g., Barak’s) were seen by Palestinians as insufficient, a view shared by some Israeli negotiators.
Conclusion: The document’s cause-and-effect logic holds for some events (e.g., Arab rejectionism → Israeli militarization; Hamas violence → Israeli blockades). However, it ignores key complexities (e.g., mutual radicalization, occupation dynamics) and presents a “teleological narrative” where Palestinian actions alone drive the conflict.
- Historical Accuracy: Mostly correct on facts but often interprets them through an ideological lens. For example, it cites real pogroms against Jews but omits Palestinian dispossession in 1948.
- Cogency: The argument is internally consistent but lacks balance. A robust historical account would acknowledge both sides’ agency, mistakes, and legitimate grievances.
Recommendation: To critically engage with this narrative, supplement it with works by historians like Benny Morris (centrist), Ilan Pappé (pro-Palestinian), and Rashid Khalidi (Palestinian perspective). For geopolitical context, see Avi Shlaim’s “The Iron Wall”.
This is solid correction to the author’s regrettably skewed history. It is worth noting that in 1878, the Arabic-speaking population was over 400,000 while Jews numbered 25,000. This population shared more genetic material with those living in ancient Palestine than most modern Jews, particularly Ashkenazi.
It is not surprising that Arab leaders who claimed to represent the indigenous population rejected the 1947 Partition, which gave more and better land to the smaller Jewish population than the majority Palestinian residents. In any event, the Zionists used terrorism, massacres and forced expulsions to expand the areas set aside for them.
Nothing has changed. As part of the Zionist project, the current Israeli government has continued to deploy terrorism, killings and expulsion in both Gaza and the West Bank in order to remove Palestinians and prevent the possibility of a two state solution or, indeed, any solution that allows any Palestinians to remain between the river and the sea. The strategy of extremists that rule Israel is to take such actions as predictably cause Palestinian reactions that, the Zionists then claim, require the death or removal of all Palestinians. “Look at what you made me do” is not the moral bedrock the author thinks it is.
This is a must read for anyone interested in the true unvarnished history of the Arab Israeli conflict as opposed to the post modern and Orientalist garbage and post historical narratives peddled in academia and the media
The cumulative result of 10's of 1000's of profoundly informed and considered essays by 1000's of brilliant 'specialists' and 'experts' uniquely channeled, refined, summarized and essentialized by the one and only Joshua Hoffman. Excellent. Well done. Thank you.
Amen!
Obviously those lacking even a single working brain cell due to infection with the insidious antisemitism virus cannot possibly comprehend the complicated concept of cause and effect.
I would recommend remedial Sesame Street episodes - Grover is particularly effective at explaining to three year olds FIRST this THEN that - but I fear that with too many commenters no amount of tutoring will be effective.
Lololol!!!
Great history lesson. Doesn’t justify genocide.
And most Israelis don't want genocide of anyone.
Excellent article. History explained in a nutshell shell. Every HS and college student should read this.
The facts have always been on the side of the Jews. It's the propaganda war where Israel needs to do better. While I hope this wonderful article can help, I doubt anyone who actually needs to read it will.
Now THIS is one to share with those who haven’t read a history book and don’t question what they hear! Perfect!
Joshua, great recap and detailed discussion. I relate to it all as I too have been writing about this topic for years. Mainstream media, which has been a great influencer in misinformation, has forgotten the basics of journalism's 5 W's + H = Who, What, When, Where, Why, and How. They keep leaving off the WHY.
See https://thetruthfulproject.blogspot.com/ for all my published and unpublished rantings, um writings, on this topic. Sorry for the self promotion.
Thanks again Joshua.
Yes, this historically accurate and powerfully written piece is spot on and should be the cornerstone to every academic foray into the topic. But that's a fantasy. Wishful thinking. The sad fact is that it's a numbers game: 15 million Jews vs 2 billion Muslims. It's also a money game: the combined GDP of the 57 member states in Organization of Islamic Cooperation is north of 30 trillion. Israel's GDP is 500 billion.
Against this backdrop, the idea that somehow the truth, known to a tiny minority, can supplant a lie propagated by a quarter of the globe is a fool's errand. Schools -- from London to Melbourne, Toronto to Madrid, Los Angeles to São Paulo, Paris to Tokyo -- have become breeding grounds for anti-Israel, anti-Zionist and anti-Semitic sentiment.
What's more, the gross deception has been paved by 2000 years of false and incendiary attacks on Jews, making the current global obsession with anti-Semitism merely a passing of the baton. So, the blood libel charge from the Middle Ages has morphed into the "genocide" charge of today.
Simply put, the 21st century retelling of the Jewish story to a generation of young people across the globe is in the hands of Islamists and their sympathizers.
I’m convinced! Palestinians should be dispossessed in 1948 and Palestinian children should be slaughtered now because Romans kicked the Jewish people out of Judea 2000 years ago. It’s all about antiquity and who was there first. In fact, why start with the Romans? Let’s go way way back. How did the children of Abraham enter Israel in the beginning? A land with no people for a people with no land? Totally legit, no problems with this line of reasoning.
I don't think Josh is promoting what you think. What I get out of this article is that without a cult deprogramming of Jihadism into something more peace loving and life affirming, peace is impossible. If this paradigm change happened, then there would be no reason not to let Palestinians back to their ancestral villages and treat them as equal citizens. Jewish majority could still be maintained, by Jews having more babies, and by more Jewish immigration. No need for dispossession and expulsion. Also, if this paradigm change happened, most Palestinians would choose to build a life where they are, not to come back to their ancestral villages.
Unfortunately, those who have “bought” the propaganda will call this synopsis “Israeli Hasbara” and ignore it. I also don’t think it’s sufficient to invoke “cause and effect”. Yes, it does give the entire conflict context, but we are not simply bodies in motion running into equal and opposite forces, or reacting mindlessly to violence. Vengeance could be justified using “cause and effect” — indeed, that is the “natural” human response to something like 10/7. The problem with that is that Judaism specifically forbids vengeance; self-defense and defense of one’s own people is permitted (and in some cases obligatory), but retaliation is not. Consequently, “cause and effect’ does nothing to avert the claim that Israel is engaged in vengeance in Gaza, rather than self-defense. You need to include an explanation as to the necessity of eliminating Hamas, even at the cost of human life, the obligation of Israel to protect its own citizens, and the fact that the responsibility for the safety of civilians in the event of a possible (or extremely likely!) war rests with THEIR OWN GOVERNMENT.
Meaning, even just the fact that there are no bomb shelters in Gaza is criminal. However, what Hamas did, far from providing PROTECTION for the people, they intentionally and maximally EXPOSED the people for whom THEY were legally responsible to maximal risk of death and severe injury in the event of war, by turning the Gazans’ residential areas, their busy market streets and schools, their mosques and hospitals, into the very military targets that Israel would need to strike in order to defend itself. This was a whopping war crime by Hamas. They did this by consciously building military installations under these and other crowded areas.
Thus, in order to take out a neighboring government, which had demonstrated both capacity and intent to commit further genocidal atrocity like that of 10/7 upon Israelis, Israel could only protect its own people (an obligation, not an “option”) in a campaign where Hamas had put its own people at maximal risk. Israel has tried to reduce that risk, but the crucial choice was between submitting themselves to genocide, or, while trying to minimize the likely high number of Gazan casualties, go ahead, defying Hamas’ attempt to cravenly protect itself by threatening the lives of its own civilians. And, predictably, the world has blamed the high body count on Israel, calling it “genocide”, and discrediting Israel’s moral position, rather than putting the blame for the carnage in Gaza squarely where it belongs. Hamas sacrificed the people of Gaza, as involuntary “martyrs”, to further its own genocidal campaign against Israel.
I’m not sure you’ve managed to convince even yourself that the Israeli government’s atrocities are Hammas’ fault. With this contorted “moral” reasoning. But maybe just enough to sleep at night. More’s the pity.
There is nothing wrong with my moral reasoning. Hamas leadership actually bragged recently that it had “sacrificed” the people of Gaza in order to defeat Israel, and that, happily, new “martyrs” were being born in Gaza all the time. I did not claim that the current Israeli government’s ethical lapses are the fault of Hamas. But Israel didn’t go to war because of Netanyahu’s special lack of ethical sense. Israel went to war because the atrocity committed against them by Hamas justified a serious defensive response. Believe it or not, Israel is not the aggressor. Hamas is. Hamas intentionally did the one thing that would lead Israel to take serious defensive action. They intentionally left the civilians exposed, so that, even with the IDF’s efforts to get people out of the way, a large number of them would be killed. Not coincidentally, it wasn’t very long before the “genocide” lie was cranked out of Hamas’ propaganda mill.. Likewise, the food shortages in Gaza have been caused by the fact that Hamas steals 80-90% of the aid donated by Israel and others, and it is a bald-faced lie that Israel has not been sending in food. The idea to air-drop food into Gaza probably won’t prevent the stealing, but at least the UN can’t make excuses as to why they won’t deliver it. You suggest that I might otherwise be kept up at night by “Israel’s atrocities”, if I didn’t blame Israel’s crimes on Hamas. I find it kind of funny that you feel the need to defend Hamas, which is a branch of the Muslim Brotherhood, who were allies of the Nazis during WWII. But besides that, what keeps me up at night is Hamas’ calculated evil against both Israelis and Gazans, unjust accusations and propaganda, and the destruction of Israel’s (and Jewish) credibility by monsters, ideologues, and useful idiots. I don’t get a lot of sleep.
I am not defending Hamas. 10/7 was an atrocity. It is an atrocity to slaughter 10s of 1000s of children who were not responsible for it. Seek justice, by all means. Vengeance, as you have acknowledged, is not permitted. If Israel can sabotage pagers in a targeted attack on its specific enemies, surely it can conduct its war without slaughter. There is no justification for what is happening now, only rationalisation for a crime. For a sin.
Are you a military expert? Thr pager business was an exceptional circumstance. War is always hardest on civilians, and Israel takes more measures than the US does to minimize civilian casualties. The numbers and reports coming out of Gaza are from Hamas itself and cannot be counted on. There are military experts who have pointed out that even with those numbers, the ratio of civilian to combatant casualties is exceptionally low. The issue is not that so many people are dying (which they are, it being urban wsrfare, and the lack of civilian protection), but that Israel decided to go to war at all, knowing that Hamas would not only not protect the civilians, but might as well have tied them up and put them on the roof.
Israel's reputation with Hamas is actually that they are "soft" and "sentimental" (about children, in particular) which is why Hamas figured it had to commit absolute atrocity to get Israel to go to war despite the risk to the Gazans. Which was indeed the case.
There is so much actual evidence on how the IDF is prosecuting this war that, honestly, these propaganda based views are no longer excusable. There will be a reckoning on the other side of this monstrous action. And “we didn’t know” will never have been are more hollow refrain.
I find that interesting; “There is so much actual evidence…” — who reported that “evidence”? You’re calling what I’m saying “propaganda”. Why do you think the vilification of Israel is more likely to be true, than a nuanced understanding? I am not saying that the IDF has perfectly executed this war. No army ever has ever done so. Yes, there have likely been pockets of both strategic error and ethical lapse. What I’m talking about is the overall intent. What is it you think the overall intent is, then? Why do you think that Israel so desires Gaza, of all places, such that it would just raze the place, kill and displace the inhabitants, and starve the remainder? Why, then, have they been warning the Gazans to get the hell out of the way? If it’s a way to get rid of Palestinians, don’t you think that if that were their aim, they could have done so in a more intelligent and efficient way, and a long time ago? Why do actual military experts say that, once you take the combatants out of the body count, the civilian-to-combatant ratio is THE lowest ever seen in the case of an urban war? Why the Hell have they tried somewhere between 5 and 9 times to offer the West Bank and Gaza to the Palestinians, only to be turned down, and now all the Pro-Pal folks are claiming that it is Israel standing in the way of their building a state? Do you even know who Hamas is, such that Israel would be so determined to mop it up? I don’t know what “evidence” you’re talking about, but if it comes from the AP, it’s getting all its information from Pro-Pal outlets, whether it’s the UN, other “Human Rights” organizations, or the “reporters” within Gaza. You are aware, I suppose, that the desire to wipe out Israel has, for all 75 years, been about 100 times as intense as the desire for the Israelis to wipe out the Palestinians? Which is why the Israeli Defense Force has to be be strong and technologically advanced (though at times it is still only as smart as the least-able person who uses the technology)? Ever heard of antisemitism? It has never gone away, it just pops up again, fresh as a daisy, whenever another excuse appears to revile the Jews for supposedly taking advantage of everyone else. Yes, we’re all scheming to take it away from ___________ (fill in the blank). Get a clue.
'"Cause and effect," or: "How I learned to stop worrying and blame the jizya tax for present-day mass slaughter": A lesson in whataboutism.'