Misinformation, propaganda, and unfortunately the lack of will to do any basic historical research leads to so many being not only uninformed but promoting hatred towards the sovereign nation of Israel. Here are some fast facts to help you get up to speed when discussing current and unfolding events in this part of the world. The easiest way is to present it in the form of a timeline. I will keep it as concise as possible. so here it goes
Israel is the historic home of the Jewish people. and has been for more than 3,000 years. Since the destruction of the temple in 70 A.D the Jewish people have been dispersed throughout the world until this past century. However, Jews have always continued to live in their homeland even when occupied by foreign entities such as the Romans or the Ottoman Empire. To go into detail about all the conflicts would take too much time so we will deal with a very brief description covering the past 100 years.
1917 After WWI the League of Nations, a precursor to the United Nations, was formed and declared the right of the nation of Israel to Exist. over the next 20 years, many Jews began to return to Israel from all over the world fulfilling the prophecy in Ezekiel of a regathering from the nations.
1947, the United Nations General Assembly passed a resolution calling for the establishment of a Jewish State
resolution 181 was a plan to portion out land for a Jewish state but also to allow arab settlers to stay in Palestine. keep in mind that the United Nations had no concern for the actual boundaries given to Israel by God according to the Bible.
1948 following WW2 on the heels of the holocaust in which at least 6 million Jews were exterminated by the Nazis the United Nations declared Israel’s right to exist Israel declared official statehood. immediately following this peaceful declaration they were attacked by 5 Arab nations Lebanon, Transjordan, Iraq, Syria, and Egypt. who disagreed with Israel’s right to exist. this went on until 1949 as a result the state of Israel ended up not only controlling the proposed area by the United Nations but also took control of Jaffe, Lydda, Ramie and Upper Galilee
1967-Six Day War-in this conflict a resurgence of issues from a 1956 conflict regarding the Suez Canal emerged. After aggressive Action by Egypt to close the Tiran Straits and after a number of other aggressive attacks Israel launched a preemptive strike against Syria and Egypt which dealt a decisive blow to their ability to carry out threats, especially by incapacitating Egypt’s air force. as the third major conflict came to a close Israel had gained more territory including the Sinai Peninsula, Gaza Strip, West Bank, Old City of Jerusalem, and Golan Heights.
1973-after years of smaller conflict Egypt and Syria launched a major assault on Israel which went on until a cease-fire was signed in 1974 and the Sinai Peninsula was returned to Egypt. A peace agreement was signed between Egypt and Israel in 1979.
Over the past 50 years, Israel has had to endure attacks from neighboring Palestine (ancient Canaan) also known as the promised land in the Bible that God gave to the Israelites. this group known as the Palestinians has been represented by the PLO, the PLA, and since the 2006 elections Hamas, a terrorist organization dedicated to the full genocide of the Jewish people and the eradication of the Jewish state.
in this most recent conflict, Hamas did not go after military targets. Like ISIS they targeted civilians killing men women and children in the most gruesome manner and videoed it for all the world to see. This has left Israel with no choice but to respond in the strongest way possible to secure their safety.
Often much of the mainstream media only shows pictures of the Palestinian causalities and not what is happening to Israel. There is no excuse for what Hamas did and anyone claiming that Israel brought this on themselves is speaking in Ignorance. no other country would put up with as many incursions and attacks on their sovereignty as Israel has.
Who are the Palestinians? technically they are settlers and refugees from various arab speaking nations. But Palestine itself is not a country like Egypt or Syria. it is a territory. If we go back to the First World War we learn that this piece of land was ruled by the Ottoman Empire which fell. This land was conquered by the British who following World War 1 set a plan into motion to eventually recreate the state of Israel and call her people back home.
So-called Palestine has since become a front for Israel’s hostile neighbors to attack Israel. and so when Israel defends itself Hamas sells the narrative that Israel is creating a humanitarian crisis when all along it has been arab leaders and terrorist organizations that are in fact creating this crisis.
all Israel wanted in the first place was to come home and be at peace with her neighbors. Israel’s declaration of independence echos this
“THE STATE OF ISRAEL will be open for Jewish immigration and for the Ingathering of the Exiles; it will foster the development of the country for the benefit of all its inhabitants; it will be based on freedom, justice, and peace as envisaged by the prophets of Israel; it will ensure complete equality of social and political rights to all its inhabitants irrespective of religion, race or sex; it will guarantee freedom of religion, conscience, language, education and culture; it will safeguard the Holy Places of all religions; and it will be faithful to the principles of the Charter of the United Nations.
THE STATE OF ISRAEL is prepared to cooperate with the agencies and representatives of the United Nations in implementing the resolution of the General Assembly of the 29th November 1947, and will take steps to bring about the economic union of the whole of Eretz-Israel.
WE APPEAL to the United Nations to assist the Jewish people in the building-up of its State and to receive the State of Israel into the comity of nations.
WE APPEAL — in the very midst of the onslaught launched against us now for months — to the Arab inhabitants of the State of Israel to preserve peace and participate in the upbuilding of the State on the basis of full and equal citizenship and due representation in all its provisional and permanent institutions.
WE EXTEND our hand to all neighbouring states and their peoples in an offer of peace and good neighbourliness, and appeal to them to establish bonds of cooperation and mutual help with the sovereign Jewish people settled in its own land. The State of Israel is prepared to do its share in a common effort for the advancement of the entire Middle East.
WE APPEAL to the Jewish people throughout the Diaspora to rally round the Jews of Eretz-Israel in the tasks of immigration and upbuilding and to stand by them in the great struggle for the realization of the age-old dream — the redemption of Israel.”
Let us continue to support and pray for Israel