Why Are Arab Palestinians Fighting Israelis?
History to inform so that readers will know what is going on in Israel today
“We can forgive the Arabs for killing our children. We cannot forgive them for forcing us to kill their children. We will only have peace with the Arabs when they love their children more than they hate us.” Golda Meir
With the horrendous and tortuous event of the demon-filled Hamas raid on southern Israel occurring October 7, 2023, it is important to brush up or know the historical background to this Arab-Israeli Conflict. It is also imperative to observe the constant persecution of the Hebrew/Israeli Civilization. This people, who first believed in one God, introduced monotheism to the world and they have been attacked ever since. Why? There are definite political, economic, military, and empire causes for this persecution. However, religion and land have the most effect on this conflict. The fight between Islam and Judaism defines the mindset of the people who were involved and are involved today because of the heartless drive of radical Islam.
The Old Testament, those ancient pages of history, prophecy, and wisdom, shed light on the conflicts among Arabs and Jews. The patriarch accounts of Ishmael, father of the Arab people and Isaac, father of the Jewish people vividly permeate stories of history and early conflicts of the two lineages.
Hagar and Sarai (Sarah):
The account of Hagar and Sarai, later Sarah, is the earliest evidence for the future rumblings between the Arabs and Jews. The Egyptian Hagar, the maidservant to Sarai the wife of the patriarch Abraham, gave Abraham a son named Ishmael. Sarai told Abraham to lay with Hagar because she was barren up to this point. Tensions flared between the two women while Hagar was pregnant. Sarai mistreated the maidservant out of jealousy. Hagar and Ishmael were told to leave the camp of Abraham and eventually God granted Sarai a son named Isaac, Israel. Genesis 16 explains the strife between the women and foreshadows the deeper conflicts to come.
In Genesis 16:11-12, when the angel of the Lord speaks to Hagar, the birth of Ishmael is prophesied: "You are now pregnant and you will give birth to a son. You shall name him Ishmael, for the Lord has heard of your misery. He will be a wild donkey of a man; his hand will be against everyone and everyone's hand against him, and he will live in hostility toward all his brothers." Does this prophecy sound familiar? The biblical record holds historical truth. This prophecy signifies the troubled future and the enmity that would persist between Ishmael's descendants, who are often associated with the Arab peoples, and the descendants of Isaac.
Covenant with Isaac: Another crucial event is the covenant God made with Isaac, as described in Genesis 26. God reaffirms the promise He made to Abraham, stating, "I will make your descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and will give them all these lands, and through your offspring, all nations on earth will be blessed." This promise, passed from Abraham to Isaac, was a source of contention, as it was believed to favor Isaac's lineage, who are seen as the forebears of the Jewish people.
The Wells of Contention: In Genesis 26, there are accounts of conflicts over wells that Isaac's servants dug, which resulted in disputes with the Philistines. These incidents reflect the territorial and resource-based conflicts that were part of the larger regional dynamics.
These Old Testament stories provide the historical and narrative backdrop for the enduring tensions between the descendants of Ishmael and Isaac. They illustrate not only the theological and familial aspects but also the territorial and resource-driven disputes that would continue to shape the interactions between Arabs and Jews in the millennia to come.
Israel and the Empires of the Earth
In the intricacies of history, the land of Israel was a coveted prize for numerous empires, its fate often decided on the battlefield. In the pursuit of unveiling history, it is necessary to explain the ascendancy and demise of empires that harbored ambitions of dominion over this hallowed land. Power, greed, marriages, land, slavery, religion, and freedom all had a hand in Israeli’s enemies taking over their lands and temples. Even though some of these empires were not made up of Arabs, they still illustrate some of the earliest hatreds toward the Jewish people. It is also an interesting observation that God in the book of Genesis promised Abraham that “whoever blesses you, I will bless, but whoever curses you, I will curse.” (Genesis 12:3)
Every ancient empire mentioned below, NAZI Germany, and the Soviet Union cursed the Jews has fell apart. Beware.
Ancient Egypt's Shadow (circa 2,000 BC)
In the shadow of the Great Pyramids, the Israelites' history entangles with Egypt's. The Biblical Book of Exodus recounts their enslavement, a saga that echoes through time as a foundational narrative of the Jewish people. In Egypt, opulence reigned, with majestic pyramids and flourishing agriculture. The polytheistic belief system permeated daily life, and the Nile River sustained the empire's prosperity. Egypt was a land of great wealth and elaborate structures. On the other hand, the Hebrews, descendants of Abraham, were wanderers in the wilderness. They held unwavering devotion to their one God, Yahweh. Moses, their spiritual leader, led them in a momentous exodus from Egyptian enslavement, a pivotal event marked by the famous quote, "Let my people go." The Hebrews' liberation led to a series of plagues in Egypt, highlighting the Hebrew God's might. This story is a testament to divine retribution and liberation.
The Ruthless Assyrians (722 BC)
The Assyrian Empire, a formidable force in the ancient world, casts a shadow over the history of the Jewish people. In the 8th century BCE, under the reign of Tiglath-Pileser III and subsequent rulers, the Assyrians swept across the region, leading to the fall of the Kingdom of Israel in 722 BCE. This event marked the beginning of the Assyrian exile of the ten northern tribes of Israel, who were dispersed throughout the empire. The Assyrians' harsh methods of conquest and subjugation left an indelible impact on the Jewish psyche, and the scattered tribes became known as the Ten Lost Tribes, their fate remaining a historical mystery. The Assyrian Empire's actions played a role in the fragmented history of the Jewish people, serving as a somber reminder of the perils faced by ancient civilizations in the face of a powerful and expansionist empire.
Babylon's Iron Grasp (586 BC)
The rise of the Babylonian Empire, marked by the reign of Hammurabi in the 18th century BC, was characterized by its firm grip on Mesopotamia. The Babylonians crafted a society based on law, as exemplified by Hammurabi's Code, which embodied principles of justice and governance. In this context, the Jews, a monotheistic community, found themselves in a complex web of alliances and conflicts.The
relationship between the Babylonian Empire and the Jewish people takes center stage during the 6th century BC. Babylonian king, Nebuchadnezzar II, embarked on a series of campaigns to secure his empire's borders. In 586 BC, the city of Jerusalem fell to Babylonian forces. This marked a turning point in Jewish history, as it led to the Babylonian Captivity, an era of great significance and sorrow.Quoting from the Book of Lamentations, attributed to the prophet Jeremiah: "By the rivers of Babylon, there we sat down, yea, we wept, when we remembered Zion." These poignant words encapsulate the deep sense of longing and displacement experienced by the Jews during their exile in Babylon. Their identity, rooted in their faith and traditions, was tested as they faced the challenges of assimilation and preservation.
Persia's Benevolence (538 BC)
The Persian Empire and the Jews share a compelling chapter in the course of history I. Under the benevolent rule of Cyrus the Great, the Persian Empire became a pivotal turning point for the Jewish people. Cyrus's famous decree allowed the Jews to return to their homeland, marking the end of the Babylonian Captivity. This act of religious tolerance and compassion provided the impetus for the rebuilding of the Second Temple in Jerusalem and a revival of Jewish cultural and religious practices. The Persian Empire's compassionate policies created a fertile ground for Jewish scholarship and the codification of the Hebrew Bible, shaping the foundations of Jewish identity and resilience for generations to come. This historical interplay stands as a testament to the profound impact of enlightened leadership on the destiny of a people and their cultural heritage.
Hellenistic Encounters (circa 332 BC)
The Hellenistic Empire, a vast realm stretching from the Mediterranean to Asia under the rule of Alexander the Great and his successors, brought profound cultural and political changes to the ancient world. Within this dynamic setting, the Jewish community found itself navigating the intersection of Greek culture and their own enduring traditions. This period witnessed a fusion of Greek philosophy, art, and language with Jewish thought and practice, resulting in a unique Hellenistic Jewish culture. Notably, the translation of the Hebrew Bible into Greek, known as the Septuagint, exemplified this merging, marking a pivotal moment in the dissemination of Jewish scriptures. The Hellenistic era also saw the rise of prominent Jewish communities in Alexandria and Antioch, where Jews played influential roles in commerce and scholarship. However, it was also a time of challenges to Jewish religious observance, leading to various movements of resistance, including the Maccabean Revolt. The interaction between the Hellenistic Empire and the Jews, therefore, stands as a fascinating chapter in history, showcasing the adaptability and resilience of a people in the face of cultural transformation.
Roman Dominion (63 BC - 70 AD)
The Roman Empire, a colossal force in world history, intersected with the Jewish people in a multifaceted relationship marked by both cooperation and conflict. The Roman conquest of Jerusalem in 63 BC under Pompey marked the initial encounter, leading to Roman dominance in the region. Over time, the Jews faced a series of challenges, notably under the reign of Emperor Augustus, who ordered a census leading to the Bethlehem nativity story. The Roman-appointed Herodian rulers, notably Herod the Great, imposed their rule over Judea, causing tensions and contributing to the backdrop of the New Testament. The culmination of this intricate history was the First Jewish-Roman War, which culminated in the destruction of the Second Temple in 70 AD and the dispersion of the Jewish people. The Roman Empire's complex relationship with the Jews reflects both the grandeur and the struggles of this pivotal period in human history. How many babies died because of Rome and Herod?
Byzantine Jerusalem (4th - 7th centuries)
The Byzantine Empire, a continuation of the Eastern Roman Empire, played a complex and often tumultuous role in the history of the Jewish people. In the early years of the Byzantine Empire, Jews faced a mixture of religious tolerance and legal restrictions. The empire was marked by a strong influence of Christianity, and Jewish communities encountered periodic episodes of discrimination, including restrictions on synagogue construction and participation in public life. However, there were periods of relative peace and even cooperation between Jews and the Byzantine state, especially during the reign of Emperor Justinian, who sought to maintain some degree of harmony among the empire's different religious communities. Nevertheless, the relationship between the Byzantine Empire and the Jews remained intricate and ever-changing, reflecting the broader historical context of this enduring civilization.
Islamic Rule (7th century - 12th century)
With the advent of Islam, the Rashidun and Umayyad Caliphates extended their rule over the land, bringing it into the Islamic world. The Dome of the Rock and the Al-Aqsa Mosque, their architectural marvels, stood as enduring legacies. The Islamic Empire's interactions with the Jewish community form a captivating chapter in history, marked by both periods of prosperity and challenges. From the 7th century onwards, following the rise of Islam under the leadership of the Prophet Muhammad, the Islamic Empire expanded rapidly, encompassing a vast territory that included regions with Jewish populations. Notably, the early Islamic era, known as the "Golden Age of Islam," witnessed a flourishing of Jewish culture and scholarship. Jews, often recognized as "People of the Book" in Islamic tradition, were afforded a degree of religious and cultural autonomy. During this time, Jewish scholars contributed to various fields, including philosophy, science, and medicine. However, it's crucial to acknowledge that, like many historical time periods, the relationship between the Islamic Empire and the Jews also witnessed periods of tension and persecution, particularly in later centuries. This complex history highlights the multifaceted interactions between two great cultures and the enduring resilience of the Jewish people in the face of diverse historical challenges.
The Crusades (11th - 13th centuries)
The Crusades, a series of religiously motivated military campaigns that spanned several centuries, cast a long shadow over the Jewish communities of Europe and the Middle East. These endeavors, undertaken by Christian forces, often brought hardship and persecution to the Jewish population. During the First Crusade in 1096, as armies marched toward the Holy Land, they carried a wave of anti-Semitic violence with them. Jewish communities in Germany and along the Rhine River suffered brutal attacks and mass killings, with tragic events like the Rhineland Massacres leaving a lasting scar. Subsequent Crusades, while primarily focused on retaking Jerusalem and the Holy Land from Muslim control, saw sporadic outbreaks of violence against Jewish communities. These events served as dark chapters in the history of the Crusades, underscoring the intersection of religious fervor, intolerance, and the plight of the Jewish people during this turbulent era.
Ottoman Dominion (16th - 20th centuries)
The Ottoman Empire, a colossal empire that spanned centuries and continents, played a multifaceted role in the history of the Jewish people. Throughout its long and diverse history, the Ottoman Empire was a haven for Jewish communities, fostering an atmosphere of religious tolerance and cultural exchange. Under Ottoman rule, Jews found refuge from the Inquisition in Spain, with Sultan Bayezid II extending a warm welcome to those fleeing persecution in 1492. This act of benevolence was embodied in his words: "You call Ferdinand a wise king—he who has impoverished his own country and enriched mine!" This gesture set the stage for a thriving Jewish presence in Ottoman territories, including cities like Istanbul and Salonika, where Jewish communities flourished and contributed to the empire's vibrant mosaic of cultures. The Ottoman Empire's legacy in Jewish history is one of relative acceptance, allowing for the preservation of Jewish traditions and the development of a rich Sephardic (Spanish) heritage within the context of a vast and diverse empire.
NAZI Germany and the Holocaust
“Never shall I forget that night, the first night in camp, which has turned my life into one long night, seven times cursed and seven times sealed. Never shall I forget that smoke. Never shall I forget the little faces of the children, whose bodies I saw turned into wreaths of smoke beneath a silent blue sky.” Ellie Wiesel
The Holocaust, one of the most horrific events in human history, stands as an indelible testament to the depths of cruelty and inhumanity. This cataclysmic episode unfolded during World War II and was orchestrated by the Nazi regime led by Adolf Hitler. It was a malevolent culmination of ideological fanaticism, characterized by the systematic persecution, deportation, and extermination of approximately six million Jews, alongside millions of other marginalized groups, including Romani people, disabled individuals, and political dissidents. The Holocaust unfolded with a chilling methodical precision, as Jews were forcibly relocated into ghettos, subjected to brutal forced labor, and eventually transported to extermination camps. Notable scholar Elie Wiesel once remarked, "The opposite of love is not hate, it's indifference." This sentiment encapsulates the profound moral failure of those who turned a blind eye to the suffering, and the insidious ideology that allowed such atrocities to occur.
This dark chapter in history commenced in the early 1940s when the Nazis implemented their "Final Solution," a sinister euphemism for the mass murder of Jews in concentration and extermination camps. The Holocaust's relentless horrors have been immortalized in the words of Primo Levi, a Holocaust survivor who once poignantly stated, "It happened, therefore it can happen again." Such poignant testimonials remind us of the necessity to perpetuate the memory of the Holocaust as a testament to the enduring human capacity for both evil and, ultimately, resilience in the face of unthinkable adversity.
Arabs and Israelis (20th century)
In the realm of historical narratives, tracing the roots of the Arab-Israeli Conflict is akin to embarking on a tumultuous journey through a tapestry of intricate events, often colored with passion and pain. As the sun sets over the 20th century, casting its long shadow into the 21st, the pages of history reveal the layers of this complex and enduring strife, now reaching its most recent chapter with the brutal invasion of Israel by Hamas on October 7, 2023. The origins of this relentless conflict can be traced back to the early 20th century when the Ottoman Empire, after centuries of rule, crumbled, giving rise to a shifting political landscape in the Middle East. The British Balfour Declaration of 1917, with its vision of a "national home for the Jewish people," set the stage for the future tensions by igniting Arab fears of displacement and dispossession. This declaration, though rooted in the aspirations of the Zionist movement, was perceived by Arabs as a betrayal of their own national aspirations. During the inter- World War period, the League of Nations granted Britain a mandate over Palestine, a region inhabited by both Jewish and Arab communities. Jewish immigration surged, igniting tensions with the Arab population. The Peel Commission in 1937 observed, "The Arab and Jewish races are so different in almost every respect that they cannot coexist in one common state." Their prescient words foreshadowed the coming conflict.
In 1947, the United Nations proposed a partition plan that would create separate Jewish and Arab states in Palestine. The plan was accepted by the Jewish leadership but rejected by Arab nations. This divergence of intent led to a bitter civil war, resulting in the displacement of hundreds of thousands of Palestinians, an event known as the Nakba, or "catastrophe."
The 1948 war between Arabs and Israelis, also known as the First Arab-Israeli War or the War of Independence, was a pivotal conflict in the history of the Middle East. This multifaceted struggle was marked by a series of events that ultimately resulted in the establishment of the State of Israel and set the stage for enduring tensions in the region.
In the aftermath of World War II, the United Nations proposed a plan to partition the British Mandate of Palestine into separate Jewish and Arab states, with Jerusalem under international administration. This proposal was accepted by the Jewish leadership but rejected by the Arab states, leading to rising tensions. On May 14, 1948, David Ben-Gurion, Israel's first prime minister, declared the establishment of the State of Israel, which was met with immediate recognition by the United States and the Soviet Union.
Following Israel's declaration of independence, neighboring Arab states, including Egypt, Jordan, Syria, Lebanon, and Iraq, launched military operations against the newly-formed state. The conflict involved battles and offensives in various regions of Israel and the surrounding territories. Several armistice agreements were eventually signed between 1949 and 1950, ending the major combat operations.
The war resulted in a series of armistice lines, with Israel gaining control of more territory than originally allocated under the UN partition plan. The West Bank came under Jordanian control, and the Gaza Strip under Egyptian control. Hundreds of thousands of Palestinian Arabs fled or were displaced from their homes, resulting in the Palestinian refugee issue.
In the aftermath of the 1967 Six-Day War with Egypt, Yitzhak Rabin, an Israeli military leader, declared, "I do not think that Nasser wanted war. The two divisions he sent to the Sinai would not have been sufficient to launch an offensive war." Rabin's words shed light on the misunderstandings and miscommunications that have fueled this conflict.
The First and Second Palestinian Intifadas, in 1987 and 2000 respectively, witnessed uprisings, violence, and diplomatic impasses. The words of Yasser Arafat, the iconic Palestinian leader, echoed through these turbulent times: "Peace for us means the destruction of Israel."
Fast forward to the year 2023, when Hamas, a Palestinian organization and a terrorist group, launched a brutal invasion of Israel. Over 1300 Israeli civilians were slaughtered and butchered by Hamas terrorists as they invaded southern Israel with gliders, mope-heads, motorcycles, and jeeps. Older people and infants were not spared. The roots of this invasion can be traced to the ongoing tensions in the Gaza Strip, economic hardships, and political grievances, all of which have persisted for years as shown in the above history. The destruction of Israel still motivates Palestinians and Iran to build proxy military units in order to achieve their goal. Yasser Arafat’s vision lives today. An Arab leader even met with Hitler during World War II. “In 1941, Haj Amin al-Husseini fled to Germany and met with Adolf Hitler, Heinrich Himmler, Joachim Von Ribbentrop and other Nazi leaders. He wanted to persuade them to extend the Nazis’ anti-Jewish program to the Arab world. The Mufti sent Hitler 15 drafts of declarations he wanted Germany and Italy to make concerning the Middle East. One called on the two countries to declare the illegality of the Jewish home in Palestine.” (Virtual Jewish Library)
Palestinian organizations are now present all over the world, especially in the United States and Western Europe where the mainstream media pushes their crusade through biased reporting favorable to the Palestinians. That media will never emphasize the fact that no other Arab country and Iran want to take in the Palestinian civilians in the Gaza Strip. The mainstream media is an utter disgrace to the concept of journalism and truth.
As the world holds its breath, the Arab-Israeli Conflict remains a historical Gordian knot, bound by deep-seated grievances, shifting alliances, and elusive peace. Golda Meir once described the Jews’ attitude toward Arabs this way: “We can forgive the Arabs for killing our children. We cannot forgive them for forcing us to kill their children. We will only have peace with the Arabs when they love their children more than they hate us.”
“The dynamics of the Arab-Israeli Conflict have shifted, writes Alexander G. Markovsky a senior fellow at the London Center for Policy Research: “It’s no longer a binary conflict between Arabs and Jews. Instead, it has evolved into a coalition of Sunni Arab nations, including Saudi Arabia, Jordan, and the United Arab Emirates, aligning with Israel to counter the existential threat of nuclear Shia Iran. As a result, the focus has diverged away from Palestinian rights to fostering cooperation against the common peril. In this new landscape, the Palestinian issue has become an obstacle to the emerging reality. Against this background, the latest attack by Hamas’s barbaric savages should be viewed as the last desperate attempt to remain relevant. Indeed, there were no calls by the Saudis and other Sunni states for an immediate ceasefire, no threats of oil embargo, and no customary condemnation of Israel. (Admittedly, Saudi Arabia’s Mohammed bin Salman issued a statement supporting the Palestinians, although it was weak sauce lip service compared to what once might have been.) The rest of the world is preoccupied with other problems.”
Endnotes:
1. Exodus, chapters 1-15.
2. Second Book of Kings, chapter 17.
3. The Book of Jeremiah, chapters 39-52.
4. Second Book of Kings, chapters 24-25.
5. The Book of Ezra.
6. First and Second Books of Maccabees.
7. "The Jewish War" by Flavius Josephus.
8. The works of Egeria, an early Christian traveler.
9. "The History of William of Tyre."
10. "Seyahatname" by Evliya Çelebi.
11. The Balfour Declaration (1917).
12. Balfour Declaration, November 2, 1917.
13. The Report of the Palestine Royal Commission (Peel Commission), July 7, 1937.
14. United Nations General Assembly Resolution 181, November 29, 1947.
15. "Nakba: The Palestinian Catastrophe of 1948" - Arab Studies Journal, Fall 2004.
16. Declaration of the Establishment of the State of Israel, May 14, 1948.
17. The Six-Day War, 1967 - The Avalon Project.
18. Yitzhak Rabin interview with Le Monde, February 28, 1968.
19. Yasser Arafat speech in a Johannesburg mosque, May 10, 1994.
20. "The First Intifada: A Legacy of Unfinished Business" - MEI, December 8, 2017.
21. Second Intifada (2000-2005) - Council on Foreign Relations.
22. "Hamas: The Gaza-Israel Conflict" - BBC News, October 7, 2023.
Thank you Fred. You’re the best.
A very scholarly and very well written essay Frederick.