“ISRAEL HAS BEEN COMMITTING UNSPEAKABLE WAR CRIMES, CRIMES AGAINST HUMANITY, AND ILLEGAL COLLECTIVE PUNISHMENT AGAINST PALESTINIANS IN GAZA FOR 15 YEARS. ANY COMMENT OR ANALYSIS THAT DOESN’T TAKE THIS FACT INTO CONSIDERATION TODAY IS HOLLOW, IMMORAL, AND DEHUMANIZING.”
- False! In 2005 Israel disengaged (completely left) from Gaza, removing all Jewish presence and giving land in exchange for peace with the Palestinians. Israel had legal right, under international law, to this land, having gained the land from Egypt in a defensive war against several Arab countries in 1967. Instead of peace, Israel has experienced constant rocket attacks and Hamas provoked wars over the last 15 years.
- Hamas, a terrorist organization, is the ruling authority in Gaza and has controlled the region since 2007. It, and not Israel, has committed crimes against the Palestinian people, denying them basic rights such as water, electricity, freedom of speech, freedom of the press and freedom of movement. Hamas uses schools, mosques and apartment buildings as launch pads for its rockets, using its people as human shields and knowingly and deliberately putting them in harm’s way. Hamas has placed its command and control center under Gaza’s Al Shifa Hospital.
“IF PALESTINIANS WERE OFFERED A STATE OF THEIR OWN, AND ISRAEL AGREED TO IT, THERE WOULD BE PEACE.”
PEACE PROPOSALS REJECTED BY THE PALESTINIANS 1947 UN Partition Plan 1949 UN Resolution 194 1967 UN Resolution 242 1978 Begin/Sadat Peace Proposal 2000 Camp David Peace Proposal 2001 Taba Peace Proposal 2008 Olmert Peace Proposal 2014 Kerry’s “Contours for Peace” 2019 Trump’s “Deal of the Century” IF THE PALESTINIANS REALLY WANTED PEACE AND THEIR OWN STATE, THEY WOULD HAVE IT BY NOW“ISRAEL STARTED IT” – “ISRAEL IS RESPONSIBLE FOR THE CONFLICT BECAUSE OF ITS OCCUPATION AND COLONIZATION OF THE LAND.”
- Occupation and colonization Occupation is when a territory is under the authority and control of a foreign army. In this case, Israel isn’t a foreign army. Not only are Jews indigenous to Judea and Samaria, these lands were earmarked for a Jewish state according to international law (the League of Nations, and United Nations). Even if they weren’t, since Israel gained Judea and Samaria (“West Bank” is the colonizer’s language – we prefer not to use it) in a defensive war in 1967, it has the legal right to possess it until its enemies make peace.
- In addition, this land is the indigenous homeland of the Jewish people. The definition of colonization is: “the action or process of settling among and establishing control over the indigenous people of an area by a foreign entity.” Since Jews ARE the indigenous people of this area, to call for anyone other than Jews to control the area is to actively call FOR colonization.
“ISRAEL IS AN APARTHEID STATE.”
- Calling Israel an apartheid state is not criticism, it is a blatant lie. Apartheid was the South African system that denied Black people access to the political, judicial systems in their country, put them in separate and inferior living spaces and educational opportunities, and controlled every aspect of their lives. Arab citizens of Israel enjoy the same rights as Jewish Israelis, including the right to form political parties and stand for election, opportunities to serve as members of the Knesset, the judiciary, the diplomatic corps, the police, and so on, thereby eviscerating claims of racial discrimination, which underlie apartheid.
- All Israelis – irrespective of their race or ethnicity – have equal rights, at every level. There are even Muslim parties in the Knesset (parliament), holding 10 of 120 seats. A quick stroll through any major Israeli city will show you Israelis of all religions getting about their day together, happily. The third most popular party in Israel is the Arab/Palestinian party.
- Often when people say this, they are referring to Palestinians living either in Gaza, which is under Hamas rule, or parts of the West Bank, which are under the rule of the Palestinian Authority. These Palestinians are treated like any other visitor to Israel – they can apply for a work or tourist visa to enter, and then work or tour like any other visa-holding visitor.
