Answering Tough Questions About Israel (Part1)

The Jewish people and the State of Israel are currently facing an existential period in history. This most recent escalation began with the barbaric massacre launched from Gaza by Hamas on October 7, 2023. Over 1,200 Israeli women, men, and children were gruesomely raped, tortured, and brutally murdered by the Hamas Terrorists. In addition, the terrorists kidnapped over 200 Israeli hostages, with as many as 50 percent is believed to have been murdered.  

Since that “Black Saturday,” worldwide antisemitism has had an unprecedented resurgence. Israel was blamed for carnage against Gaza before any reprisal had taken place. Somehow the murderous perpetrators have been portrayed as victims and the Israeli victims are seen as deserving such a fate. Facts have become fiction and lies are treated as facts. 

Israel has since gone on to attack and attempt to eradicate Hamas. Because of Hamas’ use of schools, homes, and hospitals as weapon depots and humans as shields for their war machine, Israel has worked tirelessly to try to protect as many civilians as possible. Hamas purposely uses their own women and children as human shields and “cannon fodder” for a strategic public relations war against Israel.  The fact that Israel warns Gazan civilians of incoming assaults and allows for food and medical supply transports, and supplies electricity and water to Gaza, is virtually ignored by the media.  

Iran is at the helm of orchestrating the multiple war fronts created a “ring of fire” around Israel. The Iranian’s declared aim is the elimination of the state of Israel by genocide. On the explosive northern frontier, Iranian backed Hezbollah has waged war against Israel from Lebanon. Hezbollah has launched thousands of missiles into Israel. To stay safe, the people of northern Israel have been evacuated from their homes and businesses. Other dangerous fronts Israel must defend itself against include Syria, the Houthis constant missile attacks from Yemen, and the unrest in Judea and Samaria. 

The dire threats from Tehran to obliterate Israel with a nuclear weapon must be taken seriously. Iran has twice attacked Israel using intercontinental ballistic missiles. Iranian backed proxies have wreaked havoc upon the civilized world. According to The New York Post, AP News, The Hill, and many other sources, report that the Iranian regime is covertly encouraging and financing many of the student anti-Israel protests.  According to The Director of National Intelligence, Avril Haines, “Iran was seeking to interfere in in the US election and was stoking protests against Israel.” … “Iran is becoming increasingly aggressive in their foreign influence efforts.” The weak foreign policy of the current US administration has emboldened our enemies.  

Worldwide ignorance regarding basic general knowledge of Israel, the Jewish people, and historical facts is astounding. A general failure to communicate and educate the populous has aided our enemies to control the narrative. Therefore, a lack of knowledge has helped to contribute to the resurgence of the centuries old plague of antisemitism. 

To combat the information gap, many organizations in the Jewish and Christian communities are making a full-fledged effort to eradicate the lies and combat the hate. Christians United for Israel (CUFI), Trinity Broadcasting Network (TBN), and other noteworthy organizations are stepping up to the plate like never before. StandWithUs is an outstanding Jewish community organization. StandWithUs has produced a variety effective tools to combat the disinformation campaign spearheaded by Iran. 

One such tool is a booklet from StandWithUs named “ANSWERING TOUGH QUESTIONS ABOUT ISRAEL.”  It addresses some of the most critical issues of our time concerning Israel and the Jewish people. The questions and answers provided in this booklet are masterful. The first portion (part1) of the questions and answers are listed below. The second portion will be in my next article. StandWithUs has permitted the use of the following: 

Question: Aren’t Israeli Jews White European colonizers? 

No, Jews are a diverse ethnic and religious group with deep roots in the Land of Israel. Over half of Israeli Jews returned home from the Middle East, Africa, and Asia. The rest fled European persecution before WWII, survived the Holocaust, or had already been living in Israel for centuries 

Question: Isn’t a Jewish state, by definition, racist, and undemocratic? 

Israel is the only democracy in the Middle East, with Arab and other non-Jewish citizens who are equal under the law. The UN saw no contradiction between Israel’s Jewish and democratic identity when it became a member state in 1949. What is racist is denying Jews the right to self-determination in a homeland – a right granted to all people under the UN charter. 

Question:  Wasn’t Israel created at the expense of Palestinian rights? 

Palestinians suffered immensely from the 1948 war. However, that war was caused by the creation of Israel. Palestinians could have had their own state coexisting with Israel in 1947, but Arab leaders rejected a peace plan proposed by the UN. Instead, they launched a genocidal war against Israel, with devastating consequences for the Palestinian people. 

Question:  Didn’t Israel ethnically cleanse Palestinians in 1948? 

No. According to historians, the Palestinian refugees fled to escape the fighting. In a minority of cases, they left because Arab forces told then to, or they were expelled by Israeli forces. However, over 160,000 did not flee and stayed in Israel, which today has over two million Arab citizens. 

Question: Does Israel practice apartheid? 

No. Israel is a diverse democracy and the one free country in the region, according to Freedom House. Israel’s legal system upholds equal rights for all citizens, and countless Israelis work to eliminate discrimination. Arab citizens have served as government ministers, supreme court justices, military officers, and heads of hospitals. Israeli Arabs hold many leadership roles in Israel, including the head of the Israeli banking industry. 

Question:  Hasn’t Israel prevented a two-state solution? 

Israel accepted two-state solutions in 1937, 1947, 2000, and 2008. Palestinian leaders rejected every offer to create their first independent state in history. 

(To be continued in Part 2)