The Myth of Palestine, the Truth of Israel

Truth vs. Propaganda: Standing with Israel in a World of Lies

In an age of disinformation, historical revisionism, and rising antisemitism cloaked as activism, it’s more important than ever to stand firmly with the truth. And truth, in this case, begins, as it often does, with facts, not feelings.

Albert Einstein, one of the greatest minds of the 20th century and a proud Jew, was not only a scientific pioneer but also an ardent supporter of Zionism and the Jewish homeland. He was among the founders of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, a living testament to his belief in Jewish sovereignty, knowledge, and the rebuilding of Israel. Einstein understood that rebuilding a homeland was not just about land, but about identity, intelligence, and survival.

Photo Credits: Sabine Sterk @Hebrew University Mount Scopus

Let’s begin with the simple definition of intelligence: “The mental capacity to understand facts and apply them successfully.” If we apply this definition to the conflict surrounding Israel, it becomes painfully obvious how much of the current debate lacks both intelligence and integrity.

The Historical Truth

The land known today as Israel has always been the ancestral home of the Jewish people. Archaeology, scripture, and written history all confirm the presence of a thriving Jewish civilization in ancient Israel, centuries before the rise of Christianity or Islam. The Kingdoms of Israel and Judea were Jewish, full stop. There was no such thing as a “Palestinian people.” That identity simply did not exist.

The term “Palestine” was first applied to the region not by Arabs, but by the Roman Empire. After suppressing a Jewish revolt in 135 CE, Emperor Hadrian attempted to erase Jewish history by renaming Judea to “Syria-Palestina”, using the name of the long-extinct Philistines , historical enemies of the Israelites,  as a final insult. The name stuck in Roman and later British administrative usage, but the people who lived there remained ,overwhelmingly, Jews.

When the British Mandate took over from the Ottomans after World War I, the name “Palestine” continued for administrative purposes. Ironically, it was often Jews who were called “Palestinians” including Jewish-run newspapers, soccer clubs, and currency bearing that name. The Arab population in the region, many of whom were recent migrants from Egypt, Syria, and elsewhere, never referred to themselves as “Palestinians.” In fact, before the 1960s, to call an Arab a “Palestinian” would have been considered offensive.

The Great Deception

That all changed in 1964, when Egyptian born Yasser Arafat, head of the newly formed PLO, visited Moscow and met with the KGB. Soon after, a propaganda campaign was launched that would forever change the course of public discourse: the invention of a “Palestinian people” as an oppressed, indigenous population with a right to the land of Israel.

It was a masterstroke of psychological warfare. Images of refugee camps, starving children, and desperate civilians were broadcast around the world, while the fact that many of those “refugees” were living in camps by choice  or rather by command, so as to maintain a permanent symbol of victimhood,  was carefully hidden.

Israel, meanwhile, underestimated the power of media manipulation. While it focused on defense, innovation, and nation-building, the other side focused on narrative. And slowly, the world began to believe the lie.

Academia’s Shameful Role

One would hope that the world’s brightest minds , especially in academia, would see through this manufactured history. After all, facts remain: Israel was re-established on a portion of land legally assigned to the Jewish people by international mandate. Arabs were offered a state of their own in 1947 and refused. Wars were waged against Israel, not by it. And yet, somehow, universities have become fertile ground for anti-Israel sentiment and blatant antisemitism.

Even the most absurd claims such as accusations of genocide or ethnic cleansing  are swallowed whole without scrutiny. Genocide? The Arab population in Israel and the territories has grown dramatically since 1948. Ethnic cleansing? Arabs sit in Israel’s parliament, work in its hospitals, attend its universities.

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF), accused of brutality, are in fact the only military in the world known to use “roof-knocking”,  dropping non-lethal warnings on buildings before striking legitimate terror targets, in order to save civilian lives. They send text alerts, radio messages, and phone calls before operations. That’s not brutality, that’s moral restraint in the face of hatred.

The Fight Against Lies Is the Fight Against Antisemitism

At its core, the demonization of Israel is not about borders, settlements, or even Palestinians. It is about Jews. The age-old hatred has simply found a new banner. It has rebranded itself as “human rights advocacy,” but its goal remains the same: to delegitimize the Jewish state, and by extension, the Jewish people.

Organizations like Time To Stand Up For Israel are on the front lines of this fight. We expose falsehoods, defend historical truth, and call out antisemitism wherever it rears its head,  especially when it masquerades as scholarship.

We are since January 2023 an official NGO. If you believe in facts, in justice, and in the right of the Jewish people to live in peace in their historic homeland, join us. Follow our updates on LinkedIn and Facebook. Help us push back against ignorance,  not with anger, but with truth.

As Professor Einstein might say: “Intellectuals solve problems. Geniuses prevent them.” It’s time the world stopped creating problems with lies, and started solving them with the truth.

Time to Stand Up for Israel; because truth is not optional.