Weaponization of Myth: Gaza and the War on Truth

Many pro-Palestinian supporters attempt to justify the October 7 terrorist attacks by arguing that they did not occur in a vacuum-that decades of Israeli “brutal occupation” somehow explain, or even excuse, the horrific massacre of innocent civilians, including children, the elderly, and the documented acts of sexual violence.

While it is true that those horrifying, brutal, and devastating attacks did not happen in a vacuum, such justifications are often rooted in myths and misconceptions. The reality is far more complex and nuanced than many would like to admit.

Yes, without question, for nearly four decades, Israel maintained direct control over Gaza, and it has now occupied the West Bank for over 56 years. This prolonged military presence has had profound consequences for Palestinians: physically, socially, economically, and psychologically. It would be disingenuous to ignore the harm and daily indignities that come with occupation. But acknowledging these injustices must not prevent us from examining the full picture, including the widespread distortions that dominate much of the international discourse on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

A Personal Note

As someone deeply committed to justice and human dignity, I believe the occupation must end-not only because every nation has the inalienable right to self-determination (and that includes both Jews and Palestinians), but because prolonged military rule over another people is corrosive. It violates Palestinian human rights and has had a damaging effect on Israeli society. As the late Israeli philosopher Yeshayahu Leibowitz warned decades ago, occupation would lead to moral decline and the deterioration of Israel’s democratic soul[1]. Sadly, many of his warnings have proven prescient.

But the only viable solution is not the elimination of one side or the victory of one narrative. It is a negotiated, just two-state solution where both peoples-Jewish and Palestinian-recognize the rights of each other and live side by side in peace and dignity.

The Problem with the Dominant Narrative

Many of the claims spread by pro-Palestinian activists, and amplified in mainstream media and online, are oversimplified, misleading, or flat-out false. These myths obscure the possibility of peace rather than promote it. Consider the following[2]:

Myth: “Gaza was occupied by Israel.”

Israel fully withdrew from Gaza in 2005, evacuating over 8,000 settlers and removing all military presence[3]. Since then, Hamas has ruled Gaza. Though Israel maintains control over airspace and some border access for security reasons, there has not been physical Israeli presence in Gaza for over two decades – a key legal criterion under international law.

Myth: “Gaza was an open-air prison.”

This slogan ignores context. Until October 7, thousands of Gazans worked legally in Israel daily[4], and the Egyptian border at Rafah has been under Egyptian control, not Israeli[5]. Border restrictions-by both Egypt and Israel-intensified only after Hamas violently took control in 2007 and began launching rockets[6] and building terror tunnels[7]. These are security measures, not collective punishment.

Myth: “Israel is committing genocide in Gaza.”

This charge is not only false-it is a dangerous distortion of language and an offense to the memory of real genocides, including the Holocaust. Genocide, as defined under international law, requires the intentional and systematic extermination of a people. Even the International Criminal Court (ICC), while pursuing charges related to war crimes, has not accused Israel of genocide[8].

In Gaza, Israel issues warnings before airstrikes[9], targets military infrastructure-not civilians-and continues to facilitate humanitarian aid deliveries[10], even in the midst of active conflict. Tragically, civilian casualties occur, but many result from Hamas’s deliberate use of human shields, as well as its embedding of weapons and fighters in densely populated areas like homes, hospitals, and mosques[11]. Furthermore, the casualty figures often cited-mostly originating from Hamas-controlled sources-are unverified and likely inflated, with no reliable distinction made between civilians and combatants[12]. The misuse of the term “genocide” in this context cheapens the word, undermines its legal and moral gravity, and distracts from efforts toward real accountability and peace.

Ignored: Hamas’s Role in Escalation

Since seizing Gaza, Hamas has fired over 20,000 rockets into Israeli civilian areas[13], dug terror tunnels under the border, and systematically rejected peace initiatives. The suffering of Gazans is real-but blaming it solely on Israel absolves Hamas of accountability and ignores the harm caused by its militant, rejectionist ideology.

Peace Offers the World Forgets

Despite the entrenched narratives, Israel has made serious efforts at peace-often at great political cost. For example, in 2000 Prime Minister Ehud Barak, with U.S. President Bill Clinton, offered Yasser Arafat a state on 95% of the West Bank and all of Gaza, with East Jerusalem as a capital. Arafat walked away, and the Second Intifada began shortly after[14]. Clinton later said, “I regret that Arafat missed the opportunity… he simply couldn’t say yes.”[15] And in 2008 Prime Minister Ehud Olmert offered Mahmoud Abbas a state with 93–94% of the West Bank, full Gaza sovereignty, land swaps, and a divided Jerusalem[16]. Abbas did not accept[17]. Years later, he admitted that he rejected the deal because it left some issues unresolved-yet he never proposed a counter-offer.

Finally, in 2014, U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry attempted to revive negotiations, and Israel agreed to significant concessions, including prisoner releases[18]. Again, talks collapsed without any tangible response from the Palestinian side.

Conclusion: Truth and Responsibility

Let’s be clear: Israelis are not blameless. The Netanyahu government has often inflamed tensions, expanded settlements irresponsibly, and failed to offer hope to Palestinians. But to portray the conflict as a simple story of colonizer versus colonized ignores history, complexity, and the repeated rejection of peace by Palestinian leaders.

It is the violent absolutism of groups like Hamas-which seeks Israel’s destruction, not coexistence[19]-and the political cowardice of the Palestinian Authority, that have been the greatest obstacles to peace. Myths may make compelling slogans, but they don’t bring us closer to a future where our children live free from fear.

Peace will come only when truth is told on both sides, and when both peoples recognize each other’s rights, humanity, and pain.

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References:

[1] https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1994-08-19-mn-28803-story.html

[2] For every argument I present in this piece, I provide a mainstream, independent reference for verification.

[3] https://www.reuters.com/article/world/shadow-of-israels-pullout-from-gaza-hangs-heavy-10-years-on-idUSKCN0QF1QQ/

[4] https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/thousands-gazan-workers-sent-back-israel-occupied-west-bank-witnesses-2023-11-03/

[5] https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/egypt-rejects-israeli-plans-rafah-crossing-sources-say-2024-05-16/

[6] https://www.nytimes.com/2006/06/11/world/middleeast/11mideast.html

[7] https://www.reuters.com/article/world/blockaded-gaza-looks-wryly-on-as-world-isolates-itself-idUSKBN21510V/

[8] https://www.theguardian.com/news/2025/jun/30/corrections-and-clarifications

[9] https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/jun/29/tens-of-thousands-flee-gaza-city-after-israel-warns-of-major-offensive

[10] https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c3d4kz8p00eo

[11] https://stratcomcoe.org/cuploads/pfiles/hamas_human_shields.pdf

[12] https://www.washingtoninstitute.org/policy-analysis/gaza-fatality-data-has-become-completely-unreliable

[13] https://www.hrw.org/report/2009/08/06/rockets-gaza/harm-civilians-palestinian-armed-groups-rocket-attacks

[14] https://www.theguardian.com/world/2002/may/23/israel3

[15] https://www.clintonfoundation.org/press-and-news/general/statement-death-of-yasser-arafat/

[16] https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c4g0dv7rxxvo

[17] https://www.cfr.org/blog/abbas-admits-he-said-no-israels-peace-offer

[18] https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/kerry-real-progress-but-no-israel-palestine-agreement/2013/06/30/627f61a2-e172-11e2-aef3-339619eab080_story.html

[19] https://www.wilsoncenter.org/article/doctrine-hamas