Israel’s war with Hamas has resulted in vocal and aggressive antisemitism that has not been witnessed in the United States for many generations.
Jewish News is gathering and presenting some basic facts in this space to equip readers during this difficult time with the confidence needed to engage in conversation about Israel.
- Since the October 7 massacre, Iran and its proxies have attacked Israel from seven fronts: Gaza, Lebanon, the West Bank, Yemen, Syria, Iraq, and Iran. (AIPAC.org)
- Israel does not occupy Gaza. Israel left Gaza in 2005 and Gaza has been controlled by Hamas since 2007. (juf.org)
- Hamas’ charter calls for killing Jews, destroying Israel and establishing a fundamentalist Islamist state in its place. (juf.org)
- Israel has accepted proposals related to a two-state solution on five different occasions while the Palestinians have rejected each one including an offer of 93.5% of territory in the West Bank and Gaza and a share of East Jerusalem. (cdn.fedweb.org)
- There is no Israeli “apartheid.” Arab citizens in Israel have equal rights, are elected to the Knesset (Israeli parliament) and sit on Israel’s Supreme Court. (juf.org)
- Israeli Arab citizens serve as judges, ambassadors, legislators, journalists, professors, and artists, and play prominent roles in all aspects of Israeli society. And for the first time, in 2021, an Islamist Arab political party is a partner in a governing coalition. (cdn.fedweb.org)
- For Christians, Israel is the “Holy Land” because it is the place where Jesus’ life and death unfolded. For Muslims, Jerusalem is the place where the Prophet Muhammad ascended to heaven. (pewresearch.org)
- Virtually all Jews in Israel identify with one of four major religious subgroups: Hiloni (“secular”), Masorti (“traditional”), Dati (“religious”), and Haredi (“ultra-Orthodox”). (pewresearch.org)
- No matter where Jews pray, they always face the direction of Jerusalem. (ajc.org)