Israel & Palestine: A Beginner’s Guide to the Conflict

Israel and Palestine, Hamas, the Middle East and all the specifics are a lot to take on and try to understand – especially in a time of war. This post is meant to be a place for beginner information mixed with a bit of my own experience.

Why am I writing this post and why should you listen to me? Because we live in the information age, and everyone feels pressure to have an opinion and speak out, regardless of their own personal experience or fact-checking abilities. My education and experiences have given me an informed opinion that is still growing every day as I learn from my friends in Israel and other sources. I also know how to do proper research from higher education as well as professional writing and academic editing work.

I lived in Israel for two years. Before that, I visited many times, especially to participate on archaeological digs. When I first moved to Israel, I lived in Haifa where I did an internship with the Israel Nature and Parks Authority, taking photos of archaeological sites in Northern Israel for conservation. My internship program took us on field trips where we learned from people with every opinion and viewpoint, both Jews and Arabs, of all places on the spectrum of general opinion (barring extremism).

After my internship program, I made Aliyah (meaning I got Israeli citizenship) and worked in a hostel in Tel Aviv before getting a Masters degree (my second Masters) at Tel Aviv University in archaeology.

Sarah and others in the Canaanite Gate area at the Tel Gezer archaeological excavation in Israel — Me with fellow diggers excavating the ancient Canaanite Gate at Tel Gezer in Israel.

I want to also note that I don’t have family living in Israel and I didn’t visit until I was an adult – so my opinion wasn’t formed on Israel and Palestine before adulthood (I really didn’t know much about Israel growing up – it didn’t even seem real to me, in all honesty, because of how it’s portrayed in the US).

A Note For You

With the current war, it’s easy to look at social media, or hear someone speak and feel the need to “take sides” between groups of people – but, as I hope to convey in this post, the enemy isn’t the Palestinians or the Israelis, Muslims or Jews, etc.

👉 If you’re wondering what to stay or where to stand, and you feel lost: It’s enough to say “I don’t know enough to talk on this matter, but I grieve for the lives lost”. It’s a bit better if you can say you’re learning – that communicates that you’re interested enough to expend some energy and time on the topic.

It can be easy to hear someone speak with so much emotion and to get caught up in that wave. Personally, I cope by educating myself and looking at logic. My emotion is that of grieving the lives lost and the horrors that no one should ever have to experience. I don’t want that to lead me to hatred. So, there’s the emotion/grieving and the logic/learning.

Of course, I highly recommend visiting Israel and talking to people there in order to learn even more – and you can travel to Israel right now!

👉 What’s to come in this post: Some maps, a historical timeline, quick intros on Israel/Palestine/Hamas and more, what’s behind the current war, and resources including where to donate, books and my favorite Instagram accounts to follow for more in-depth information and updates.

Map: Modern-Day Israel, Gaza & Middle East

Here, I’ve pinned places of interest: Israel, the Dome of the Rock, the West Bank, the Gaza Strip, Egypt’s border with the Gaza Strip, Lebanon, Qatar, Saudi Arabia & Iran:

Israel & Palestine: An Intro & My Experience (Modern-Day History)

First, here’s a video with the history and facts, shared by an Israeli, that I have also learned from multiple places plus experienced first-hand living in Israel (you can also watch it from here if it doesn’t load on the page):

Watch this video on YouTube

The claims of Israel being guilty of apartheid/ethnic cleansing/genocide/colonization/occupation don’t make sense factually. This is part of propaganda. The video explains it, but the Arab population has only grown – exponentially.

Israel & Palestine: A Timeline

Map of Israel during the time of David & Solomon

History accounts may be biased, or up for some debate due to oral history and the passing down of stories; however, some history cannot be debated. Namely, the history of Jews to their native land, Judea; where the name “Palestine” originated; and when the name Palestine came into use (plus what it referred to) and more.

Timeline of Israel/Palestine:

Here’s a timeline of what we now call the “Middle East” – a term that is only relevant from the perspective of the Europeans and the Western world.

I’m not about to write a history book here, so I’ve linked sources to each thing for further reading:

Let’s start from the beginning, in BCE/BC times:

Various groups of people in the land, an agglomeration of independent Canaanite city-states, lived in ancient Israel. The concept of a “polity” or “state” as we know it today did not exist – that only came about from European colonizers.

1250-1200 BCE: Hebrew tribes settle in Canaan
1250-1150 BCE: Archaeology shows destruction of Canaanite villages, showing possible invasions
1080 BCE: Kingdom of Israel
950 BCE: Solomon’s Temple is built (the first Temple in Jerusalem)
841 BCE: Israel is forced to pay tribute to Assyria
722 BCE: The Northern Kingdom is exiled by the Assyrians

Learn more about the Canaanites here.

Sarah Israel digging as an archaeology volunteer at the Tel Gezer excavation in Israel — My first archeological dig in Israel at Tel Gezer, in the ancient Canaanite Gate.

The debates on the twelve tribes of Israel by scholars include things like if the twelve tribes being based on family members was for understanding of a story rather than pure fact.

Many ancient cultures do this; I’m currently in French Polynesia, another culture that has taken back their indigenous identity and practices from missionaries and French colonizers, and they have very similar origin stories about the islands and family lines.

(Note: If you’re interested in reading more about those who have tried to destroy the Jews in history, read about Amalek – you’ll see references to this online these days, most likely).

740 BCE: The Assyrian captivity (or the Assyrian exile) took place and thousands of Israelites from Samaria were taken captive by Assyria. The Neo-Assyrian Empire conquered the Northern Kingdom of Israel.

598/7 BCE: Babylonian Captivity, also called Babylonian Exile, the forced detention of Jews in Babylonia following the Babylonian conquest of the kingdom of Judah and destruction of the Jewish Temple, during the reign of King Nebuchadnezzar II

539 BCE: The Persian Empire (when Esther saved the Jewish people from genocide by Haman – the Jewish holiday of Purim)

Read the history of Jews in Iran here.

332 BCE: Alexander the Great

301 BCE: Ptolemaic period

Around 200 BCE: Seleucid Empire (And the story of Chanukkah)

The Maccabean Revolt happened in 167-160 BCE as an uprising against the Seleucid Empire’s repression, during the reign of Antiochus IV Epiphanes (the story of Chanukkah commemorates this battle). Jerusalem was taken back by the Jews and the Temple reconsecrated.

142-63 BCE: Hasmonean State / Hellenistic period

Zippori Israel mosaic archaeology — A mosaic at Zippori/Sepphoris (another site where I participated on excavations), a Second-Temple period city in Israel and archaeological site. There are a lot of signs of Hellenistic influence here, especially in the ancient synagogue which has a zodiac mosaic.

The Hasmonean dynasty ruled Judea and the surrounding areas in the Second Temple period, which lasted from around 140 BCE to 37 BCE.

140-116 BCE: The Seleucid Empire ruled with the Hasmonean dynasty, until Judea gained more independence and expanded into the regions nearby including Samaria, Perea, Galilee and more.

139 BCE: Gnaeus Cornelius Scipio Hispanus expels the Jewish population from Rome.

63 BCE: Pompey’s conquest of the East, when many Jews were killed and others fled to the diaspora (e.g., were displaced).

Herod the Great, an Idumean, took power in 37 BCE and made Judea a Roman client state, which was the end of the Hasmonean dynasty (which lasted 103 years). However, Herod wanted legitimacy as a Hasmonean so he married a Hasmonean princess, Mariamne, and planned to drown the last male Hasmonean heir at his palace in Jericho.

Israel Herodium — The archaeological site of Herodium, built by Herod, on the modern-day West Bank of Israel

19 CE: Tiberius, the Roman Emperor, expelled the Jews from Rome. This was recorded by Roman historians Suetonius, Josephus and Cassius Dio.

38 CE: The Alexandrian pogrom, as recounted by Philo of Alexandria in Flaccus. The Jewish population was confined to one quarter of the city.

50 CE: Jews are ordered by Roman Emperor Claudius “not to hold meetings” (Roman History, 60.6.6). Claudius later expelled Jews from Rome, according to both Suetonius (“Lives of the Twelve Caesars”, Claudius, Section 25.4) and Acts 18:2.

63 CE: Roman Empire

66 CE: Roman soldiers killed about 50,000 Jews in the Alexandria riot.

66-73 CE: The First Jewish-Roman War, which was won by Vespasian and Titus as recorded by Josephus.

In 70 CE, the Romans destroyed the second Jewish temple in Jerusalem and looted the contents, bringing Jews to Rome to force them into slavery building the Colosseum. The Arch of Titus in Rome commemorates this.

The Arch of Titus in Rome by the Colosseum — The Arch of Titus in Rome, Italy viewed from the Colosseum

73 CE: Josephus records the history of Masada, where at that point a Jewish community lived. A Roman governor attacked Masada using an assault ramp to breach the fortress. The Jewish community, in order to not be taken captive, committed mass suicide.

Sarah archaeology Masada Dig — Here I am in front of Masada on the 2019 excavations with Tel Aviv University

115–117 CE: Cassius Dio recorded thousands of Jews killed during civil unrest in Egypt, Cyprus, and Cyrenaica.

132-136 CE: Hadrian resolved to stamp the Jewish people and their religion out of existence. He sold all Jewish prisoners into slavery after the Bar Kokhba revolt, forbade the teaching of the Torah, renamed the province Syria Palaestina, and changed Jerusalem’s name to Aelia Capitolina.

Note: Hadrian renamed Israel to Syria Palaestina to wipe out the national identity of Israel and the Jews.

1 Maccabees, 2 Maccabees, and The Jewish War by historian Flavius Josephus tell more of this history.

Note: You can read Flavius Josephus’ works for FREE with Kindle here.

313 CE: Byzantine Empire – Jews still lived in Israel and worshipped in synagogues since the Temple had been destroyed. There were also Jews in the Diaspora who left Israel.

315 CE: Constantine I enacts anti-Jewish laws

325 CE: Jews were expelled and banned from Jerusalem

361 CE: Roman Emperor Julian the Apostate allowed the Jews to return to “Holy Jerusalem which you have for many years longed to see rebuilt”

419 CE: A monk named Barsauma and his followers destroyed synagogues throughout the province for 3-4 years.

425 CE: The final nasi of the ancient Sanhedrin Gamliel VI was executed by the Roman Empire, ending the Jewish patriarchate.

429 CE: The East Roman Emperor Theodosius II ordered all funds raised by Jews to support their schools be turned over to his treasury.

438 CE: Theodosius II’s wife visits Jerusalem, and arranges for Jews to visit, followed by Jews emigrating to Jerusalem, where some are killed after being stabbed and stoned by local monks. At the trial for these deaths, the monks claimed the stones fell from heaven and were acquitted.

Read more on this timeline here.

531 CE: Jewish liturgy is censored for being “anti-trinitarian” and Emperor Justinian rules that Jews cannot testify against Christians.

608–610: Massacres of Jews occur across the Byzantine Empire. Following this, King Sisebur banned Judaism in Hispania and Septimania and those not baptized fled.

614–617: Jewish revolt against Heraclius, which was the last major attempt to gain Jewish autonomy in Israel prior to modern times.

624: Mohammed watched as 600 Jews are decapitated in Medina in one day.

629: Byzantine Emperor Heraclius and his army entered Jerusalem, and Jewish inhabitants supported him after his promise of amnesty. Then, the local priests convinced him that killing Jews was a good deed. The only Jews that survived were the ones who fled to Egypt or the mountains.

632: Emperor Heraclius violated the Codex Theodosianus, which protected Jews from forced conversions.

638: Arab Caliphate

634–641: Jews living in the Levant were forced to pay the Jizya as a result of the Muslim conquest of the Levant

There was a short Persian conquest from 614-628 and the Byzantines ruled the city. Then, the Arabs conquered it in 636, and it was first ruled by the Ummanyads, then the Abassis and then the Fattimies – all various Muslim Khalifate dynasties.

640: Jews expelled from Arabia.

691: Dome of the Rock built on the site of the First and Second Jewish Temples, the Temple Mount

720: Caliph Omar II banned Jewish worship on the Temple Mount.

1071: Jerusalem fell to the Seljuk Turks, many synagogues were destroyed and Jewish life became more restricted.

1099: First Crusade, beginning the Crusader period: European armies came into destroy “the infidel”; Crusaders attacked non-Christians in Europe; pogroms were conducted against Jews and even “heretical” Christians; Muslims were attacked; Jews and Muslims fought together against the Crusaders; and the Crusaders captured the region.

Below is my own photos of various Crusader fortresses in Israel, some of which I photographed for archaeological preservation for the Parks Authority:

Sarah with a view of a fortress in Israel

Israel Nimrod Fortress Mt Hermon Golan Heights

1229: The Treaty of Jaffa was signed between Frederick II and the Sultan Al-Kamil of Egypt, which banned Jews (again) from living in Jerusalem.

1260: The Mongols’ defeat brought Syria under Mamluk rule. They enacted many anti-Jewish laws (again).

1291: Mamluk period

The Mamluks took over during the Middle Ages by conquering the Crusaders in Egypt, Syria and more places. Read more about what is known archaeologically about Jerusalem during this time here.

1301: Riots in Egypt, encouraged by the Mamluks, when many Jews were forcibly converted to Islam, including the Jewish population of Bilbeis. Many synagogues were appropriated into mosques during this time.

1517-1917: Ottoman period

Fun fact: Israel used to have a lot more trees than it has now. Most were destroyed by the Ottomans (as I heard often when interning for the Nature & Parks Authority).

1917: British Mandate:

👉 Wondering when the name “Palestine” came into use? Here’s when it happened:

The name “Mandatory Palestine” was chosen for the British Mandate based on the previous name “Palestina” that was given to the country by the Roman Empire in the second century CE (keep reading for more information on the name “Palestine” and further history).

The British were appointed control over the land by the Council of the League of Nations. They defined specific borders, which had not been done for many centuries – during the Ottoman Empire, the boundaries were not defined because the Ottomans ruled over other places as well.

The land borders of the British Mandate included land on both sides of the Jordan River, including present-day Jordan and Israel, and around 77% of the Mandate was east of the Jordan River. In 1921, Britain created the Transjordan entity there.

Sarah at the Jordan River in Israel — At the Jordan River – this is the Israeli side, but I’ve also been on the Jordanian side, as this is a border between the two countries and you cannot cross over – meaning, what you see behind me is present-day Jordan.

👉 Why did the British leave Palestine? Read about it here.

1948: Modern-day State of Israel

👉 Read the The Declaration of the Establishment of the State of Israel here

The bottom line:

Jews have existed in the land that is the modern State of Israel since ancient times.

The land was conquered throughout history by many, many different groups, many of whom violently displaced the Jewish people.

Even in the Diaspora, Jews faced persecution, which included the Holocaust but also the pogroms in Russia (where my family fled to the US, some fled to Israel etc), and other genocides. This is why the Jews need Israel.

The modern day state of Israel is not exclusive to Jews; Arabs, Druze, Bedouins, Christians and more people are Israelis. Yes, there are some issues as Arabs are a minority, and that is something to work on – not a reason to exterminate the Jews or state of Israel.

There was never a Palestinian state (Palestine was a British Colony) or government prior to the 20th century; the modern-day “Palestinian” identity is one that is exclusively Arab, but that does not apply to all Arabs. It’s worth asking what the purpose of having this specific identity is (e.g., who wants peaceful co-existence?).

Much of the Arab world is antisemitic (the extremists in particular), even today, as a colonialist attitude (read more here).

“Palestine”: What’s In A Name

The name Palestine derives from Philistia, a name coined by Greek historians for the land of the Philistines in the Bible, in the 12th century BCE. This was a small area of land on the southern coast between modern-day Tel Aviv and Gaza.

Then, in the 2nd century CE, the Romans used the name “Syria Palaestina” for the southern part of Syria, which was translated into Arabic and became used to describe the region since. Hadrian renamed Israel to Syria Palaestina to wipe out the national identity of Israel and the Jews, and because the Philistines tried to do the same.

The name was not used officially after the Roman era until the British Mandate, when it was used by the British to define their borders, which included present-day Israel and the West Bank, plus parts of present-day Jordan.

The name “Palestine” is used as a popular and general term for a region, not for a country with specified boundaries. This area tends to include more than just Israel, bordered on the east by the Jordan River, north by Israel and Lebanon, west by the Mediterranean, and south by the Negev, to the Gulf of Aqaba.

👉 What does “From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free” mean?
This phrase is used in pro-Palestinian rallies and chants. It literally calls for the extermination of the Jewish state and Jewish people, and is used by Hamas and other terrorist organizations. The Arabic translation actually means “from the river to the sea, Palestine will be Arab.” Read The Covenant of the Islamic Resistance Movement Here.

👉 More on “from the river to the sea”: “…this expression is mostly popular among English speaking supporters of Palestine. Arabic speakers don’t often use this expression, instead opting for others like “Al Quds lana” which means “Jerusalem belongs to us” or “Arabiya.” “It’s Arab.” – Hesham Hassanein

Who are the Palestinian people? In a quote from the video by Oren of travelingisrael.com, “The only true Palestinians are those Muslims, Christians and Jews who were born under the British Mandate” (these people have Palestinian birth certificates). “If you were born after the British Mandate, you were either Israeli, Jordanian or Egyptian.”

Of course, there’s more to this story. Watch the video below for more explanation (you can also watch here if it’s not loading):

Watch this video on YouTube

Quote from the video: “There are many political, social and religious tensions between us Jews. But despite these tensions, there have been very few occasions where the tensions actually erupted into violence. In Israel you can have huge demonstrations without smashing windows or burning cars. Only very rarely have Jews killed other Jews due to political differences, and each time it has occurred: Altalena, the murder of De Haan, Tubianski, Rabin and Emil Grunzweig, it was a national trauma that we still talk about decades after it happened.”

I can personally say from my experience living in Israel, that when one Israeli dies due to violence from terrorist attacks, or from other reasons, everyone is grieving and talking about it. It’s truly a caring and community atmosphere in Israel, even though the people can sometimes have a tough exterior.

The video goes on to say Palestinians have killed more of their own people in internal conflicts than Jews have throughout history. Here’s the thing: I’m not saying this to incite hatred of humans. In fact, Christians have also killed more of their own from differences of political and religious (particularly doctrinal) beliefs as well. Keep reading for the real enemy – terrorism, and what causes terrorism to happen.

In my studies, especially because I come from a mixed faith background, this has always been something I’ve noticed – this is from education from various backgrounds, plus my own research. Jews are the only group that doesn’t resort to violence so easily, throughout history. This is part of why the land of Israel has been taken over so many times. The Jews bought land from Arab people as part of the creation of modern-day Israel, rather than taking it forcibly.

Everyone today is talking more and more about trauma. The collective Jewish trauma of displacement, and the values that Jews have had throughout history, are the answer to why they are this way.

👉 If you’re questioning the legitimacy of Jews moving to Israel to re-establish their homeland, I want you to consider these points:

Jews are indigenous to Israel (Judea).

Jews lived in the land continuously from ancient times – the modern state did involve more people returning, after their families being displaced in the past.

The Palestinians claim “refugee” status, but are the only group to have up to the fifth generation still claiming this status.

Here’s a quote from article linked above:

“The only refugees who do not fall under the UNHCR and instead have their own agency are the Palestinians. While the UNHCR has resettled millions of refugees, since the time it was created, UNRWA has not managed to solve or even diminish the problem at all. Instead, using its own metrics, the number of refugees has grown exponentially, while UNRWA has become one of the larger U.N. agencies, with 30,000 personnel and a $1.2 billion budget. This is despite the fact that many of the UNRWA “refugees” are not actually refugees at all under the standard international definition of that term. For example, of the 2 million Palestinian refugees in Jordan, most have been granted Jordanian citizenship.

“UNRWA, moreover, is the only refugee agency in the world whose purpose is not to resettle refugees and help them go on with their lives. UNRWA spends more to do less, while perpetuating a problem it was created to help solve. This situation, which does little to advance the interests of actual refugees and much to expand a bloated UNRWA bureaucracy, needs to be addressed.”

Read more on the UNRWA here.

Jews need Israel because of the continual treatment they receive by others. This includes being displaced from other Middle Eastern countries (see the history of Jews in Egypt, for example).

Here’s an article on what people in the US had to say at pro-Palestinian rally – they’re not sure what should happen to the Jewish people.

Here’s a quote from the above article:

“The story of the nakba—widespread in the Arab world—not only ignores the Jews’ long history in Canaan, and later, Israel, but also United Nations Resolution 181, in 1947. The resolution called for a partition of Palestine into Arab and Jewish states. Israel accepted the plan. The Arab states did not, and on the night of May 14, 1948, the day Israel declared independence, Lebanon, Syria, Egypt, Iraq, and Jordan unsuccessfully attacked the Jewish state.”

Disclaimer: This is a systemic problem, but I’m not saying this about regular people. It’s about leaders, governments and systems that are oppressing and influencing people – an example is the Palestinian school curriculum.

Egypt Alexandria Synagogue Sarah — Here I am in front of Eliyahu Hanavi synagogue in Alexandria, being restored by the Egyptian Ministry of Antiquities. The synagogue closed in 2012 due to security concerns, and now there are less than 10 elderly Jews in Alexandria.

If you think only Jewish people are for the modern-day state of Israel, and that all Palestinians are “pro-Palestine”, think again. Here’s just one example:

Nuseir Yassin, also known as Nas Daily is an Israeli Arab with tens of millions of followers. He’s known for posting minute-long videos about little-known things about places around the globe. He wrote this post after Oct 7:

“For the longest time, I’ve struggled with my identity.
A Palestinian child born inside the Israel As if… wtf.
Many of my friends refuse to say the word israel and call themselves “Palestinians” only.
But since I was 12, it doesn’t make sense.
So I decided to mix the two and become a “Palestinian-Israeli”
I thought this term reflects who I am.
The first Palestinian. A second Israeli.
But after the recent events, I started to think.
and to think.
and to think.
And then my thoughts turned to anger.
I understood that if Israel is “invaded” again, we will not be safe. For the terrorist invading Israel, all citizens are targets.
900 Israelis have died so far. More than 40 of them are Arabs. Killed by other Arabs. And even 2 Thais died as well.
And I don’t want to live under a Palestinian government.
What says I have only one home, even if I’m not Jewish:
Israel
That’s where my whole family lives. That’s where I grew up. This is the country I want to see that will continue to exist so that I can exist.
Palestine needs to exist as an independent state. And I hope to see the country flourish and become less extreme and more prosperous. I love Palestine and I invested in Palestine.
But it ain’t my house.
So from today on, I see myself as an “Israeli-Palestinian”.
First Israeli.
A second Palestinian.
Sometimes you need such a shock to see so clearly.”

Another example is the “Whispered in Gaza” project. Hamas placed Palestinians under a communication block, and this project allows them to share their viewpoints and stories without giving away their identities.

Here’s one of the videos:

Watch this video on YouTube

“Israel”: What’s In A Name

The name Israel comes from the Bible, but originally for the modern state it wasn’t the assumed name by everyone – Judea was another consideration.

Both Israel and Judea are ancient names that tie the indigenous Jewish people to this land.

Independence Hall Israel Tel Aviv Rothschild — Visiting Independence Hall in Tel Aviv, where the Modern State of Israel was declared.

So… who is the real enemy here?

Who Is Hamas? (The Real Enemy)

👉 Hamas, an official terrorist organization who are backed by Iran along with other groups like Islamic Jihad, Hezbollah and more groups, are the actual enemy in the current conflict with Israel and Gaza.

The terrorist organization Hamas was formed in 1987 during the first Palestinian intifada, or uprising, and it stemmed from the Muslim Brotherhood. The group’s charter clearly calls for “establishing an Islamic Palestinian state in place of Israel and rejects all agreements made between the PLO and Israel”. It also states that they want to destroy Jews, Israel and the US/America.

“HAMAS has a military wing known as the Izz al-Din al-Qassam Brigades that has conducted many anti-Israel attacks in both Israel and the Palestinian territories since the 1990s. These attacks have included large-scale bombings against Israeli civilian targets, small-arms attacks, improvised roadside explosives, and rocket attacks.”

Hamas has been in power in the Palestinian territories by popular vote, and refuses to renounce, or even recognize, its violent actions against Israel including suicide bombings, multiple rocket and mortar attacks against civilians, and more.

The US Government designated Hamas a Foreign Terrorist Organization.

Watch the video below for words from Hamas leaders (you can also watch here if needed):

Watch this video on YouTube

The main leaders of Hamas are billionaires living in Qatar.

The poverty of the people of Gaza is the fault of Hamas – not Israel, who has still provided electricity, water etc. even though Gaza gets its billions from other governments and humanitarian aid. That aid doesn’t go to the civilians.

The Foundation – What Causes Terrorism

Of course, it’s easy to say “hate” or try to blame a group of people or a series of events – but this is not the problem. People trying to live in peace, to escape persecution and terrorism, isn’t the problem. The problem is terrorism.

So, what causes terrorism? It’s an ideology that’s passed down from generation to generation, and brainwashed into cults and groups of people.

The ideology I’m talking about is called fundamentalism, and it’s at the root of extremist ideologies.

I’ve experienced some growing fundamentalist ideology from evangelical groups, which is a lot of why Trump was elected, and it goes back throughout history, from things in the US to even before. People coming to the US had some to do with this, and they caused problems for the Native Americans (not to mention all the religious division and displacement/killing by colonists, of colonists due to fundamentalism). But this is a bit outside the scope of this blog post.

I’ve listed a book below (Pious Passion) that explains the concept of religious fundamentalism in depth, that I highly recommend if you’re wanting to go deeper.

The son of one of the founders of Hamas, Mosab Hassan Yousef, realized this ideology of religious fundamentalism >> hatred >> terrorism, and became an Israeli spy. He then wrote a book (there’s also a movie), and is now speaking out again. You can watch his interview here (you can also watch here if it’s not loading):

Watch this video on YouTube

What Caused This Particular Conflict To Escalate Now?

It is not entirely clear why this attack was initiated, but some things are known, like the fact that it was planned over a year before it happened. Read more from the Temple Mount Sifting Project:

“The whole week that preceded the attack, which were the days of Sukkot, the Palestinian media pushed the story that the Jews are storming Al Aqsa Mosque and are planning to destroy it. Images of thousands of Jews praying with the four species of Sukkot near the Temple Mount were published with captions describing it as Jewish prayer upon the Temple Mount itself. This is why the Hamas name for this operation is “The Al-Aqsa Flood”.

“It is true that in recent years there is a trend of more and more religious Jews ascending the Temple Mount, which is Judaism’s most holy site, but yet, the call to destroy the Mosques or expel the Muslims from the site are rarely heard and are voiced by only a very small minority.

“Ignorance breeds conflict and hatred, while knowledge of culture and the past helps to foster better understand of one another. This is why our work, especially the scientific publication of the finds we have uncovered during the last 18 years is so important. As the saying goes: One picture is worth a thousand words. We could add that one archaeological relic is worth ten thousand words.

“We are not trying to prove the existence of the Temple, or anything else. We are simply researchers with no agenda other than revealing the material culture of past generations. The fact that this was the site of the First and Second temples is beyond dispute among scholars. However, the very fact that we are researching hundreds of thousands of artifacts that pre-date the time of the founding of the Al-Aqsa mosque (the 8th century CE), attests that the site is not just important for Muslim heritage. The fact that we are also putting efforts in preserving and studying the Muslim finds, also attest that Israelis are respecting Muslim heritage and their connection to the site.

“The research appearing in scientific journals eventually finds its way into publications for the general public as well. We at the TMSP have also made it our goal to release our discoveries directly to the general public, in our websites, social media, general media, and upcoming popular books.

“But this is not enough, we also wish to do it in Arabic. In recent years, many Israeli books have been translated to Arabic and it appears that the Arab world (and especially the Palestinians) have a great thirst for translated Israeli publications.

“We are currently working on publishing a collection of research papers from an international conference we organized a year and a half ago about new studies of the Temple Mount. We wish to translate the papers into Arabic and make them available online. For a long time we have also been considering adding an Arabic version to our website and social media pages (currently they are in Hebrew and English).

“We have decided to set this as a funding goal and to start working on these translations to the extent that funding allows. Please visit our support website for further details (half-shekel.org).

“We are sending our condolences to all the victims of the Hamas attack and pray for the success and safety of our soldiers. We hope that this war will eventually lead to a better reality for all the residents of our region.”

What specifically started the current war between Hamas and Israel (read: NOT between Palestinians and Israel, but between Hamas, a terrorist organization, and Israel) was the massacre and attack on October 7, 2023 by Hamas on Israeli citizens.

They came into Israel and massacred (raped, beheaded etc) innocent civilians, babies and the elderly and disabled, as well as taking hostages (including Holocaust survivors). This happened on Shabbat and a holiday, and included a Kibbutz and a music festival.

I personally have friends and know a lot of people in Israel, and everyone there knows someone killed, injured or taken hostage. Now, regular Israelis, including current IDF members as well as those on reserve (many who have returned to Israel from other places), are fighting.

👉 No one wants this. Hamas caused this. Hamas must return the hostages, otherwise Israel is focused on wiping them out (the terrorists, who hide behind their own people) to avoid further attacks (because Hamas has been attacking Israel regularly, but not at this scale).

👉 The IDF does everything it can to warn civilians in Gaza of attacks on Hamas, which exist in civilian areas, so they can move and evacuate. This includes dropping pamphlets, making phone calls and more.

How Can I Help?

👉 The problems for you and I include the following:

Iran, Hamas etc want to destroy all non-fundamentalist Muslims, including in the US and beyond, to make the whole world a Muslim Caliphate

Hostages, and those affected by the terrorist attack by Hamas, include citizens of the US and other countries

There is an information war in the US that has its foundation in many major universities, where antisemitism has been thriving, funded by this multimillionaire tech mogul and his wife and Qatar

Antisemitic and anti-Muslim attacks are on the rise around the world

We can all help by sharing information, educating ourselves, donating and spreading kindness and love.

I’ve compiled a list of informative Instagram accounts, YouTube channels, places to donate and books to read:

Donate

These are all from trusted sources:

👉 Fundraiser To Help The Terror Victims of Kibbutz Magen

👉 Tel Aviv University Emergency Fund

👉 IDF Army Equipment

👉 A Notion Page with a list of places to donate, petitions & more

Books

👉 Noa Tishby – Israel: A Simple Guide to the Most Misunderstood Country on Earth

👉 People Love Dead Jews: Reports from a Haunted Present

👉 Pious Passion (Comparative Studies in Religion and Society) (Volume 6)

YouTube Channels

👉 Noa Tishby

👉 Traveling Israeli

👉 The Center For Peace Communications (Whispered in Gaza Project)

Instagram accounts & resources

@noatishby (also has YouTube and a book mentioned)

@henmazzig and @telavivinstitute

@rootsmetals & her website

@israeladvocacymovement

@steve_leder

@blakeflayton

@benmfreeman

@evebarlow (also has a substack you can subscribe to for emails of longer pieces)

@israel_insider

@onthisdayinjewishhistory

Articles for even further reading

10 Facts Every College Student Needs to Know about Israel

What is self-determination?

Terrorism vs. Resistance

What is Zionism?

Zionism before Zionism

A Guide for Christian Allies to Jews

How exvangelicals and “deconstructionism” is antisemitic

“The Cool Jews” by Eve Barlow

An Open Letter to Anti-Zionist Jews

9/11 antisemitic conspiracies

How antisemitism on the left and the right work together

Sarah at Masada in Israel — At Masada in Israel, where I’ve also excavated, another site built up by Herod

All In All: Israel & Palestine, and the Conflict

I hope this guide can help get you started on understanding more about Israel, Palestine, the Middle East and more. I’ll likely come back to this post and add/edit, so feel free to bookmark it and check back from time to time!

👉 Check out more Israel guides & travel tips here!
👉 Israel To Palestine / Palestine To Israel: All You Need To Know
👉 Is Israel Safe For Travel? Important Advice Amidst War
👉 David vs. Goliath: A Journey Through the Historic Elah Valley
👉 The 17 Best Israel Souvenirs
👉 Top 25 Biblical Sites In Israel
👉 Is Jerusalem Worth Visiting? 26 Things To Do To Make Your Trip Worthwhile (with pros & cons)
👉 8 Best Tours From Tel Aviv To Jerusalem To Check Out
👉 Winter in Jerusalem: Weather, Things To Do + Travel Tips
👉 Jerusalem to Galilee / Galilee to Jerusalem: All You Need To Know
👉 Tel Aviv to Jerusalem / Jerusalem to Tel Aviv: All You Need To Know
👉 Jerusalem to Egypt / Egypt to Jerusalem: All You Need To Know
👉 Jordan to Jerusalem / Jerusalem to Jordan: All You Need To Know
👉 Rome to Jerusalem / Jerusalem to Rome: All You Need To Know
👉 Going to Tel Aviv? Check out the 31+ Best Things To Do In Tel Aviv (With Map) Here!
👉 Where To Stay In Tel Aviv: Best Places for Every Budget (Neighborhoods, Hotels + More)
👉 Check out this post for where to stay in Haifa on any budget for each area!
👉 Renting A Car In Tel Aviv: Everything You Need To Know
👉 The Best Time To Visit Tel Aviv
👉 The 20 best day trips from Tel Aviv
👉 Is Tel Aviv Worth Visiting? 18 Ways To Make Your Trip Worthwhile (+ Pros & Cons)
👉 Is Haifa Worth Visiting? 38 Ways To Make Your Trip Worthwhile (+ Pros & Cons)
👉 Israel Archaeology: Volunteer On An Excavation
👉 Israel Archaeology List: learn about famous sites
👉 Captivating Scenes: A Photo Journey Through Historic Jerusalem
👉 10+ Unique and Captivating Photos of Tel Aviv, Israel
👉 The 41 Best Photography Spots In Jerusalem with Map + Ideas