Israel’s truth hit me hard after October 7th—here’s what the West gets wrong.

Growing up in the diaspora, Israel was this blurry shadow to me, a Jewish story I half-knew. I did study in a Jewish School, I had Hebrew classes and all but I never really learned anything about Israel. At least nothing real. They told us about the culture and maybe some places but we never talked about the reality in which Israelis live everyday, with terror attacks happening daily, or even stuff as basic as, “we live surrounded by terrorists funded by the Iranian regime”. They never told us something as basic as that, and the reality is that Israelis know they live surrounded by terrorists that live in Gaza, Lebanon, Yemen, Syria, all supported and funded by the terror regime of Iran. The surprising thing is that despite all this, people are still living their life, dancing, singing, and enjoying themselves. We are the most resilient people in the world. But after October 7th, 2023, when the world turned upside down and I felt that gut punch from afar, I had to dig into this history. It’s not some old tale—it’s alive, screaming why the West cheers for Hamas and loses its damn mind. So, I’m laying it out, fact by fact, showing you what they miss, and why our homeland’s worth fighting for.

Around 1400 BCE, a group identified as the Israelites entered the region later known as Israel. This was our first step here, a people staking a claim that’s ours by right. Around 1200 BCE, the Merneptah Stele, an Egyptian record, names “Israel” in Canaan—the oldest proof we were here, etched in stone. Around 1000 BCE, a figure named David established a kingdom in the region. He turned this into our heartland, a base that held strong. Around 957 BCE, a temple was constructed in Jerusalem. That First Temple wasn’t just a building—it was our soul, a center they couldn’t take. Around 587 BCE, the Babylonians destroyed the First Temple and exiled many Jews to Babylon. That smash-up scattered us, but our tie to the land didn’t break. Around 515 BCE, a second temple was built in Jerusalem. This Second Temple rose from ruin, a sign we’d fight back. Around 332 BCE, the region came under Hellenistic control after Alexander the Great’s conquest. Greek rule shifted things, but we adapted, holding our ground. Around 166 BCE, the Hasmonean Dynasty began. This was our revolt, a push for freedom that lit Hanukkah. Around 129 BCE, the Hasmonean Dynasty expanded its territory, establishing Jewish rule over parts of modern Israel. That expansion was our peak, a grip on our land.

In 70 CE, Jerusalem was destroyed by Roman forces. That fall hit hard, but we didn’t vanish. In 136 CE, the Roman Empire renamed the region Syria-Palestina and expelled much of the Jewish population. They kicked us out, renamed it to mock us, yet some stayed, a thread unbroken. In 614 CE, the Byzantine-Sassanid War saw Persian forces briefly ally with Jews to take Jerusalem. That alliance was a flicker of hope amid chaos. In 636 CE, Arab forces conquered the region. They took over, but never built an independent state—proof there was no Palestine nation here. In 1099, the First Crusade captured Jerusalem, massacring much of its population, including Jews. That slaughter was a dark stain, a loss we felt. In 1187, Saladin recaptured Jerusalem from the Crusaders, allowing Jewish return. His move let us breathe again, a rare break.

From 1516 to 1918, the Ottoman Empire controlled the area for 402 years. That long rule was stagnation, not progress, under foreign hands. In 1882, the First Aliyah began, with Jewish immigration from Europe and Yemen to Ottoman Palestine. This was our return, a trickle building strength. In 1917, the British issued the Balfour Declaration. That declaration recognized our homeland, a legal nod to our claim. In 1918, the British occupied Palestine after defeating the Ottomans in World War I. They took charge, shifting the game. In 1920, the League of Nations established the British Mandate for Palestine. This mandate backed our settlement, a foundation laid. In 1922, the British created the Emirate of Transjordan, separating it from Palestine, where 60–70% of people today are Palestinian. They carved out 70% for Arabs, leaving us scraps. In 1929, Arab riots in Hebron killed 67 Jews, part of widespread violence. Those attacks were a warning, a pattern of hate.

In 1937, the British Peel Commission proposed a partition plan, offering a Jewish state (20%—Haifa, Tel Aviv) and an Arab state (Negev, Judea, Samaria). We said yes, desperate for a home—Arabs said no, rejecting peace. In 1939, the British restricted Jewish immigration to Palestine. They slammed the door as Nazis hunted us, a betrayal that stings. The Jewish people, originating from this region, were displaced for 1,900 years across Europe and the Middle East before returning. That exile was brutal, but it fueled our comeback. In 1947, the United Nations proposed a partition plan (Resolution 181), estimating 1.2 million Arabs and 600,000 Jews in Palestine, with most of the Jewish portion as the Negev Desert. We said yes, offering citizenship to Arabs there—Arabs said no, launching war. In 1948, the British Mandate ended, and Israel declared independence. That was our stand, our fight.

On May 14, 1948, David Ben-Gurion announced Israel’s statehood, with the Declaration of Independence stating, “We appeal in the very midst of the onslaught launched against us for months—to the Arab inhabitants of the State of Israel to preserve peace and participate in the upbuilding of the State on the basis of full and equal citizenship and due representation in all its provisional and permanent institutions.” That offer was real, a hand extended. On May 15, 1948, neighboring Arab states invaded, beginning the War of Independence. They came to crush us, no compromise. Before the IDF, Jewish defense groups like the Haganah formed after the 1936–1939 Arab revolt, including the Field Corps, Guard Corps, and Palmach, which combined fighting with farm work and Zionist education, alongside smaller groups like Etzel and Lehi. Those crews were our backbone, raw and ready. On May 26, 1948, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) were officially established, unifying Jewish groups. That unity was our strength. In 1949, armistice agreements were signed, ending major fighting, with approximately 4,000 soldiers and over 2,000 civilians killed (over 10% of Israel’s population then). That cost was staggering, a price we paid.

Between 1948 and 1951, over 800,000 Jews migrated to Israel from Arab countries. That flood was refuge, our survival. Up to 200,000 Palestinians fled before major 1948 fighting, pushed by Arab leaders, with more displaced during the war, ending up in the West Bank and Gaza. They were used as pawns. Arab nations, except Jordan, refused citizenship to Palestinian refugees, using them against Israel. That rejection was cold, calculated. UNRWA reports that 62% of Palestinian refugees live outside the West Bank and Gaza (e.g., Lebanon, Kuwait). That agency keeps them stuck, a tool. In 1964, the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) was founded, with a charter calling for armed struggle against Israel. That was a declaration of war. There has never been an independent Arab or Palestinian state in the region known as Palestine. That absence proves our claim, backed by our roots. The Arab leader Haj Amin al-Husseini allied with Hitler, requesting the extermination of Middle Eastern Jews. That evil still chills me. From 1948 to 1967, Arabs controlled Gaza, Judea, and Samaria, so when they spoke of “liberating Palestine,” they meant destroying Israel. That intent was clear.

In 1967, Israel captured the West Bank, Gaza Strip, and other territories during the Six-Day War. That was defense, pure and simple. In 1973, Arab states launched the Yom Kippur War against Israel. They hit us again, no let-up. In 1979, Israel returned the Sinai Peninsula to Egypt under a peace treaty. That was a bold move, a risk. In 1987, the First Intifada began in the West Bank and Gaza Strip. That violence was a slap. In 1993, the Oslo Accords were signed between Israel and the PLO. We reached out—Arabs stalled. In 2000, the Second Intifada began. That terror was a gut punch. In 2005, Israel unilaterally withdrew from Gaza, removing 8,000 Jewish settlers and dismantling settlements like Gush Katif. We gave up—Arabs took over. In 2006, Hamas, founded in 1987, won 44% of seats in the Palestinian Authority elections. That shift was a shock. By December 2006, Hamas had fired over 1,300 rockets at us. That aggression was relentless. In 2007, Hamas took control of Gaza. They seized it, no peace. In 2008, Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert offered almost all the West Bank, Gaza, and the Temple Mount—Israel said yes, Palestinians rejected it. That rejection was deafening.

Between 2008 and 2021, Hamas initiated four military conflicts with Israel. Those wars were nonstop. In 2014, Hamas launched Operation Protective Edge, firing over 4,000 rockets at Israel. That barrage was insane. In 2023, Israel faced ongoing security challenges from groups like Hamas and Hezbollah. That threat is real, a fight we’re in. This history isn’t just facts—it’s our fire, lit brighter since October 7th. The West’s drift, cheering Hamas, ignoring our indigenous truth, our peace offers, our blood, feels like a betrayal.

Arab rejectionism—1947, 1937, 2008—proves they don’t want peace; they want us gone. Have you ever thought that if radical Islamists really cared about holy Jerusalem, as they claim to do, they would still be trying to destroy it by launching ballistic missiles consistently? This isn’t just history—it’s our heartbeat, pumping stronger since October 7th. The West’s silence, the Arab “no’s,” the rockets—they don’t wipe out 3,000 years of truth. Israel’s not a footnote; it’s a fight we’ve won through grit, not grace. Zionism isn’t a whisper—it’s a roar. And we’re not done yet.