A few years ago, I wrote an article called “Responding to BBC and other ‘Summaries’ on Israel” where I addressed some of the most popular accusations against Israel at the time. When I wrote the article, Sheikh Jarrah was the hot topic. Funny how no one cares about that anymore. But I digress.
Outside of music, I’m involved with a lot of Africa-Israel, Black-Jewish work, along with my wife, and the rest of my family. My wife is South African, and also has an organization she runs in South Africa with her family that engages in the same thing. That’s actually how we met, but I digress again.
Normally on a topic related to Israel, I would write an article in our other Substack, but in light of the growing number of artists and pop culture people opining on Israel and and Arab-Israeli conflict, I can’t help but write something short here.
Israeli men, women, children, Muslims, Christians, Druze, Africans (yes, all of these groups are Israeli) were viciously attacked yesterday, along with some foreign nationals as well. Over 800 killed as of now, and over 100 kidnapped. Women have been raped, murdered, and their bodies dragged all over the streets. Children have been kidnapped and mocked and abused for calling for their moms, entire families have had their homes broken into and every family member was slaughtered. One grandmother was killed, and the way the public found out was that her killers took her phone, recorded her killing, and posted it on her Facebook account.
How do I know all this?
There are multiple Telegram text groups where members of the terrorist group, Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad are very proudly sharing videos and photos of their “accomplishments” in killing or capturing Israeli civilians. There is one I was in for half a day called Gaza Now. It’s gruesome and disgusting.
The one thing I would like to address is the most common sentiment I’ve been seeing in light of all of the turmoil I’ve listed and more. That sentiment is “This has been happening to Palestinians since 1948.”
Cute one-liner, but no, sweetie.
That is all kinds of wrong for so many reasons. I won’t continue repeating myself because none of that really matters now. The Jew-haters are showing you exactly who they are. Anyone equivocating still at this point is a lost soul.
To those who don’t know what to make of all of this, I understand. I’ve been there. Please check out this article from a couple of years ago because it is still relevant. The actual story of 1948 is important. The truth is important.
Israel has always been extremely measured in their military responses. Sometimes to the frustration of some Israelis. Even now, the Israeli Defense Force is sending text messages and dropping notes to areas in Gaza to let people know to evacuate before they attack. Even in the midst of great loss, blood, and hostages still missing. Israel hasn’t had an attack like this since the 1973 Yom Kippur War. If you don’t know about that, look it up here. Yet, they still take precaution to protect civilians that aren’t even theirs.
If you’ve been hearing people talk of the occupation, first of all, a lot of them can’t even tell you what they mean. Secondly, if they can tell you, they’ll list territories that Israel either won, or won back after the territories were illegally occupied by other countries like Jordan, for instance. They’re referring to land Israel, one in a defensive war famously called the Six Day War. If you’ve never heard anything about that war, look it up here.
I know this last point will be the most controversial comment in this article, but it really is a simple objective truth:
There was never an Arab country called Palestine.
Ever.
Pre-1948, there was a region the British had taken over after World War I and decided to name it British Mandate Palestine. How did they get that name?
Up until about 132AD, the land many refer to as “occupied territories” was called Judea (where we get the word “Jew” from). In 132 AD, the Romans, in their conquest, attacked Judea, slaughtered or expelled the Jews, and renamed the area “Syria-Palaestina.” Why did they name it that? Well ‘Palaestina’ comes from the word you may know as ‘Philistine’ or ‘Philistia.’ If you know your bible, those were ancient Israel’s arch enemies. The Romans renamed Judea into they way we pronounce it now as “Palestine” to mock them after taking their land, pissing on their holy artifacts, raping their women, burning down their homes an-… starting to sound familiar?
It wasn't until after the Six Day War in 1967 that Arabs began to embrace the identity ‘Palestinian.’ Up until that point, they were widely known as simply ‘Arabs’ or ‘the Arabs of Palestine’ much like pre-1948, the Jews living in the land were known as ‘the Jews of Palestine.’ It was never an ethnic identity no more than my birth place of San Francisco, California is an ethnic identity. The only people the Jews took land from was the British. History books record there were even Arabs who helped the Jews liberate the land from British rule.
To the ones still sane, the history is complicated, but it’s also not at the same time. No one side is perfect in any story. But there is no doubt here that the terrorist cells are not, and have never been interested in a two-state solution, or land swaps, or anything. Otherwise, they would have accepted one of the many land offers a long time ago. It has always been about eradicating Jews. It was the case in 1929 during the Hebron Massacre before Israel was reborn (again, look it up), and it is the case in 2023.
People ask me why I care so much, and why I’m so involved and the answer is multi-layered, but the most basic one is because of what’s happening now. The truth must be told. Many people seemed to be just as invested all of a sudden. The only difference between me and them at this point is I’m always talking about it, and they seem to only do it when it’s a hot topic.
To the so-called Palestinian activists, my father said it best earlier, so I will just put the screenshot here. And if you aren’t sure what he’s referring to when he says that Gazans have been sacrificing their lives protesting Hamas, again, look it up.