Is there anyone Jewish on this site?

[Smartman5]

I am reading a book about Jewish history. Some things are hard to understand. Is there anyone Jewish or knowledgeable about Judaism?

[strateguy632]

Yes i was educated to be a jewish rabbi. Reply here. What topics interesting you?

[Smartman5]

Do Jews still believe that the Messiah will come?

[Smartman5]

What sect of Judaism do you belong to? In this century, there are Reform, Conservative, Reconstructionist, Orthodox and Ultra-Orthodox Judaism. There is also the Samaritan sect, which is not considered Jewish. Which of these do you belong to?

[DrPepper12]

History teacher AND married & raised kids Jewish. Ask away!!

[Smartman5]

Can you give me a general overview of Jewish history from the beginning?

[DrPepper12]

Whoa!! That's a tall order but I'll try!

Foundations Era
The ancient Hebrews are historically significant for their contributions to world civilization in the areas of religion and ethics. Out of their experience grew three great religions: Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. Much of the Hebrew experience is recorded in the Old Testament of the Bible, an extraordinary account of events and personalities. While experts will always argue about the accuracy of details in the Bible, there can be no doubt that it is a rich record of a religious revolution and evolution, and that the stories contained therein are the foundation of a belief system that changed the world forever.
It was between 1020 B. C.-586 B. C. that two radical changes in religious beliefs occurred. The first was a change from polytheism, the belief in many gods, to monotheism, a belief in one supreme God. The single God of Hebrew belief encompassed the collective power of the Egyptian deities and held even more power, reigning in heaven as well as our earth. The second change, as set forth in the Ten Commandments, was the formation of a reciprocal agreement, or covenant, with God. The God of the Hebrews was no longer indifferent to humanity. All previous religions had viewed human destiny as subject to the laws of nature and the whims of the many gods that ruled in nature. The ancient Hebrews introduced new beliefs that were as revolutionary as the wheel. By entering a covenant with Yahweh (the Hebrew word for God) to accept this supreme being as the one true God, humans were given hope that human life could be improved. Overriding the covenant was the ability of humans to choose between good and evil and to break free from hopelessness through their own acts. Acceptance of God and adherence to the commandments delivered by Moses allowed men and women to be responsible for their own future.

[DrPepper12]

Early History
The biblical account of the Hebrews (later called Israelites, then Jews) begins with the great patriarch, Abraham. About 1800 B. C. Abraham led his people out of Ur in Sumer and eventually to the land of Canaan (later called Palestine, then modern Israel, Syria, and Jordan).
About 1700 B. C., driven by famine, some Hebrews followed Abraham's great grandson, Joseph, into Egypt. Joseph's rise to prominence in Egypt and the hospitable reception of his people was largely due to the presence of the Hyksos people, who had conquered Egypt about 1720 B. C. Following the eventual expulsion of the Hyksos by the pharaohs during the Eighteenth Dynasty, the Hebrews would find themselves enslaved by the Egyptians.

[DrPepper12]

Moses
Moses is the single most important figure in the formation of the people and religion of Israel. The Bible refers to him as the greatest of the prophets and commends him in many other capacities as well. Moses was the political and religious leader who handed down both ritual and law to his people. As a military leader, he would begin the conquest of Canaan; domestically he would intercede before God on behalf of his people in order to prevent numerous calamities. Moses is also known as a poet, with several psalms (poems of praise) attributed to him.
Moses was born to Hebrew slaves in Egypt during a period when Hebrews suffered under decrees designed to keep them subjugated to the Egyptians. In one of these decrees, the Pharaoh had declared that all male, Hebrew children be drowned in the Nile. When she could no longer hide her son, Moses's mother set him adrift on a raft in the river, sending his sister to make sure he was safe. Moses was discovered by Pharaoh's daughter who brought him to live in the royal palace. There he was raised like a son of Pharaoh. He was educated and given military training befitting an Egyptian prince. As an adult, Moses was forced to flee Egypt after killing an Egyptian overseer who was beating an Israelite slave. Moses went into the Sinai desert and was rescued by a group of shepherdesses. The girls brought Moses home to their father, Jethro, who welcomed him and encouraged the eventual marriage of Moses to Jethro's daughter, Zipporah.
While living as a shepherd with the Midian people, Moses first experienced a revelation from God. The voice of God spoke to Moses from a burning bush and told him he must return to Egypt to free his people from slavery. Moses responded that he was unfit for the task as he had no means to convince Pharaoh to release the Hebrews. Moses was also concerned that the Hebrews would not accept a stranger as their rescuer. God gave Moses signs to prove his divine sanction to Pharaoh and the slaves.

[DrPepper12]

When Moses arrived in Egypt and presented his demands, Pharaoh dismissed him and increased the slaves' workload as punishment for their support of Moses. Moses responded by unleashing a series of ten plagues on Egypt, culminating in the death of all of Egypt's first born children, including Pharaoh's. Convinced that his gods had deserted him in the face of Moses's more powerful God, Pharaoh finally released the slaves. Moses led his people out of Egypt into the Sinai desert in an event and a journey forever known as the Exodus.
Two to three months later, Moses and his followers reached Mount Sinai and set up camp at its base. Moses assembled the people and went up to the mountain to receive the divine law. When God revealed himself to the people, they were overwhelmed by the divine presence and asked Moses to serve as an intermediary. Moses then went to the top of the mountain to receive the Ten Commandments.
Due to Moses's extended stay on the mountain, the people became worried that they had been deserted by the God of Moses. They chose to build a representation of God, like the idols of Egypt, that they could worship and to whom they could give sacrifices. When Moses returned with tablets containing the Law, he was so angry at what he found, that he smashed the tablets. At the urgings of the people, Moses returned to the mountain top and descended with a new set of tablets, known as the Ten Commandments.

[DrPepper12]

The Ten Commandments are:
1. You shall have no other gods before me.
2. You shall not make or bow to any imagined gods.
3. You shall not take the name of God in vain.
4. Remember the Sabbath day and keep it holy.
5. Honor your father and mother.
6. You shall not murder.
7. You shall not commit adultery.
8. You shall not steal.
9. You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.
10. You shall not covet your neighbor's house, or wife, nor anything that is your neighbor's.
When the Hebrews accepted these laws as the word and will of the one true God, they entered a Covenant with God. In return for their faith, the Hebrews would be God's chosen people and were promised the land of Canaan as theirs forever.
After forty years of travel in the desert, Moses led the Hebrews to Canaan, where he implored them to remain a faithful nation, united under God. Moses died before entering the Promised Land, but under his guidance, the monotheism of Abraham had become the religion and culture of an entire people, laying the foundation for Christianity and Islam as well as Judaism. Under the leadership of Joshua, Moses' lieutenant, the Hebrews began their conquest of Canaan.
The Judges
The period of the judges is the name given to the era between the fight to conquer Canaan and the monarchy of Saul. The period is characterized by the emergence of local leaders who led the emerging nation into battle against their enemies. These figures were known as "judges," but few were judges in the legal sense. They were military heroes, whose authority rested solely on their personal qualities.
The judges oversaw a period of consolidation of initial territorial conquests begun under Joshua. Neighboring states, unaccustomed to the existence of the new Israelite entity, exploited Israel's loose tribal structure to extend their own influence in the region. Simultaneously, the emergence of the Philistines as a new, local power added to the ongoing series of wars and uprisings.

[DrPepper12]

Women in Early Israel
One of the most charismatic and courageous judges was a woman named Deborah. Deborah was famed throughout Israel for her wisdom and was a national leader providing spiritual and military authority. The vigorous and decisive role played by Deborah and other Israelite women (Moses's sister Miriam, for example) reflects the absence of female inferiority in early Israel. The Book of Genesis describes the two sexes as equal However, the continuing dangers that faced the country eventually led to a more centralized government and, with it, male domination and female subordination. Deborah would be the last Israelite woman to publicly embody God's spirit and wisdom for many years.
In domestic life the situation was even more complex. Women occupied a place of honor in society. Their special province was household management and the praises of husbands and children were considered women's rewards. Women also shared equally in the moral responsibilities of Judaism. The covenant of Israel was equally binding upon men and women, though their religious obligations differed. The penalties for moral and spiritual transgressions were equally severe.

[DrPepper12]

Yet, women also suffered from a burden of inequality under Jewish law, a burden that represents the Jewish inheritance from other civilizations of the period. According to the Bible, a man was almost completely free to divorce his wife and dismiss her from his household, but a woman was not permitted to divorce her husband and send him away. To pay a debt, a man could sell his daughter into service, but not his son.
In custom too, women held a subordinate role. Neither boys nor girls went to school during the biblical period. The Israelites had no formal schooling and Jewish learning was passed down orally. But what scholarship there was almost certainly confined itself to men. Learned Jewish women were very rare; in fact, rabbis were in general agreement that women should not required to study the holy books. A few learned men were openly hostile to the idea. A patriarchal legacy such as this, extending back even before Mount Sinai, makes the achievements of Deborah, the lone woman among the Judges, even more remarkable.

[DrPepper12]

The Hebrew Kings
During the period of the Judges the people of Israel were a loosely knit confederation of tribes without any central authority other than God. In times of war, a military leader would arise to lead the tribes involved into battle. Rarely, however, was this authority extended to more than those tribes immediately involved in the battle. As the danger passed, these leaders faded into obscurity. Legal issues were determined by local elders like Samuel, a wise and holy prophet who was widely known and respected.
As warfare between the tribes of Israel and native or invading people escalated, the people began to advocate for a monarchy to unite them. Under a central king or monarch, the tribes could be bound together to protect one another. Political leaders pressured Samuel to support the idea of a monarchy, but at first he refused. Samuel felt the homage and obedience paid to a king should only be given to God. He told the people that an earthly king would become corrupt and seek only to improve his own wealth and standing. Finally, Samuel became convinced that a king should be chosen to carry out God's wishes, but not to usurp power. He agreed to anoint the one chosen to be king with God's guidance and to assist the king in determining God's will

[DrPepper12]

Saul
Saul, the son of Kish, a Benjaminite, came to the newly created throne late in the eleventh century. After a royal ceremony designed to stress continuity with the sacred Israelite past, Saul embarked on a campaign against a longtime enemy, the Amalekites. Samuel had instructed Saul to obliterate the Amalekites; he was very angry when Saul showed the Amalekite leaders mercy.
Saul's internal and political strength went into decline. Out of the complicated, contradictory biblical story, two main reasons for this deterioration emerge. The first was his quarrel with Samuel, although after Samuel's death Saul mourned the loss of the holy man. The second and probably more significant reason for Saul's loss of influence was his increasing jealousy of his protégé, David. His battle against the Philistines proved to be a total catastrophe. Three of Saul's sons were slain (including Jonathan, his heir), and Saul himself, wounded in the stomach, committed suicide by falling on his sword. Saul's reign was said to have lasted for two years, though its real duration may have been longer.
Despite his lamentable end, Saul remains a figure of importance because he was the first king of Israel. Coming from the small Benjamin tribe his ascension to the throne minimized any jealousies among the other tribes of Israel. Thus, Saul was able to bring together the northern and southern tribes. Under Saul's monarchical rule, the Twelve Tribes were able to form their final shape as a single political unit comprising all Israel

[DrPepper12]

David
David was the youngest of the eight sons of Jesse of Bethlehem. He was favored by his father and encouraged to study and learn music rather than work the fields with his brothers. He was soon invited to join Saul's entourage as a protégé of the king and soon began to gain a considerable military reputation. Growing increasingly jealous of David's popularity and acclaim, Saul offered him the hand of his daughter, Michal, in marriage to cement David's loyalty. David was told he must kill a hundred Philistines to win the king's daughter, and his success was so spectacular that it angered the king even more. Saul's son, Jonathan, warned David (his best friend) of the king's anger and of the danger he meant for the young man. David moved to the south where he married and enhanced his renown as a soldier and a diplomat.
After Saul's death and the assassination of his surviving son (in which David denied any involvement), David was anointed king of the whole country. He immediately took steps to make this claim concrete. He conquered the various Canaanite city-states and won decisive battles against the Philistines. Territories were incorporated into the vastly enlarged Israeli dominion and their people became Israeli subjects. The decisive moment of David's reign was his capture of Jerusalem, which he made his own. He enlarged it by constructing a new, royal city that extended twelve acres across the ridge of the hill.
David also interpreted his kingship in religious terms and claimed he enjoyed the authority of divine grace. He renewed the Mosaic covenant in order to depict his own special relationship with Yahweh. The partner in the agreement was no longer the people of Israel, but David himself. To seal his personal covenant, David had the Ark of the Covenant (containing the agreement Moses had brought from God) brought to Jerusalem with great pomp and ceremony. Jerusalem became a holy city to the faiths of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam.

[DrPepper12]

David's energy and versatile genius brought an unparalleled era of peace and prosperity to his people, and his thirty-five-year reign was seen as a golden age. David eventually appointed his son, Solomon, his successor and died about 965 B. C.
Solomon
Solomon's reign would also be noted for much peace and prosperity. He began to cement Palestine into the role of nation, moving beyond establishing boundaries to encourage growth. Solomon became an outstanding builder of cities. In Jerusalem, he spent thirteen years constructing a palace complex, including the First Temple, which took seven and a half years to build. Solomon also developed a vigorous commercial policy, building a fleet of trading vessels. For the first time, Israel was brought fully into the mainstream of near-eastern big business and diplomacy.
Solomon is also remembered for a wisdom that surpassed that of most men, and was seen as divinely inspired. He composed over a thousand songs and more than three thousand proverbs. These proverbs stress the moral excellence of such virtues as humanity, patience, respect for the poor, and loyalty to friends. Solomon also established academies where men and women could be educated in reading and writing, and could learn to function as state officials.

[DrPepper12]

The Legacy of the Ancient Hebrews

In the early history of the Hebrews lies the foundation for many of the beliefs and conflicts that continue to affect our world today. The ancient Jews bequeathed no great cities, monuments, irrigation systems, or works of art. But they did formulate a special and revolutionary way of thinking about God and mankind. Their greatest innovation was the concept of a single God: a God responsive to injustice and existing outside nature rather than as a personification of nature. They bequeathed to the world the idea of a moral law that transcends earthly or secular law. Moral laws are followed as a sign of faith, the human side of a divine agreement. The Hebrews also gave the world a body of splendid and passionate writing, revered and studied by more people than have ever come under the spell of any other literature.

Sadly, the ancient Hebrews also bequeathed the world a tragic dispute. The battle between those people given the promised land called Canaan in their Covenant with God, and those who lay claim to the region as their native land, rages on today. Despite many continuing attempts to resolve this central conflict in the Middle East, there is no widely accepted compromise as yet. All parties feel that to relinquish control of their territories would be breaking the Covenant with their God, evidence of lost faith

[DrPepper12]

This takes you up to Classical Era and contact with Alexander, Peria & Time comes next. I'll dig around for that.

[DrPepper12]

After the death of Solomon, a division among the Hebrews (some historians say this was due to over taxation) resulted in the formation of two different kingdoms. The two southern tribes became the Kingdom of Judah and their capital was at Jerusalem. These people were called the Jews. The other kingdom, to the north, belonged to the ten tribes who called their area the Kingdom of Israel. They were overrun about 721 B. C. by the Assyrians and taken as slaves. Scattered all over the Middle East, they were known as the ten lost tribes of Israel, and their descendants eventually spread across the world.

In 586 B. C. the Chaldeans destroyed Jerusalem and the temple, taking most of the Jews to Babylon. When Cyrus of Persia conquered Babylon, he permitted the Jews to return to their homeland and by 539 B. C. they had rebuilt Jerusalem and the temple.

It was in 332 B. C. that the Jews came under the rule of Alexander the Great. The Jews fought, though not to much avail. Still, a stand against bondage had been taken. In 168 B. C. the Jews revolted against the Seleucid dynasty that had assumed control of Alexander’s rule there and won the right to found their own dynasty, the Hasmonean dynasty of the Maccabees. Chanukah (also called Hanukkah), the festival of lights, commemorates the victory over the Seleucids.

[DrPepper12]

By 63 B. C. the Romans had marched into the area. They controlled Palestine and its people. But the new Jewish tradition of freedom fighting was still in evidence, and there were many revolts until A. D. 70 when the Romans destroyed the temple at Jerusalem. That crushed the rebellion, and it was not until A. D. 135 that Jewish rebels mounted a new revolt. This time the Romans retaliated by scattering the Jews throughout the empire. This is known as the Diaspora, and from then until 1948, when the independent state of Israel was established, the Jews had no home of their own. They wandered across the world, sometimes accepted, often persecuted, but always making contributions wherever they went

[DrPepper12]

This brings you into post classical era. (500 CE - 1450) I'll dig some more for that but you would love this

https://youtu.be/4FspfOI_YRU?si=pIAv_ROENXQzxEl7

[Smartman5]

I can only finish this much writing by the end of the week. I will write my opinions when it is finished.

[DrPepper12]

Please tag me. I would live to discuss further!!

[Smartman5]

@DrPepper12 I will add my own knowledge to what you have written.

When Abraham and his family came to the land of Canaan, God made a deal with him. This is called a 'covenant'. The covenant is one of the most important principles of Judaism. Abraham's lineage continued in the land of Canaan. First Isaac was born, then Isaac's son Jacob. Isaac's brother Ishmael was also there. Ishmael was born before Isaac. This information is written in the Quran. It is also stated in the Torah. Jacob had 12 sons. One of them was Joseph. Jacob loved his son Joseph very much. For this reason, his other brothers became jealous of Joseph and imprisoned him in a well. Joseph remained in the well for an unknown period of time. A passing trade caravan pulled Joseph out of the well and sold him to Egypt. Joseph was somehow thrown into a dungeon in Egypt. One night, the Egyptian Pharaoh saw things in his dream that he could not understand. No one could interpret the dream correctly. The task of interpreting the dream was given to Joseph, who was in prison. After Joseph interpreted the dream, he became a minister. Later, a famine began in the land of Canaan and Joseph's brothers (the brothers who threw him into the well) came to Egypt to buy food. They were surprised to see Joseph as a minister and asked for forgiveness. Joseph forgave them and brought his family from the land of Canaan to Egypt. Jacob was very happy to be reunited with his son Joseph after many years. After Joseph died, the Israelites became slaves in Egypt, as you said, and began to believe in the Egyptian gods. During this period, Moses was born and given the prophetic mission and led the Israelites out of Egypt and into the land of Canaan.

That's all for now. More to come.

[WintersDaughter]

I am Jewish! Ask away

[Smartman5]

Do Jews still believe that the Messiah will come?
What sect of Judaism do you belong to? In this century, there are Reform, Conservative, Reconstructionist, Orthodox and Ultra-Orthodox Judaism. There is also the Samaritan sect, which is not considered Jewish. Which of these do you belong to?

[WintersDaughter]

Jews believe that a messiah might be coming, but not the Christian messiah. It's not something we're worried about or what Judaism is really about. It's like a low tier thing. However we are all in agreement that it's not the Christian messiah, as he did not fit the criteria.

I'm a weird mix between conservative and modern orthodox Judaism.

[Smartman5]

Do you think Israel is right to occupy Palestinian lands and kill thousands of people? We know that the Israelites were completely exiled from the Holy Land in 70 AD.

[WintersDaughter]

Do I think Israel has a right to exist and that Jews have a right to live in their ancestral homeland, where they've been for thousands of years? Yes, yes I do. Israelites weren't completely exiled, a lot still lived in their homeland under oppression and harsh Arab rule.

You do know that Israel has one of the lowest combatant to civilian death ratios ever, right? 40,000 people dead (or so they claim), almost half terrorists. Most of those deaths are due to terrorists hiding behind civilians and, you know, starting a war.

Tell me, if it's not Jewish land, why are the remains of the second Jewish Temple there? Why is the Dome of the Rock built on TOP of the temple (desecrating sacred Jewish remains)? Why is the history completely filled with Jewish ancestry, coins, artifacts, etc.

[WintersDaughter]

Here's a little history lesson: In the 2nd century, Jews lost sovereignty in Israel after the Bar Kokhvah revolt, the Romans renamed the land from Judea to Syria Palestina and forced a lot of Jews to Europe. However, there was still a Jewish majority in Israel. In the 4th century, there was a revolt against the Romans (the Gallus Revolt). Later, the Roman emperor tried to give the Jews their land back. In the 7th century, there was still a Jewish majority (and christian) and another Jewish revolt where they tried to gain independence in their homeland (Heraclius revolt). They joined forces with the Persians and regained independence for five years. Even after the Arab occupation, there was still Jewish presence in the land. In the 11th century, when the crusaders came, Jews and Muslims fought together. In the 16th century, there was a Jewish majority in the city of Safed because the Jewish community never left. Even the Jews that were expelled from the land of Israel tried to return and regain independence. During the time of the Ottoman Empire, Jews decided to legally purchase land in Israel. The UN split the land so all the areas where a lot of Arabs lived (Hebron, Shchem, Safed, etc) remained with Arab land. The Jews got all of the uninhabited land in the Negev (where, by the way, no one could grow anything so no one lived there) and areas where the Jewish people lived. Jews said yes, Arabs got angry and launched attacks on Jews (aka the Nakba). They told their people to leave so they could murder all the Jews, most of them did. Over 850k Jews living in the Arab countries that attacked were expelled, so they fled to Israel (the ones that weren’t murdered). Which is why most of the Jews living in Israel today don’t have any connection to Europe, they were already in the Middle East.

[WintersDaughter]

Look up the Arab-Islamic conquest.

The Arab Empire conquered the region of modern-day Israel, Palestine, Lebanon, Syria, and parts of Turkey in the seventh century, over 1,600 years after the establishment of the Kingdom of Israel. Before this, Israel (in the year 136, Romans renamed it Palestine as an insult to the Jews. Palestine is NOT AN ARAB WORD. It comes from the word Philistine, an enemy of the Jews, meaning invader) had been occupied by the Neo-Assyrian Empire, the Neo-Babylonian Empire, the Sassanid Empire (aka Persians), the Greeks and Macedonians, the Roman Empire, and the Byzantine Empire.

In 636, they conquered Jerusalem. Byzantines surrended in 637. In 688, the Arabs constructed the Dome of the Rock and, later, the al-Aqsa Mosque atop the ruins of the destroyed sacred Jewish Temple. By the ninth century, as a result of forced conversions, coercion, proselytization, and Arab migration, Islam became the majority religion in Palestine, and Arabic had replaced the previously-used languages.

[Smartman5]

Yes, I know that history is like this. But that does not make the massacres that Israel is currently committing legitimate.

[WintersDaughter]

There are no massacres being committed by Israel. Israel only strikes terrorists and weapon locations. They go in on foot as much as possible to avoid civilian casualties, they warn Palestinians where they will be launching an attack so people have time to move, which is more than Palestine does. Palestine openly states they will never stop attacking Israel until it is completely wiped out. They have openly stated they will commit another Oct 7th over and over again. They hide weapons and terrorist activity in civilian areas, in houses and hospitals and schools. They actively restrict people from leaving those areas so they will die.

Do you know what the definition of a massacre is? It's an indiscriminate and brutal slaughter of people.

It's October 7th, when Palestine attacked a music festival and murdered over a thousand people, kidnapped over 200 people and tortured and raped.

[Smartman5]

Everything you said is a big lie. I guess you don't see the organization called PKK as a terrorist organization. Whoever taught you these things lied. And you believed them.

[WintersDaughter]

And yet there's video evidence of Israel stopping strikes to avoid child casualties. No one taught me anything, I do my own research. I look at both sides, which is more than you do.

Yet you can't provide any solid, real, evidence to prove otherwise. And you know that, because you keep changing the topic.

[Smartman5]

Israel has killed more than 40 thousand people. That's just the number of people it has killed in the last 10 months. If we also consider those killed in previous years, that would be hundreds of thousands of people. But the media outlets you follow are covering up the massacres it has committed because they support Israel. They are portraying it as if Israel is providing security for the people there. You also believe this lie. If you are telling the truth, why did at least 40 thousand people die? You see those people as terrorists. But the real terrorist is Israel. By the way, where do you live? If you live in the US, it is normal for you not to understand the truth because you are very far from the region. For example, I can only learn what is happening in the country of Heiti from the news reports made by the news sources. But I cannot know whether they are reporting the truth. You are in exactly the same situation.

[WintersDaughter]

Again with changing the subject. You still haven't provided any proof.

And you obviously haven't watched the news at all lmao, they all support Palestine and spread lies.

Every single conflict between Israel and Palestine was started by Palestine. Jews have a right to live in their homeland, where they've been for thousands of years.

You do know that Jews and Arabs live peacefully in Israel, right? There are over 2 million Arabs living in Israel. Hell, Israel just celebrated rescuing a Muslim Israeli citizen from Gaza.

Maybe you should go to Gaza, see what's happening with your own eyes. Go to Israel. Or just do your own research instead of listening to media outlets.

Nothing will change the fact that Palestine starts every war and conflict and that Israel has the LOWEST combatant to civilian death ratio. Nothing will change the fact that Israel is JEWISH land and always has been. Fact is, if Palestinians wanted peace they'd have it. All they have to do is release the hostages and actually agree to a ceasefire (and not break it this time, because they always do).

I'm not responding again, you obviously only asked your original question to get Jews here.

[Smartman5]

We can never reach an agreement in this debate. But Israel and the Jews will one day leave that land. Just like in 70 AD. They were punished with exile to the end of the world for straying from God's path. That land no longer belongs to Israel, but to the Muslims. How do I know that the truth is as you say? Have you been to Israel or Gaza?