Back to Basics
Who are Israelis?
Citizens of Israel include Jews, Muslims, and Christians, as well as people from other backgrounds. In 2022, the population by religion was roughly 18% Muslim (1,728,000), 2% (184,400) Christian, and 2% Druze (149,400).
The Law of Return, passed in Israel in 1950, confers Israeli citizenship on people who can demonstrate that their grandmothers were Jewish.This law was originally passed to provide sanctuary to Jewish refugees from the Holocaust in Europe.
There are also Palestinian citizens of Israel, who became citizens in 1948.
However, there are contentious questions around who is an Israeli as well: What about Jewish "settlers" in the West Bank, or Jewish residents of East Jerusalem? Are Jews in the West Bank Israelis? If they are, then why are their Palestinian neighbors not?
It is important to distinguish the Israeli government from individual Israelis. The people of Israel do not all agree. This article outlines religious divides in society, though secular divides certainly exist as well.
There is a vocal minority of Israelis who consistently advocate for peace.
Who are the Palestinians?
This article provides a surface-level overview of the history of the term “Palestine.” Excerpted, “The word Palestine derives from ancient Greek (Philistia), but ancient Egyptian, Assyrian and Hebrew languages also included similar-sounding words to describe the region or its people. Judaism, Christianity and Islam are all strongly tied to the region, and trace origins to the land over the past few thousand years.”
The Jewish Virtual Library provides a more in-depth exploration from a Jewish perspective.
The Palestine Children’s Relief Fund defines Palestinians as follows: “The Palestinian people are Arabs who live—and have lived throughout history—in a certain geographical region in the Middle East.”
This article describes the Palestine people in the context of their relationship with Israel.
While 139 UN-countries recognize Palestine as a state, scholars have differing opinions on whether it meets the international requirement for statehood.
What is Zionism?
This article provides a remarkably centrist view on the history of Zionism: “ For some, the Zionist movement and its progeny, the State of Israel, represent national liberation; the chance for Jews to rule themselves. For others, Zionism is a racist, colonial project.”
Zionism is traditionally defined as “The movement for the self-determination and statehood for the Jewish people in their ancestral homeland, the land of Israel.” Palestine Remix has a different point of view, calling Zionism a “colonial movement.”
This page lists useful resources that can help you understand the different types of Zionism (hint: there are many, including Political Zionism, Practical Zionism, Religious Zionism, Socialist/Labor Zionism, and more).
There is a strong Evangelical Christian Zionist movement.
Anti-Zionism versus Antisemitism
The ADL breaks down the terms here, claiming that the two are not the same, but can overlap. Others believe all anti-Zionism is antisemitic.
*Note that the ADL here calls the Boycott, Divest, and Sanction movement antisemitic. Others disagree.
Who is a Jew?
At various times in history, and places on the globe, Jews have been defined by themselves and/or others as a race, a religion, and as a nationality. In each case, there have been underlying social, political, and economic forces at work in developing these definitions. About 10 years ago, The Pew Research Center published a lengthy article about Jewish life in America.
There are three main denominations of Judaism: Reform, Conservative, and Orthodox. These denominations define who is Jewish differently. Learn more here.
It is certainly not the case that all Jews are Israelis. According to this article in The Times of Israel, a little more than half of the world’s Jews live outside of Israel.
Terms Unpacked:
Apartheid
Apartheid was a system of institutionalized racial segregation that existed in South Africa and South West Africa from 1948 to the early 1990s. The International Convention on the Suppression and Punishment of the Crime of Apartheid defines “the crime of apartheid” as “inhuman acts committed for the purpose of establishing and maintaining domination by one racial group of persons over any other racial group of persons and systematically oppressing them” (Art. 2 of Apartheid Convention). This Convention was adopted on 30 November 1973 by the General Assembly of the UN, entered into force in 1976, and today binds 109 States Parties.
This article comes from Cornell Law School. It’s a general reference, but it does not ignore the current context of this word. It references a report from Amnesty International which used the word to apply to Israel.
This, of course, has generated backlash.
Genocide
In 1948, the newly-formed United Nations published an International Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide.
This reference also comes from Cornell Law School, and it is not intended to be applied to any specific case. It is significant that it references the 1948 United Nations Convention definition. It was that same Convention that gave Israel its international validation.
Similar to apartheid, there is significant disagreement about whether Israel is committing genocide against Palestinians. This article explores both sides.
Terrorism
The FBI defines terrorism as follows:
International terrorism: Violent, criminal acts committed by individuals and/or groups who are inspired by, or associated with, designated foreign terrorist organizations or nations (state-sponsored).
Domestic terrorism: Violent, criminal acts committed by individuals and/or groups to further ideological goals stemming from domestic influences, such as those of a political, religious, social, racial, or environmental nature.
The US, and EU, and other countries view Hamas as a terrorist organization. You can read an overview of Hamas from the US Office of the Director of National Intelligence here. Additionally, a list of major terrorist attacks in Israel since 1993 here, and see which were perpetrated by Hamas. Few, but notably including the President Erdogan of Turkey, have called Hamas not a terrorist organization, but a coalition of “freedom fighters.'“
A small minority views the Israeli army as a terrorist organization, but it is not viewed as such publicly by any country, including the US.
Colonialism
The Encyclopedia Britannica defines Western colonialism as “a political-economic phenomenon whereby various European nations explored, conquered, settled, and exploited large areas of the world.”
Further, “The term neocolonialism was first used after World War II to refer to the continuing dependence of former colonies on foreign countries, but its meaning soon broadened to apply, more generally, to places where the power of developed countries was used to produce a colonial-like exploitation.”
Following our theme of multiple perspectives, some accuse Israel of being a colonial power, and some dispute that: Yes colonialist versus No, not colonialist.
Ethnic Cleansing
Ethnic cleansing has not been recognized as an independent crime under international law, but it emerges from a report about Yugoslavia that defines it as “a purposeful policy designed by one ethnic or religious group to remove by violent and terror-inspiring means the civilian population of another ethnic or religious group from certain geographic areas.”
This article from The History Channel provides a broad history of the phenomenon. It has also been used to describe the experience of the Rohingya, as well as Native Americans.
As you might expect, there is controversy as to whether this is occuring in Gaza. The UN warns yes; the ADL refutes the allegation, pointing to a lack of intent.
Intifada
The term “intifada” belongs in this section, and is explained in the Wars Part 2 section.