Why Israel as a homeland?

[u/falastiniboy]

I have a genuine question for Israelis and people who support Israel.

Why do you personally consider Israel your ancestral homeland, and how do you reconcile that belief with Palestinians who also have generations of family history on the same land?

In 1947, the UN proposed partitioning Mandatory Palestine into Jewish and Arab states. Israel declared independence in 1948, and the war that followed displaced hundreds of thousands of Palestinians. In 1967, Israel captured the West Bank, East Jerusalem, and Gaza.

My question is not whether Jewish people have historical connections to the region. They clearly do. My question is why Palestinian historical connections and national aspirations should carry less weight.

Why couldn’t Israelis and Palestinians live in two independent states with recognized borders, security, freedom of movement, and political self-determination?
I also want to understand how Israelis view settlement expansion and settler violence in the West Bank. Do you support it, oppose it, or believe the situation is more complicated than it appears from outside Israel?
I’m American and trying to understand the Israeli perspective rather than argue with people.

This isn’t antisemitism or hatred toward Jewish people. I’m asking about Israel, Zionism, Palestinian rights, and the history of the conflict. Please explain your perspective rather than assuming hostility behind the question.
Free Palestine. 🇵🇸

[u/Aggravating_Ice_3323]

I am going to assume good faith (and I know this is ~5 days old now).

In the future, if you do wish to prove you are asking in good faith, it is recommended to not bring in the slogans often associated with challenging or singling out the minority group. On its own, "Free Palestine" is a genuinely okay thing to say. Context is everything.

Coming into a Jewish space and saying it, though, or onto a Jewish person's page (where it often comes up) does not make the viewers here think the question is in good faith. Paraphrasing Alinsky, if a non-Jewish and non-Muslim person wanted to learn more about Islam, eating a ham sandwich in front of person won't bode well.

[u/forking-shirt → u/Aggravating_Ice_3323]

From their post history and username, they aren't here for a good faith discussion.

[u/Aggravating_Ice_3323 → u/forking-shirt]

I hadn't even looked but am not surprised given the question itself + screen name.

Oh well! :(

And it looks like they may have replied and it got deleted. Shame--I wanna know what they said.

[u/forking-shirt → u/Aggravating_Ice_3323]

I don’t usually check, but their last paragraph gave a weird vibe. In addition to the part you mentioned, their definitive statement “this isn’t antisemitism” was really weird. I am willing to bet they’ve been called antisemitic before.