Israel’s Wars Never Truly Ended

No other country in the modern world has lived under the constant shadow of war, terrorism, invasion, rocket fire, suicide bombings, and existential threats the way Israel has since 1948. While many nations fight one or two defining wars in their history, Israel has faced continuous conflict from the very day it was reborn as the Jewish homeland after nearly two thousand years of exile and persecution.

And yet, despite decades of propaganda attempting to portray Israel as the aggressor in the Middle East, history tells a very different story.

If one honestly studies the timeline of the major conflicts involving Israel from 1948 until today, one uncomfortable conclusion becomes impossible to ignore. The overwhelming majority of these wars and violent escalations were initiated by Arab states, terrorist organizations, or Arabs calling themselves Palestinians. Israel did not invade seven Arab armies in 1948. Israel did not close international shipping lanes in 1967. Israel did not launch the surprise attack on Yom Kippur in 1973. Israel did not create Hezbollah. Israel did not send suicide bombers into buses and restaurants during the Second Intifada. Israel did not massacre civilians on October 7th 2023.

Again and again, Israel responded to aggression. Again and again, Israel was expected to defend itself while simultaneously being condemned for doing so.

The historical record is remarkably clear.

In 1948, the newly established Jewish state accepted the United Nations partition plan. The Arab world rejected it entirely. The day after Israel declared independence, surrounding Arab armies invaded with the openly stated goal of destroying the Jewish state before it could even exist. Israel survived against impossible odds. What followed was not colonial conquest but survival.

In 1956, Egypt blocked Israeli shipping routes and supported cross border terrorist attacks. In 1967, Egypt massed troops in Sinai, expelled UN peacekeepers, and closed the Straits of Tiran. Arab leaders openly threatened annihilation. Israel launched a preemptive strike because........

© The Times of Israel (Blogs)