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Detroit Stands with Israel

About The Conflict

ABOUT OCTOBER 7TH

The attack on Israel by the terrorist group Hamas was the deadliest day for the Jewish people since the Holocaust: 

  • 1,200+ civilians killed, including Holocaust Survivors, children and parents 
  • 4,500+ civilians tortured and wounded 
  • 240+ kidnapped to be used as human shields – from the elderly to infants – and including Arab Israelis 

In a cruel and murderous rampage, the terrorist group Hamas infiltrated Israel and: 

  • Murdered entire families in their homes 
  • Killed babies in ovens 
  • Raped women so violently that they broke the pelvic bones of their victims 
  • Tortured victims in front of their families 
  • Stalked and massacred at least 360 young adults attending a music and nature festival outside of Re’im, near the Gaza border 
  • Burned down homes 

Since October 7th, the terror group fired over 10,000 rockets toward Israel’s major population centers. 

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Video: How Did Hamas’ Attack Change Israel?

The Hamas attack changed Israeli society forever, but not in the way one might expect. Following several months of internal division and protest, Israelis immediately jumped into action together. 

ABOUT THE CONFLICT

As the war continues to evolve, staying well-informed about the historical context and ongoing developments is crucial for fostering more understanding and informed opinions. 

  • There are 16 million Jews worldwide today.
    • 74% of the 9.7 million people in Israel are Jewish. 
    • 2.4% of the more than 332 million people in the United States are Jewish. 
  • The modern state of Israel, which was established in 1948, is the size of New Jersey. 
  • Israel is the homeland for the Jewish people – Jews were indigenous to the land dating back to the Biblical times. 
  • There has been a continuous Jewish presence there, despite being under the control of various empires such as the Babylonians, Persians, Greeks, Romans, and Byzantines. 
  • Britain governed the land after the fall of the Ottoman Empire in 1917 and ruled it under British law until 1948. 
  • Zionism is the movement supporting a homeland for the Jewish people. The vast majority of American Jews consider themselves Zionist. 
  • Israel withdrew all of its citizens and soldiers from Gaza in 2005 in another attempt to create peace in the region. 
  • Hamas is the governing authority in Gaza and is classified as a terrorist organization by the US and European Union. 
  • Hamas, which is backed by Iran, explicitly seeks Israel’s destruction and the murder of Jews – as stated in its charter and repeatedly reiterated by its leaders – and seeks to rule the entire territory “from the river to the sea.” 
  • Purposely killing and kidnapping innocent civilians are war crimes; members of Hamas are not freedom fighters, they are terrorists.
  • Israel has created peace and normalization with five Arab countries in the region. 
  • Israel entered into peace accords with the Palestinian Liberation Organization (PLO) – now known as the Palestinian Authority (PA) – through the Oslo Accords signed in 1993 and 1995. 
  • Israel has accepted proposals related to a two-state solution on five different occasions while the Palestinians have rejected each one including an offer of 93.5% of territory in the West Bank and Gaza and a share of East Jerusalem. 

Here is a timeline of key events in Israel’s history within the context of the Arab-Israeli and Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

On November 29, 1947, the United Nations voted for the partition of the British Mandate of Palestine, calling for the formation of a Jewish state and an Arab state. This short video tells you what you need to know about UN Resolution 181.

Here are five facts about the long history of the Jewish people’s ties to the land of Israel.

In 5 minutes, understand how Israel was founded, and how, since that auspicious day in 1948, its neighbors have tried to destroy it, again and again.

Unpacked breaks down the rapidly unfolding events on the ground with context, clarity and nuance so you can stay informed. This selection of videos, podcasts and articles is a great place to start.

Video: Kibbutz Nir Oz, as it happened 

A moment-by-moment summation of the experience of the Nir Oz community on the horrific day of October 7.