Israel: A Simple Guide to the

Most Misunderstood Country on Earth

Discussion Groups
at TBESOC:
Monday Evening, 7:00 PM
November 4,
December 9,
January 6
Thursday Afternoon, 1:00 PM
November 7,
December 12,
January 9,
February 13
Sunday Morning, 9:30 AM
November 10,
December 22,
January 12,
February 9

Discussion Guide
2A Liberty, Aliso Viejo, CA 92656 www.tbesoc.org
 Part 1: Israel’s Historical and Ideological Roots

Chapters: 2-5

Topics:
The ancient history of the Jewish people and their ties to the land.
The rise of modern Zionism: ideology and key figures.
The Balfour Declaration and the British Mandate in Palestine.
The 1948 War of Independence and the founding of the State of
Israel.

Meta Questions:
What is the historical basis for Zionism and the Jewish connection
to the land of Israel?
What role did international actors play in the establishment of
Israel, and how did these early alliances shape its future?

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1.

2. “Jerusalem, if I forget you. Let my right hand forget what it’s supposed to do”
-Psalm 137 and song sung at every Jewish wedding

3. Judah Halevi (12th century Spain)

4. Dwelling in the Land of Israel is equal to all of the [other] commandments

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Herzl: The Jewish State
The Jewish question still exists. It would be foolish to deny it. It is a remnant of the
Middle Ages, which civilized nations do not: even yet seem able to shake off, try as
they will. They certainly showed a generous desire to do so when they emancipated
us. The Jewish question exists wherever Jews live in perceptible numbers. Where it
does not exist, it is carried by Jews in the course of their migrations. We naturally
move to those places where we are not persecuted, and there our presence
produces persecution. This is the case in every country, and will remain so, even in
those highly civilized--for instance, France--until the Jewish question finds a
solution on a political basis. The unfortunate Jews are now carrying the seeds of
Anti-Semitism into England; they have already introduced it into America.
I consider the Jewish question neither a social nor a religious one, even though it
sometimes takes these and other forms. It is a national question, and to solve it we
must first of all establish it as an international political problem to be discussed and
settled by the civilized nations of the world in council.
We are a people — one people.
We have sincerely tried everywhere to merge with the national communities in
which we live, seeking only to preserve the faith of our fathers. It is not permitted us.
In vain are we loyal patriots, sometimes super loyal; in vain do we make the same
sacrifices of life and property as our fellow citizens; in vain do we strive to enhance
the fame of our native lands in the arts and sciences, or her wealth by trade and
commerce. In our native lands where we have lived for centuries we are still decried
as aliens, often by men whose ancestors had not yet come at a time when Jewish
sighs had long been heard in the country. . .
Oppression and persecution cannot exterminate us. No nation on earth has
endured such struggles and sufferings as we have. Jew-baiting has merely
winnowed out our weaklings; the strong among us defiantly return to their own
whenever persecution breaks out. . .
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Ahad Ha’Am “The Jewish State and Jewish Problem” (1897)

It is not only Jews who have come out of the Ghetto: Judaism has come out, too.
For Jews the exodus is confined to certain countries, and is due to toleration; but
Judaism has come out (or is coming out) of its own accord wherever it has come
into contact with modern culture. This contact with modern culture overturns the
defences of Judaism from within, so that Judaism can no longer remain isolated
and live a life apart. The spirit of our people strives for development: it wants to
absorb those elements of general culture which reach it from outside, to digest
them and to make them a part of itself, as it has done before at different periods of
its history. But the conditions of its life in exile are not suitable. In our time culture
wears in each country the garb of the national spirit, and the stranger who would
woo her must sink his individuality and become absorbed in the dominant spirit. For
this reason Judaism in exile cannot develop its individuality in its own way. When it
leaves the Ghetto walls it is in danger of losing its essential being or -- at best -- its
national unity: it is in danger of being split up into as many kinds of Judaism, each
with a different character and life, as there are countries of the Jewish dispersion….

(what we need is) to establish a State which will be a Jewish State, and not merely
a State of Jews.

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5.

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Part 2: The Struggles and Conflicts of Early Israel

Chapters: 6-8

Topics:
Israel’s formative wars: 1948, 1967, and 1973.
The development of the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) and security
strategies.
The Palestinian conflict: refugees, borders, and ongoing strife.

Meta Questions:
How does Tishby present Israel’s military history, and what
complexities arise regarding the Palestinian conflict?
In what ways do Israel’s early wars continue to affect the nation's
security policies and its relationship with neighboring states?

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 Nov 29, 1947: UN
Partition Plan
Nov 30: Civil war
breaks out
May 14 1948: Israeli
independence
declared
May 15 1948: Israel
attacked by
surrounding
countries

Results:
There were around 950,000 Arabs in
Israel before 1948, 156,000 after the war
UNRWA defines Palestinian refugee as
anyone descended from any 1948
refugee, today there are 7.2 million
850,000 Jews were expelled from Arab
countries as a direct result of Israel

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1967 quotes leading up to the war
"We shall not enter Palestine with its soil covered in sand, we shall enter it with its
soil saturated in blood" - President of Egypt, Gamal Abdel Nasser

“All Egypt is now prepared to plunge into total war which will put an end to Israel” -
Cairo Radio

“Our forces are now entirely ready not only to repulse any aggression, but to initiate
the act ourselves, and to explode the Zionist presence in the Arab homeland of
Palestine. The Syrian army, with its finger on the trigger, is united. I believe that the
time has come to begin a battle of annihilation.”- Syria’s Defence Minister Hafez
Assad (later to be Syria’s President).

“The existence of Israel is an error which must be rectified. This is our opportunity to
wipe out the ignominy which has been with us since 1948. Our goal is clear - to wipe
Israel off the map” - President Aref of Iraq

“Those who survive will remain in Palestine. I estimate that none of them will survive.”
- Ahmed Shukairy, chairman of PLO in Jordanian Jerusalem

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Results:
Settlements
Israel triples in size
Israel displays military dominance

“The right is correct that a withdrawal would endanger Israel; the left is correct that
a continued presence in the territories would endanger Israel. The problem is that
since everyone is correct, everyone is also incorrect – and the State of Israel is
trapped in an impossible bind” - Micah Goodman, Catch 67

1973:
-Israel caught off guard
-After the first few days Israeli officials
were considering disaster scenarios
-Broader picture of USA V USSR

Results:
Many top military
officials are fired
Major Israel political
shift to the right
Peace with Egypt

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 Part 3: The Conflict

Chapters: 9-10

Topics:
Israeli Palestinian Conflict
The Media War
BDS
Anti-Zionism

Meta Questions:
How do historical and political narratives shape the framing and
understanding of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict in media, activism,
and public discourse?
What is the impact of global media coverage on the legitimacy
and perception of movements like BDS and anti-Zionism in relation
to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict?
How do advocacy movements like BDS and anti-Zionism interact
with broader global politics, including accusations of bias,
antisemitism, or freedom of expression?
How does the intersection of media influence, activism, and
political power contribute to shaping international policy and
public opinion on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict?
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 Part 4: Israel on the Global Stage
and Future Challenges

Chapters: 11-13

Topics:
The immigration waves and the impact of global Jewish diaspora
communities.
Israel’s transformation into a technological and innovation
powerhouse.
Israeli culture: the fusion of religious, secular, and ethnic diversity.
Israel’s evolving geopolitical role and alliances, especially with the
U.S.
The rise of global antisemitism and its connections to anti-Zionism.
Prospects for peace, ongoing internal divisions, and future
challenges for Israel.
Abraham Accord

Meta Questions:
What does Tishby identify as Israel’s biggest geopolitical
challenges, and how does she connect the rise in antisemitism
with criticism of Israel?
Looking to the future, what opportunities or threats does Israel
face, both internally and globally?

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Abraham Accords Map

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