Why Israel is blamed for everything: The danger of historical amnesia

Let's blame Israel for everything. Apparently, everything in the whole wide world is Israel's fault.

Context matters.

Recently, ALL ISRAEL NEWS reported comments made by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.

Erdoğan said that Israel’s actions in Syria and Lebanon have gone too far and now threaten Turkey.

“The attacks by [Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin] Netanyahu and his network of murder on Lebanon and Syria have brought the issue to a point where it also threatens Turkey.”

What is striking about comments like these is the complete lack of context.

Lebanon has been firing rockets and drones into Israel for months. Northern Israeli communities have lived under constant threat. Imagine trying to go about your daily life while sirens repeatedly interrupt work, school, and family activities.

Hezbollah has embedded itself throughout southern Lebanon and continues launching attacks into Israeli territory. Yet Erdoğan does not mention Hezbollah's aggression even once.

Not once.

All he does is condemn Israel.

The same applies to Syria. Iranian-backed militias and proxies have repeatedly launched attacks against Israel from Syrian territory. Yet Erdoğan fails to mention that reality as well.

When it comes to Israel, there often seems to be a collective case of memory loss. It's as if a "memory bomb" explodes, causing people to forget the events that led to the conflict and focus only on Israel's response.

The history of Israel has largely been one of self-defense.

In 1948, Israel declared independence. There could have been two states, because the Arab population was also offered a state under the UN Partition Plan. The Jewish leadership accepted the proposal; the Arab leadership rejected it. Instead, neighboring Arab nations invaded the newly established State of Israel.

Then the memory bomb exploded:

"Israel stole the land."

In 1967, Israel faced another war as surrounding Arab nations mobilized against it. Israel fought and won the Six-Day War.

Then the memory bomb exploded again:

"Israel stole the West Bank."

In 1973, Israel was attacked on Yom Kippur, the holiest day in the Jewish calendar. Once again, Israel fought for its survival.

Israel did not seek these wars. It responded to them.

So before the next memory bomb goes off, let's remember a simple historical fact: Israel has repeatedly been forced to defend itself against those seeking its destruction.

October 7, 2023, became another defining moment in Israel's history. It changed Israel, Gaza, and the entire Middle East.

Yet almost immediately, the memory bomb exploded again.

Many people began discussing Gaza while ignoring the events of October 7. But you cannot talk honestly about Gaza without acknowledging what happened on that day. The two are inseparable.

Don't allow a memory bomb to erase one side of history.

I would also like to remind President Erdoğan that Turkey continues to occupy northern Cyprus following its 1974 invasion of the island. Has he forgotten that?

And let's not forget that Turkey was once an empire that expanded by conquering other nations. The Ottoman Empire conquered the Holy Land in 1516–1517. That was not self-defense; it was conquest and occupation.

Turkey has little moral authority to lecture Israel about territorial disputes or military action when its own history includes centuries of imperial expansion.

Has Erdoğan forgotten that as well?

I am genuinely concerned. He seems to be forgetting quite a lot.

In the Bible, God instructed Israel to set up memorial stones so that future generations would remember what He had done.

Perhaps we need some memorial stones of truth today.

Let us remember the history of Israel.

Let us remember 1948.

Let us remember 1967.

Let us remember 1973.

Let us remember October 7.

Let us establish memorials of truth so that when accusations come, we can answer with facts rather than propaganda.

The Bible says: