​​​​The Israel-Palestine conflict is one of the world’s most enduring conflicts, having persisted for more than fifty years. As a young American Jew, this issue has been an important aspect of my life ever since I originally learned of its existence. However, as I have progressed through my education and been exposed to varying ideas and world views, my understanding of the conflict has changed drastically, and I believe that many other young American Jews have had similar experiences. 

Marisa Kabas, for instance, “a second-generation American Jew and granddaughter of a Holocaust survivor...was raised to unequivocally support Israel” (Kabas 2). However, after the Al-Aqsa Mosque, a Muslim holy site in East Jerusalem, was invaded in May of 2021, Kabas expressed her disdain for the country’s actions on Twitter. She was surprised by the response she received, which was: 

“overwhelmingly affirmative...with fellow American Jews publicly and privately agreeing they’re no longer able to accept the party line on Israel-U.S. relations. They’ve been grappling with the version of Israel presented on trips organized by groups like Birthright versus what they’ve seen unfold on the ground, how to square their love for their people and history with their commitment to racial and social justice, and how Israel’s actions in Palestine seem to fly in the face of “tikkun olam” — the Jewish principle of improving the world through action" (Kabbas 4). 

Clearly, many young American Jews are struggling to reconcile what they have been taught about Israel and the Israel-Palestine conflict, and the events they see occurring in real time. The goal of this project is to serve as a starting point for American Jews who were raised to unquestioningly support Israel and Zionism to begin to unpack those belief systems, and understand why and how they came to the conclusions they hold today. I believe that this understanding will be helpful in encouraging American Jews to explore the Palestinian experience over the last seven decades, and gain a better understanding of the Palestinian cause.

Important terms/definitions:

• Hebrew School: supplementary education for Jewish children and adolescents, centered around Jewish history and culture and learning the Hebrew language
• Modern Political Zionism: "a Jewish nationalist movement that has had as its goal the creation and support of a Jewish national state in Palestine, the ancient homeland of the Jews" (Encyclopedia Britannica 1).
• Young American Jews: American Jews between the ages of 18-29
• Support for Israel: For the purposes of this project, I have chosen to define support for Israel as a feeling of connection to and care for the Jewish state