Is it true that Israel's Arab neighbors hate the Israelis not just because they're Jews but rather because of what they did to form the State of Israel and what they continue to do to the Palestinians?

Answer 1

The fact that hatred of Israel and hatred of Jews is so often conflated, shows that the mention of "what Israel is doing" is no more than an excuse. How can anti-Israel terrorists justify indiscriminately killing (January 2015) Jewish civilians in Paris (for just one example)? And why would they spray a synagogue in Israel with gunfire (January 2015), killing many quiet worshipers, instead of attacking a military target?

I could easily list hundreds of such examples.

Let's talk about "what Israel has done" and "is doing." Why do you mention only one side of events?

Like some of the media, the U.N. and others, you may be biased.

What about the thousands of Israelis that have been killed by Palestinian terrorists?

What about the fact that Palestinians walk in Jewish neighborhoods without fear, while no Israeli dares enter many Palestinian areas, for fear of car-theft and lynching?

What about the fact that in forming the State of Israel as permitted by the U.N., the nascent State was attacked by seven foreign armies and survived only by the grace of God? Was Israel fighting a one-sided war? How did the Middle Eastern terrorists justify blowing up public buses, schoolchildren, restaurants, etc., tens if not hundreds of times in recent decades?

Israel holds itself to a higher standard. Every Israeli soldier is taught again and again about the Rules of Engagement. Israel targets a few MILITARY objectives after tens of missiles deliberately hit CIVILIAN houses in Israel, and much of the international media twist the story into the opposite. Israel does the minimum for survival, contorting itself in its efforts to avoid killing non-combatants, but is viciously denounced when there are collateral deaths.

Answer 2

Your question has three parts:
1). just because they are Jews
2). what they did to form the State of Israel
3). what they continue to do to the Palestinians

The entire question asks for a peek into the minds of others, and for a clear picture
of what moves and motivates them. Consequently, any answer must be the opinion
of whoever is responding.

My opinion on the first element of the question -- "... just because they are Jews ..." -- is:
No, it is not true.

For the 2nd and 3rd elements of the question, I offer not even an opinion in response.
You give two topic headings -- "... what they did ..." and "... what they continue to do ..." -- and
ask me to review history and current events and find things worthy of being hated for.

Until you come back and give us your own list of "... what they did ..." and "... what they continue
to do ...", the only opinion I have in response is that you have apparently bought into the big lie.

Answer 3

Many Arabs and Muslims* believe this to be the case, but it is rather fatuous. I readily concede that a large number of Arabs hate Jews on account of the existence of Israel and its military actions. I also concede that if Israel did not exist there would be less Judenhass (Anti-Semitism or Jew-hatred) in the Arab World, since hatred of Israel helps to inflame previous tensions.

However, there needs to be pre-existent Judenhass sentiments for these issues to be relevant.

We can note in that the connection between hatred of Israel as a political entity and Israelis as a national group or Jews as an ethnic group here is unique. A large number of Arabs hate what the US, UK, French, and other governments have done to the Arab countries in terms of their support of repressive dictators and other policies which are directly averse to Arab interests, but note that this does not cross the line to where Arabs espouse racist attitudes towards American, British, or French citizens. They quite reasonably say that there is a distinction between the government and its policies which they abhor and the citizens of those governments who remain blameless, even if they are patriotic towards those states. However, they do not make this distinction between Israel and its political policies on the one hand and Israelis as citizens or Jews as individuals unless these people share the Arab's political view that Israel's existence is abhorrent. This different standard is indicative of Judenhass existing extrinsic of Israel's activities.

Additionally, if we look historically, we can demonstrate that the view put forward in the question is an ahistorical position. Zionism was championed by Theodor Herzl, as its first spokesman in the 1890s and 1900s. If it were the case that Judenhass in the Arab World is derivative exclusively or predominantly from Zionism, we should see minimal or no discrimination or negative action towards Jews in the Arab World prior to the existence of Zionism. Of course, that is not the picture at all. Famous pogroms by Muslim Arabs against the Jews in what would become the British Mandate of Palestine include the Safed Pogrom of 1517, the Safed Pogrom of 1834, the Hebron Massacre of 1834, and the Damascus Blood Libel in 1840 (which had effects in Palestine even though it started in what would become Syria). More generally, though, the Ottoman Empire and previous states that occupied that region were Apartheid states in which the Non-Muslim or Dhimmi had a lower status and the Jews' attempts to achieve equality was met with anger. Jews in the Arab World met up with their European co-religionists and began to educate them so that they could become part of the Ottoman bureaucracy. This created a fundamental imbalance from the way Arab society had been traditionally structured, promoting anger and violence towards Jews. This anger was solidified and given a modern voice when Arab Nationalism incorporate the Judenhass aspects of Nazism. The fundamental issue here was whether Jews should be allowed to be emancipated or treated as equals with an equal rights in all aspects of society. The hatred of Jews and their relegation to an inferior position prior to Zionism and the State of Israel, shows how ahistorical the view is that Arab Judenhass is derivative of Zionism or the State of Israel.

*Note that at all times that Arabs or Muslims are referenced, this does not refer to all Arab and/or all Muslims, but to a significant majority of Arabs or Muslims, as evinced by poll data on beliefs and observation of behaviors.

Answer 4

1) Anti-Semites will use any excuse they can concoct to hate Jews. Hatred of Israel is nearly ubiquitous and goes far beyond even what would seem appropriate given what Israel "has done" and "is doing."
2) The fact that hatred of Israel and hatred of Jews is so often conflated, shows that the mention of "what Israel is doing" is no more than an excuse. How can anti-Israel terrorists justify indiscriminately killing (January 2015) Jewish civilians in Paris (for just one example)? And why would they spray a synagogue in Israel with gunfire (January 2015), killing many quiet worshipers, instead of attacking a military target?

I could easily list hundreds of such examples.

3) Let's talk about "what Israel has done" and "is doing." Why do you mention only one side of events?

Like some of the media, the U.N. and others, you may be biased.

What about the thousands of Israelis that have been killed by Palestinian terrorists?

What about the fact that Palestinians walk in Jewish neighborhoods without fear, while no Israeli dares enter many Palestinian areas, for fear of car-theft and lynching?

What about the fact that in forming the State of Israel as permitted by the U.N., the nascent State was attacked by seven foreign armies and survived only by the grace of God? Was Israel fighting a one-sided war? How did the Middle Eastern terrorists justify blowing up public buses, schoolchildren, restaurants, etc., tens if not hundreds of times in recent decades?

Israel holds itself to a higher standard. Every Israeli soldier is taught again and again about the Rules of Engagement. Israel targets a few MILITARY objectives after tens of missiles deliberately hit CIVILIAN houses in Israel, and much of the international media twist the story into the opposite. Israel does the minimum for survival, contorting itself in its efforts to avoid killing non-combatants, but is viciously denounced when there are collateral deaths.

I suggest that you visit a couple of Israeli-sided news or history websites, just to balance your views.

See also:

Link: Why did Israel bomb Gaza?

Link: How is Israel different than the rest of the Middle East?

Link: One man's vision for peace