That’s odd because my two Palestinian American friends whose families lost homes and land in Palestine we’re both Christian.
The only thing they did wrong was not be Jewish.
Might makes right is not a good argument for a peaceful world.
Was it because he and their Arab buddies attacked/aggressed Israel and got their butts kicked?
Ask around.
You’ll probably discover that that’s the case.
Again, most people don’t sympathize with the aggressor that gets his butt kicked by the guy he aggressed.
Not sure why you do in this case.
No it wasn’t. It was cuz Israel stole their land and created a settlement, as if no one lived there before. Even worse than what settlers in America did because they were actively using it.
They’re literally still doing this today. I posted video of it happening.
Not sure why you live in complete denial. It must be a wonderful place for you though, to be so actively hateful about other people.
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Bro, Arab invaders came and took that land by force in the 600s-700s AD.
Jews and their ancestors, by contrast, have had a continuous presence there since at least 1000+ BC.
It’s much more their land, historically speaking, than Arab land.
Saying Israel isn’t Jewish land is like saying that the USA isn’t Native American land.
And yes, most of the Palestinian diaspora left following one of the big three Arab attempts to attack and destroy Israel (1948, 1967, 1973) that failed, and/or subsequent intifadas or 10/7 that were started by the same.
Again, ask around. You’ll probably find out that that is the case.
And of course, no one except you sympathizes with the bully aggressors.
They side with the guy getting bullied that kicked the bully’s ass.
That’s Israel.
Stay on the pro-terrorist anti-gay Palestinian side if you wish.
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I’m not your bro.
Citing something from AD is preposterous. We’ve been down this road before. If you’re going to do it then you have to recognize Israel literally recorded their atrocities over time.
They murdered tens of thousands, including prisoners, women and children. They stole and murdered and stole and murdered and stole and murdered. All in the name of ‘God’, something they made up so they could justify murdering and stealing.
If you’re going down this road then you should believe Israel should not exist for these atrocities. It’s you who are the terrorist supporter. I, on the other hand, want it all to stop.
It’s a bigoted take.
OK, Dude.
Given that Hamas, their elected government, murdered over 1000 on 10/7, and raped women, and even killed 40+ Americans, they aren’t in a position to complain when Israel fights back against such aggression, as they have on so many other occasions.
Of course I believe Israel has a right to exist; again, saying that that isn’t Jewish land or the place for a Jewish state is like saying the USA isn’t Native American land or that Native American nations shouldn’t exist in the USA.
No bigotry there. The OTHER SIDE is bigoted.
In fact, it’s bigotry to either deny Israel’s right to exist, or sympathize with those that do. Anti-Zionism is indeed Anti-Semitism in my view, and that’s a heinous form of bigotry.
Do you sympathize with those sorts of folks? Be honest now. Because if they answer is yes, then you have no business accusing anyone else of bigotry.
Given that one Palestinian leadership set after another has called for Israel’s destruction and together with anyone that will aid them has tried in 1948, 1967, 1973, and subsequently to bring about Israel’s destruction, it’s almost bigotry to be on THEIR side.
They’re the ones who want to bring about a new genocide through Israel’s destruction.
Of course, Israel can fight back against that sort of violent bigotry. We should expect nothing less and should aid them as well.
Query: Homosexuality is a crime punishable by death in the Palestinian Authority. In Israel, LGBTQ+ people are accepted and there are same sex legal unions.
Given that, isn’t it BIGOTED to take the anti-gay Palestinian side?
If not, then I’d sure like to hear your theory to the contrary.
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Every argument you assert I’m making is false.
Also, Israel doesn’t have a right to commit atrocities because they allow LBTQs exist.
You really have a twisted view of history.
“Now kill all the boys. And kill every woman who has slept with a man, but save for yourselves every girl who has never slept with a man”.- Moses
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The incident is under investigation. The difference between this and a “Palestinian” attacker is the Israeli reservist will be punished if found guilty. The “Palestinian” would be praised and his family would be financially rewarded.
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Yep.
That’s the reality, and the VERY RELEVANT “difference,” for sure.
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From ChatGPT:
Numbers 31:17–18 describes a troubling wartime command in which Israelite soldiers are instructed to kill Midianite males and non-virgin females, while sparing virgin girls. In contemporary Judaism, this passage is not taken at face value as a moral model for today. Instead, it is approached through layers of interpretation, historical context, and ethical framing.
Here are the main ways modern Jewish thought engages with it:
1) Historical and textual context (not a timeless command)
Many scholars—especially in Modern Orthodox, Conservative, and Reform circles—view this as reflecting ancient Near Eastern warfare norms, where total destruction of enemy populations was (tragically) common.
- The passage is tied to a specific episode: retaliation against Midian after events in Numbers 25.
- It is seen as a descriptive or time-bound command, not a general rule for behavior.
- Some emphasize that the Torah records morally difficult realities rather than endorsing them as ideals.
2) Rabbinic reinterpretation and limiting principles
Classical rabbinic tradition (in the Talmud and Midrash) often narrows or reframes such passages:
- Some rabbis interpret the command as targeting those directly involved in leading Israel into idolatry, not indiscriminate killing.
- Others stress that later Jewish law imposes strict limits on warfare, including offers of peace and protections for civilians (e.g., in Deuteronomy 20).
- Over time, these limiting interpretations effectively neutralize any practical application of such commands.
3) Ethical wrestling (modern Jewish theology)
Modern Jewish thinkers don’t ignore the moral difficulty—they grapple with it directly:
- Some see it as a challenge text that forces readers to confront the tension between divine command and human ethics.
- Others argue that Judaism shows moral progression, with later teachings (prophetic ethics, rabbinic law) moving toward greater compassion and justice.
- In liberal movements, the passage may be read as reflecting human authorship shaped by its time, rather than a literal divine mandate.
4) Non-literal or symbolic readings
Certain interpreters—especially in more philosophical or Hasidic traditions—read the episode allegorically:
- The “enemy” can symbolize internal moral or spiritual corruption.
- The harsh language is seen as emphasizing the need to eliminate destructive influences, not people.
5) Consensus in contemporary Judaism
Across denominations, there is broad agreement on a few key points:
- This passage is not a justification for violence today.
- Jewish law and ethics do not permit such actions in any contemporary setting.
- The text is studied as part of a sacred tradition that includes debate, reinterpretation, and moral development.
Bottom line
Contemporary Jewish views generally treat Numbers 31:17–18 as a historically situated, morally difficult text that must be interpreted through rabbinic tradition and ethical reflection—not as a binding or exemplary command for modern life.
I agree there are problematic statements in the Torah (as there are in the New Testament & the Quran. However, to pick a problematic statement from the Torah written thousands of years ago as a support for your larger argument against Israel’s actions in Palestine (which has Jewish & non-Jewish leadership) is problematic at best. You are basically saying that Israel is following G-d’s commandments from a specific incident and applying it to all actions today. In essence that Judaism is the root of the evil behind Israel.
Now of course, you didn’t explicitly say that but that is absolutely the context of your arguments in this (and other) thread(s). Here’s what you’re missing. While Judaism does hold the text of the Torah sacred and unchanged, Judaism centuries of interpretation, historical & textual context, reinterpretation and debate have been added to this. All that reinterpretation and debate (the “oral Torah”) is an important part of how the written Torah is viewed and applied. Modern Judaism does not see this as a timeless command but one that was tied to a particular incident and not something that applied beyond that. Jewish law does not permit or endorse these types of actions.
Now of course someone could do the exact same argument about the Quran.
Qur’an 9:5 (“the sword verse”)
“Then, when the sacred months have passed, kill the polytheists wherever you find them… but if they repent, establish prayer, and give zakat, then let them go their way…”
Of course, I have no knowledge of the context or how modern Sunni Islam in general or the Sunni Islamism of Hamas interprets that passage so I wouldn’t typically quote passages from the Quran as I’m not knowledgable. However, I thought it was important here for context or comparison.
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My quote was response to the historical post previously.
Based on their own writings it’s absurd to say they have some moral grounds to claim land over anyone else.
There is no moral equivalency. You are trying to take the actions of one person and attempting to attribute that action to the Israeli government and policy. The Israeli government does not condone this type of behavior and it never will.
What about historical grounds? There has never been a time in the last roughly 3,000 years where Jews did not inhabit this land.
Land stealing isn’t the act of a single person. That’s ridiculous. You’re just fantasizing to support your beliefs that Israel has done nothing wrong when in fact they have.
Again, you have a very warped view of history. Here, let me help you.
The land of Israel has been populated by the Jewish people since 2000 BC. Here’s the timeline, in case you didn’t realize that it is their homeland, as designated by Yahweh.
1900 BC:
- Abraham chosen by God as the Father
of the Jewish Nation.
1900 BC: - Isaac, Abraham’s son, rules over Israel.
1850 BC: - Jacob, son of Issac, rules over Israel.
1400 BC: - Moses leads the people out of Egypt
and back to Israel.
1010 BC: - King David unites the 12 tribes into one
nation.
970 BC: - King Solomon, son of David, builds the
first temple structure in Jerusalem
930 BC: - Israel is divided into two kingdoms, the
Kingdom of Israel and the Kingdom of
Judah.
800s BC: - The rise of the prophets, God’s
messengers.
722 BC: - Kingdom of Israel is conquered by
Assyrians.
605 BC: - Kingdom Judah is conquered by the
Babylonians.
586 BC: - Solomon’s Temple is destroyed by the
Babylonians.
539 BC: - Persians conquer the Babylonians and
take control of Israel.
538 BC: - The Jews return to Israel from exile.
520 BC: - The Temple is rebuilt.
450 BC: - Reforms made by Ezra and Nehemiah.
433 BC: - Malachi is the end of the prophetic
age.
432 BC: - The last group of Jews return from
exile.
333 BC: - The Greeks conquer the Persian
empire.
323 BC: - The Egyptian and Syrian empire take
over Israel.
167 BC: - Hasmonean’s recapture Israel, and the
Jews are ruled independently.
70 BC: - Romans conquer Israel.
20 BC: - King Herod builds the “third” temple
6 BC: - Jesus Christ is born in Bethlehem
70 AD: - Romans destroy the temple
After that, the people were captives to the Romans, Byzantines, Arabs, and Crusaders. Through all of these events, the Jewish people continued to live in Israel. There were more or less of them, depending on the centuries, but there was never a time when the Jews didn’t live in the land. They stayed, they built their communities, they raised their families, practiced their faith and they suffered at the hands of many outside rulers, but they always kept their faith. It is what sustains them, even now.
May 1948:
- the UN established the State of Israel,
the nation of Jews.
Don’t buy the Palestinian lies that they are entitled to the land. It simply is not true.
None of that, not a single word or letter, justifies Israel stealing land today, yesterday, 10 years ago or 50 years ago.
What land have they stolen?