Let me first share my grief and unequivocal support for the Israeli families and victims of the horrific terrorist attack on October 7. I thoroughly condemn the actions of Hamas, which has no justification to kill innocent non-combatant men, women and children. I pause and express the same sentiment for the non-combatant men, women and children of Palestine who are being made to pay for what Hamas did.

This matter goes beyond October 7, and in the words of a former United States president “we need to begin to talk to each other and hear what the other is saying, even if you don’t agree”. It is useful in such cases to examine what has led us (the world) to where we are because we are all complicit.

Where do we begin to tell the winding and twisting story of the Jewish saga of victimisation? I guess the beginning is the perfect spot. Most of us today understand the story of the Crucifixion of Jesus by the Romans at the behest of the Jewish hierarchy and priest. There was a split among the Jews on who would constitute as being the Messiah. For some, the Messiah was to be their king and ultimate liberator, who would empower them “for ever”, and who could not be defeated. To be crucified was the ultimate repudiation of Jesus and for them proof that he was not the Messiah.

The nationalist quest for a Jewish kingdom continued with many revolts until 70AD, when the Romans destroyed the temple and killed thousands of Jews in the process, marking the beginning of exile. Some took it as a sign from God that they should never again build an earthly kingdom.

However, the early followers during the three-year ministry and life of Jesus were all Jewish and followed the customs of the Jews. A short while later after the Crucifixion, a new schism emerged with Paul, which changed that nascent community from being just Jewish by embracing non-Jews who did not require strict adherence to the Jewish codes of conduct. They were called Christians. Their principal idea was that the Kingdom of God that Jesus referred to was not earthly but rather metaphysical. Some contemporary Jewish philosophers today hold a similar view. That is why they also believe there should never be an earthly place or nation built in the name of God that could be compared with other earthly nations.

There were many sects in 1st-century Christianity, and within 300 years they became the dominant religion in the Roman Empire. The Jews were seen under this new popular faith as the murderers of Christ. That is the proverbial beginning of anti-Semitism.

As history would teach us, the world for several millennia was couched in religion. In most of Europe, countries such as Spain, Germany, France and even Russia, Christianity thrived. However, unlike the Bible-thumping evangelicals of today who believe Jews are God’s chosen people, the early and medieval Christians believed the Jews were the source of evil. Martin Luther, “the reformer”, for example, advocated burning down the Jewish synagogues.

For nearly a thousand years, Jews were just tolerated throughout Europe. Historically, and paradoxically, it was during the Islamic periods when there were places the Jews flourished — particularly in Spain, an Islamic country that eclipsed Christianity for 700 years. The Jews were repressed by Christianity in Spain until 711 when the Muslims conquered Spain. It was from then on that their Jewish scholars began to put shape to Jewish philosophy and had a balanced life contributing to the military, civic and social life of Spain, which is called the golden age of Jews. A bit of Christian respite occurred for the Jews during the Crusades, which was primarily a war between Muslims and Christians — although, speaking here of the Crusades, it was more evident during the First World War when the Ottoman Empire was caused to give up Jerusalem. The British inherited the mandate for the region after the war and there were communities of Jews living in Jerusalem for centuries peacefully, under no threat from the Arabs or Muslims.

During the later part of the 19th century, it is alleged that the Russians forged a book called the Protocols of the Elders of Zion, which foretold a Jewish conspiracy to dominate the world through economic hegemonic control over the economies and politics. That material was propagandised and believed as true by many groups in Europe.

Nazi Germany became the centre of retaliation to that characterisation of the Zionists, and Nazism was borne worldwide, including groups in America today. Of course, innocent people, babies and everyone that apparently “looked like a Jew” were wrongly associated as a party to the Zionist plot. Also, the 1896 framers of the idea of an Israeli state and homeland were painted with that same brush.

Coming forward, Hitler brought this situation to a head when he decided to exterminate millions of Jews living anywhere in Europe. That is why today it looks like history repeating itself, but this time at the hands of the very Jews who were similarly expelled by their host when they landed in other people’s lands — and now those people are being called animals by the Jewish leaders.

It must be clear that I believe the world is sympathetic to the Jewish need for a homeland, and showed its support by granting them statehood, but it should not be at the expense of people who have every right to live in peace in a land that had been established as home more than 1,000 years ago. Not simply for the relief of persons who were mistreated in Europe. That is the essence, but obviously there are many more details of the travesty and oppression in Europe — such as not having the right to own property, to vote, or access to education. But, again, that was not a Palestinian problem; Jews owned land in Palestine while all that denial was happening in Europe, and long before these newly victimised European-Jewish settlers came. This is a view from space not based on the tit-for-tat over contemporary matters where too few understand the genesis.

The world came to the rescue of these refugees and homeless Jews of Europe through the United Nations declaring for Israel internationally recognised status as a nation in a 1947 vote. The idea then was to have two states: one for the Israelis and the other for the Palestinians. It is morally right that the Palestinians, who committed no crime in wanting to remain in their homeland, be granted internationally recognised territory.

History has it that with this recognition of Israel, hundreds of thousands of Jews began arriving in boatloads from all over the world. In 1953, Menachem Begin uprooted 400 villages, expelling all its landlords, killing hundreds and burying their very history of existence. The United States and Britain sanitised their involvement by making occupation by force a legitimate right of Israel. Those who resisted being evacuated from their homeland were deemed anti-Semitic at best; at worst, a terrorist.

The only resolution or answer to this equation is a moral response from the world. Palestine must be given a territory that is recognised by the UN. Now! To achieve this, Hamas must be taken off the table and so, too, the present Israeli Cabinet. The Palestinian Authority must be allowed to have fresh elections to establish a new leadership with peace as the agenda.

The Arab and Persian world must recognise the two-state solution and work for the progress of the new Palestinian state in peace. The world needs to establish a Peace Consulate in the new Palestine, with international observers to supervise the peace for at least ten years.