In 1948, the day after Israel declared independence, five countries invaded to, as the leader of the Arab League said, massacre all the Jews. Now that Israel was an acknowledged country, international law ostensibly made Israel’s newly formed statehood weak. The newly formed Israeli government included Palestinians and Druze who had already been living within the new borders and who also became citizens when Israel declared independence— approximately 150,000 Palestinians and Druze remained behind to fight the invading armies with their Jewish neighbors.

2/3 of the remaining Palestinians fled before the invasion as they were promised right of return by Egypt and Transjordan once the war was over. The final 1/3 of Palestinians were displaced by the newly formed Israeli army, who were destroying villages along the invasion path. In Palestinian culture, this displacement due the invasion and subsequent war is called the Nakba.

It was a consequence of war and not Israel initiated, and yet, to this day, sites like Wikipedia neatly omit information about the invasion or details behind the displacements.

Imagine how much closer to peace we could be if our narratives didn’t continue to service bitterness and hate?

A reminder: Deligitimizing Jewish or Palestinian connections to the homeland is a bad look. Peace is the right look. Let’s focus on that.