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Why Do I Hate Israel?
Have you ever asked yourself this question: Why do I hate Israel?
Most people who ask this question will find countless answers that confirm their hatred of Israel is logical and justified. It seems like an unquestionable fact—any rational person must hate Israel.
But have we ever analyzed these reasons critically? Are they truly valid, or are they just inherited beliefs implanted in our minds without scrutiny?
1. Israel Wants to Exterminate the Palestinian People
It is often said that Israel “wants” to exterminate the Palestinian people. But has it actually done so? No.
If this is a sufficient reason for hatred, then why don’t we hate other nations that have committed real genocides?
Why don’t we hate Britain, Spain, and Portugal more than Israel for their extermination of Indigenous populations in Australia and the Americas? Why don’t we condemn Sudan for its attempt to exterminate the people of Darfur?
And if we examine history closely, why don’t we hate Islam, which exterminated Jews, Christians, and others in the Arabian Peninsula, imposed the jizya tax, and institutionalized religious persecution?
If extermination is the reason, then hatred should not be exclusive to Israel. So why is it?
2. Israel Occupied Land That Wasn’t Theirs
Yes, occupation is wrong. But is Israel the only nation that has done this?
Turkey occupies Kurdish territories, Iran occupies Ahwazi lands, Spain still controls the Canary Islands and parts of Morocco, and both France and Britain retain overseas colonies.
Moreover, Arab Muslims themselves occupied North Africa, Arabized its people, erased their original languages and identities. Should we also hate them?
If occupation is the sole reason for hatred, then many other nations should be equally despised. So why is Israel singled out?
3. Israel Kills and Imprisons Palestinians
Yes, killing and imprisonment are reprehensible. But what about Arab governments?
Arab rulers have killed and imprisoned more Palestinians than Israel has since its creation. And I won’t even start on the brutal repression Arab regimes inflict on their own citizens.
If oppression, killing, and imprisonment are the standards for hatred, then why don’t we hate Arab regimes just as much, if not more? Why is Israel the only target of such emotions?
4. The Land is Arab, and Jews Have No Right to It
This argument is based on nationalism and identity. But let’s ask: Who was on this land first—Arabs or Jews?
Jews lived on this land before Arabs. They had a state called “Israel” before the Arab conquests. The Arabs came later and took it by force, just as they did in North Africa.
If historical precedence is the criterion, then Jews have a stronger claim to the land than Arabs.
Yet no one is calling for the land to be returned to the Canaanites who were there before both Jews and Arabs. Why do Arabs believe they have exclusive rights to this land? Is it because they are Muslims? If so, then this is not a nationalist issue—it is a religious one.
5. Hatred for Israel is Rooted in Islam
This is the real issue.
Muslims do not want a Jewish state in the heart of the “Islamic world,” just as Muhammad did not want Jews in the Arabian Peninsula. Before his death, he reportedly said:
“Expel the Jews and Christians from the Arabian Peninsula.”
Muslims still apply this principle today.
The hatred of Israel is not about occupation, oppression, or nationalism—it is about the existence of a Jewish state in a Muslim-majority region.
This is evident in Islamic teachings, such as the well-known hadith:
“The Hour will not come until you fight the Jews, and the stone and the tree will say, ‘O Muslim, O servant of Allah, there is a Jew behind me; come and kill him.’”
Islamic doctrine fuels hatred for Jews, regardless of any logical analysis.
Why Don’t I Hate Israel?
As a non-religious person and as someone from North Africa who does not consider himself Arab or Muslim, why should I hate Israel?
- Did Israel occupy my land? No.
- Did Israel wage war against my people? No.
- Did Israel force its language or culture upon me? No.
- Did Israel oppress me or suppress my right to think and express myself? No.
So why should I involve myself in this conflict? Why should I see Israel as my enemy when my real adversary is political Islam and Arab nationalism—forces that have worked to erase my people’s true identity?
Conclusion
I will conclude with a quote from Saudi intellectual Abdullah Al-Qasimi:
“Arab rulers are delighted by Israel’s existence, despite their constant condemnation of it. The presence of Israel is their greatest opportunity to distract their people, justify their own tyranny and failures, and blame an external enemy. Israel is not large—rather, we are small.”
Israel is a country like any other. In fact, it is far more advanced and developed than any Arab state.
As for me, I do not consider Israel my enemy. The real enemies are political Islam and Arab nationalism—ideologies that have sought to erase my people’s history and identity.
This is my conclusion, my perspective. Everyone is free to hold their own opinion.
