To begin with, the roots of this conflict are deeply historical and profoundly traumatic. The Jewish people endured centuries of persecution, culminating in the horrors of the Holocaust during World War II. That unspeakable tragedy left scars so deep that they have shaped not only Jewish identity but also the ideological foundation of Zionism. Since 1948, however, that trauma has been tragically mirrored in the suffering inflicted on the Palestinian people—a shift from being victims of oppression to perpetrators of it.
One generational tragedy has begotten another.
If we examine the Zionist worldview through the lens of historical trauma, we see that it is fear—deep, existential fear—that drives much of Israel’s actions. For many Israelis, this fear is rooted in a collective memory of annihilation and persecution, a dread that history might repeat itself. It permeates their society, shaping their faith, their politics, and their understanding of truth. In this narrative, the denial of Palestinian peoplehood, their land, and their dignity becomes not a lie, but a necessity—a shield against the terror of vulnerability.
This, of course, does not excuse Israel’s actions. Fear, no matter how justified, does not absolve one of responsibility. Much like a violent individual who perpetuates the cycle of abuse after suffering unspeakable trauma at the hands of others, Israel must still be held accountable for its actions.
Trauma explains, but it does not exonerate.
Understanding this perspective has helped me grasp why the Israeli narrative feels so intractable, so immovable. To many Israelis, the "lie" of Palestinian dispossession is not a lie at all, but a truth shaped by fear—a fear so all-consuming that it distorts reality itself.
But acknowledging this is not an act of absolution. It is a call to interrogate the structures that allow fear to justify oppression and to recognize the humanity on both sides of this tragedy. Truth and reconciliation cannot exist in a vacuum of fear, nor can justice be served while one people’s trauma is weaponized against another.