Ilan Pappe, the Jewish historian and professor at Exeter University in the UK has complied an insightful list of the ten dominant myths surrounding Israel, myths that impede the understanding and resolution of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. The ten myths are as follows:
Myth 1: Palestine was a land without people, waiting for the people without a land
Myth 2: Palestinians resorted to acts of terror against Jewish settlers prior to the creation of Israel
Myth 3: Myths around the creation of Israel
Myth 4: Israel was a benign democratic state prior to 1967
Myth 5: The Palestinian struggle has no aim other than terror
Myth 6: Israel was forced to occupy the West Bank and Gaza in 1967, and must hold these territories until others are ready for peace
Myth 7: Isreal ocupied the West Bank and Gaza with benevolent intentions, but was forced to respond to Palestinian violence
Myth 8: The Oslo Accords reflected a desire on both sides to reach a solution
Myth 9: The Second Intifada was a mass terror attack orchestrated by Arafat
Myth 10: A solution in Israel and Palestine is just around the corner
For a fuller explanation of these myths, see this document released by Canadians for Justice and Peace in the Middle East.
