Middle East Conflict 101

This is where you can access many of the resources on this website. There is a lot of material so browse through the item titles, but if you know what you’re looking for, fast track what you’re doing with the Search option in the main menu at the top of every page. If this was a book, this is our subject index.

1st Steps Beginners Guide

At it’s heart the Middle East conflict can be summed up quite simply:

There are two tangata whenua who cherish the same land. Both were offered statehood.

One said lets give coexistence a shot, and accepted.

The other said, no, and opted for a winner takes all, fight to the death.

And people have been dying, ever since.

The Nakba is built on a myth, for the Arabs never ever had manu whenever over the land.

History: Middle East Conflict 101 (nzfoi.org)

History: How did the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict come about? (nzfoi.org)

History: What has been the peace process in the Arab-Israeli conflict? (nzfoi.org)

History: Where can I download the free Israel Pocket Fact Book? (nzfoi.org)

Mythbusting: 10 Misconceptions of the Middle Eastern Conflict (nzfoi.org)

October 7: Where can I download the Israel Toolkit? (nzfoi.org)

Antisemitism

What is Antisemitism — R Lord Jonathan Sacks (nzfoi.org)

The Connection between Judaism and Israel | Video | The Rabbi Sacks Legacy

Rampant antisemitism in New Zealand’s schools – HCNZ (nzfoi.org)

Antisemitism Survey of New Zealand 2021 report released (nzfoi.org)

Over 40% of Jewish community now considers antisemitism a big problem in New Zealand | J-Wire (nzfoi.org)

Being Jewish in New Zealand and the concerning rise of antisemitism | North & South (nzfoi.org)

Apartheid

Mythbusting: Is Israel an apartheid state? – NZ Friends of Israel Association Inc (nzfoi.org)

What We Learned on Our Academic Visit to Israel | Opinion (newsweek.com)

Christian perspectives

Hope Presbyterian Panel Discussion on Israel – April 2024 (nzfoi.org)

What is Christian Zionism?

Colonialism

Mythbusting: The Decolonization Narrative is Dangerous and False (nzfoi.org)

Sheree Trotter: Indigenous Peoples and Israel (nzfoi.org)

Doing good

Talking to Family, Friends and Loved ones about the Middle East Conflict (nzfoi.org)

October 7: What you can do for Israel (nzfoi.org)

Genocide

What is Genocide — The Economist (nzfoi.org)

ICJ did not say there was plausible case for Genocide in Gaza – BBC Hardtalk – NZ Friends of Israel Association Inc (nzfoi.org)

A More Accurate Accounting of the War in Gaza (newsweek.com)

How the Gaza Ministry of Health Fakes Casualty Numbers – Tablet Magazine

Gaza Fatality Data Has Become Completely Unreliable | The Washington Institute

Israel Implemented More Measures to Prevent Civilian Casualties Than Any Other Nation in History | Opinion (newsweek.com)

Gaza

Gaza: Are the Warsaw Ghettos the same as the Gaza Strip? (nzfoi.org)

Gaza: How can I make sense of the Israeli-Gaza Conflict of 2014? (nzfoi.org)

Mythbusting: What do Gazans and West Bank Palestinians really think of Jews? (nzfoi.org)

October 7: What do Gazan civilians think of the October 7 attack? (nzfoi.org)

Memo to the ‘Experts’: Stop Comparing Israel’s War in Gaza to Anything. It Has No Precedent | Opinion (newsweek.com)

Hamas in 2017: The document in full | Middle East Eye

International Law

Mythbusting: What is proportional force? (nzfoi.org)

Israel Has Created a New Standard for Urban Warfare. No One Will Admit It (newsweek.com)

Mythbusting: What is the link between South Africa and Hamas? The Genocide Case (nzfoi.org)

Mythbusting: What is the purpose of the Security Wall or West Bank Barrier? (nzfoi.org)

Mythbusting: Who has the stronger claim to Jerusalem as their capital? (nzfoi.org)

Why are embassies supposed to be inviolable? (nzfoi.org)

Gaza Fatality Data Has Become Completely Unreliable | The Washington Institute

Israel Implemented More Measures to Prevent Civilian Casualties Than Any Other Nation in History | Opinion (newsweek.com)

Hospitals Are Protected Under International Law. But They Cannot be ‘Off Limits’ | Opinion (newsweek.com)

October 7

Failure at the Fence (full documentary) | FRONTLINE + @WashingtonPost (youtube.com)

Israel “Screens Raw, Unedited Real-Time Footage” Of Hamas’ Oct 7 Massacre, Scarring Proof Shows This (youtube.com)

October 7 – Where can I find “Mapping the Massacre?” (nzfoi.org)

Sean Plunket discusses graphic imagery of Hamas attacks on Israel – YouTube

October 7: What you can do for Israel – NZ Friends of Israel Association Inc (nzfoi.org)

October 7: What are some really useful websites and web pages to help me understand what happened on October 7 and afterward? (nzfoi.org)

October 7: What do Gazan civilians think of the October 7 attack? (nzfoi.org)

October 7: Where can I download the Israel Toolkit? (nzfoi.org)

The latest billboard campaign is launched: Let my people go! (nzfoi.org)

Ultimately, Hamas Owns Every Death in Gaza—Civilians Included (newsweek.com)

Hospitals Are Protected Under International Law. But They Cannot be ‘Off Limits’ | Opinion (newsweek.com)

I Have Delivered Aid in War Zones. They Were the Missions We Feared Most | Opinion (newsweek.com)

What is UNRWA? And what are the Oct. 7 allegations against its workers? : NPR

Peace and co-existence

Mythbusting: What does “From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free” mean? (nzfoi.org)

Mythbusting: Why has the UN not solved the Arab-Israeli conflict after so many years? (nzfoi.org)

Refugees

Mythbusting: Why are there Palestinian Refugees after so many years? (nzfoi.org)

What is UNRWA? And what are the Oct. 7 allegations against its workers? : NPR

Settlements

Mythbusting: Are the Israeli settlements on the West Bank legal? (nzfoi.org)

Zionism

What is Zionism?

What is Christian Zionism?

There are a number of ways you can support us in our fight against racial intolerance through raising awareness of Jewish history and culture.

We are looking for volunteer regional coordinators to organise regular meetings of supporters so that they can learn about Jewishness and Israel affairs.

Contact us to find out whether your region has a coordinator, and if you’re up for it, we can have a discussion about your background and relevant skill sets. We may also need to talk to some referees.

We are also currently raising funds toward:

An electronic billboard campaign: To raise awareness of the plight of the October 7 hostages.
Fighting Christian Anti-Semitism: Creating a library of bible study courses for Christians to re-acquaint them with the Hebraic roots of their faith.
A Marquee speaker program. We would like to introduce a colloborative program whereby Marquee speakers from the Jewish world could carry out an Australasian lecture tour, covering issues relating to aspects of Jewish society that would be relevant to the rest of the world. A marquee speaker could be R Jonathan Sachs, Alan Dershowitz or Ehud Barak.
Fighting anti-semitism: The recent conflict between Israel and Gaza reminds us of the connection between Anti-Semitism and the Middle East conflict. Anti-Semitism is gathering momentum in Europe once more. The need is great if history is not to be repeated.
Anti-Semitism Monitor: We are supporting the NZ Jewish Council’s longitudinal study of Anti-Semitic attitudes in NZ society.
A scholarship for Teachers to study how to teach about the Holocaust and Anti-Semitism at Yad Vashem

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