Why do Jews and Arabs / Muslims hate each other?

Response

Firstly, it is crucial to comprehend that not all Arabs follow Islam, and not all followers of Islam are Arabs. Although a majority of Arabs practice Islam, there are numerous non-Muslim Arabs. Additionally, there are considerably more non-Arab Muslims in regions like Indonesia and Malaysia than there are Arab Muslims. Secondly, it is essential to acknowledge that not all Arabs harbor hatred towards Jews, not all Muslims hold animosity towards Jews, and not all Jews have negative feelings towards Arabs and Muslims. It is important to avoid generalizations about people. However, in general, Arabs and Muslims tend to have a dislike and distrust towards Jews, and vice versa.

If we delve into a biblical explanation for this hostility, it traces back to Abraham. The Jewish lineage descends from Abraham’s son Isaac, while the Arab lineage descends from Abraham’s son Ishmael. Ishmael, born to a slave woman (Genesis 16:1-16), and Isaac, the promised son destined to inherit Abraham’s blessings (Genesis 21:1-3), naturally led to animosity between the two brothers. Due to Ishmael mocking Isaac “And Sarah saw the son of Hagar the Egyptian, which she had born unto Abraham, mocking.” (Genesis 21:9), Sarah persuaded Abraham to send Hagar and Ishmael away (Genesis 21:11-21). This likely fueled further resentment in Ishmael towards Isaac. An angel informed Hagar that Ishmael would become the father of a great nation “Arise, lift up the lad, and hold him in thine hand; for I will make him a great nation.” (Genesis 21:18), and intriguingly, that Ishmael would be “

A wild donkey of a man; his hand will be against everyone and everyone’s hand against him, and he will live in hostility toward all his brothers” «And he will be a wild man; his hand will be against every man, and every man’s hand against him; and he shall dwell in the presence of all his brethren. », (Genesis 16:12).

However, the ancient root of bitterness between Isaac and Ishmael does not explain all of the hostility between Jews and Arabs today. The religion of Islam, which a majority of Arabs follow, has intensified the hostility predicted of Ishmael. The Qur’an contains somewhat contradictory instructions for Muslims regarding Jews. At one point, it instructs Muslims to treat Jews as brothers and at another point commands Muslims to attack Jews who refuse to convert to Islam. The Qur’an also introduces a conflict as to which son of Abraham was truly the son of promise. The Hebrew Scriptures say it was Isaac. The Qur’an says it was Ishmael. The Qur’an teaches that it was Ishmael whom Abraham almost sacrificed to the Lord, not Isaac (in contradiction to Genesis 22). This debate over who was the son of promise further fuels today’s hostility.

Another root of the conflict between Jews and Arabs is political. After World War II, when the United Nations gave a portion of the land of Israel to the Jewish people, the land was ruled by the British and primarily inhabited by Arabs (although one third of the population was Jewish). Most Arabs protested vehemently against the new Israeli state, even as they refused an Arab Palestinian state offered as part of the UN plan. Arab nations including Egypt, Jordan, Iraq, and Syria attacked Israel in an attempt to drive them into the sea, but they were defeated. The defeat of the Arab forces soon became a human tragedy when the surrounding Arab nations refused to absorb the Arab refugees from Israel.

Ever since 1948, there has been great hostility.Between Israel and its Arab neighbors. The tensions have been fueled by political rhetoric and the presence of groups like Hamas, who persistently aim to eradicate “the Zionist entity” and “reverse the outcomes of 1948.”

Israel occupies a small piece of land surrounded by larger Arab nations such as Jordan, Syria, Saudi Arabia, Iraq, and Egypt. From a biblical perspective, we believe that Israel has the right to exist as a nation in the land that God granted to the descendants of Jacob, the grandson of Abraham «And the LORD appeared unto Abram, and said, Unto thy seed will I give this land: and there builded he an altar unto the LORD, who appeared unto him. », (Genesis 12:7). While there is no simple resolution to the Middle East conflict, Psalm 122:6 urges, “Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: May those who love you be secure.”