In the Soviet Union on our passport our nationality was Jewish, in America we passed for white, because on the form there was no box for Mediterranean or Slavic, and Judaism in America is considered a religion.  It is confusing, because since we originated as the twelve tribes, because of various empires and regimes, we have literately scattered all over the world.  Israel is the only place where all Jews are welcome, and as we see even in our current news, Europe is not that safe for the Jews anymore.  Here is a great article about our non whiteness, http://hevria.com/ahavaemunah/hey-jew-stop-white-man/.

Here is a great factual article from an educated non Jew,

“It is claimed that there has been an Israeli Holocaust in Gaza (or elsewhere). Where? When? No honest historian would treat that claim with anything but the contempt it deserves. But calling Jews Nazis and saying they have committed a Holocaust is as basic a way to subvert historical fact as anything I can think of.

Likewise apartheid. For apartheid to exist, there would have to be a situation that closely resembled how things were in South Africa under the apartheid regime. Unfortunately for those who believe this, a weekend in any part of Israel would be enough to show how ridiculous the claim is.”

http://www.aish.com/jw/me/An_Educated_NonJew_Take_on_Israel.html#.Vm536Tvt9FA.facebook

I will leave you with the video below, which gives just a factual history about both sides of the Israel and Palestinian conflict.   What I got from it is each side is has their history, and violence is not the answer.  The first thing that has to happen is that whole region needs to recognize the right for Israel to exist, then we can talk further about a two state solution.

Shabbat Shalom,

Coach Yulia