Many pro-Palestinian supporters attempt to justify the October 7 terrorist attacks by arguing that they did not occur in a vacuum-that decades of Israeli “brutal occupation” somehow explain, or even excuse, the horrific massacre of innocent civilians, including children, the elderly, and the documented acts of sexual violence.

While it is true that those horrifying, brutal, and devastating attacks did not happen in a vacuum, such justifications are often rooted in myths and misconceptions. The reality is far more complex and nuanced than many would like to admit.

Yes, without question, for nearly four decades, Israel maintained direct control over Gaza, and it has now occupied the West Bank for over 56 years. This prolonged military presence has had profound consequences for Palestinians: physically, socially, economically, and psychologically. It would be disingenuous to ignore the harm and daily indignities that come with occupation. But acknowledging these injustices must not prevent us from examining the full picture, including the widespread distortions that dominate much of the international discourse on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

As someone deeply committed to justice and human dignity, I believe the occupation must end-not only because every nation has the inalienable right to self-determination (and that includes both Jews and Palestinians), but because prolonged military rule over another people is corrosive. It violates Palestinian human rights and has had a damaging effect on Israeli society. As the late Israeli philosopher Yeshayahu Leibowitz warned decades ago, occupation would lead to moral decline and the deterioration of Israel’s democratic soul[1]. Sadly, many of his warnings have proven prescient.

But the only viable solution is not the elimination of one side or the victory of one narrative. It is a negotiated, just two-state solution where both peoples-Jewish and Palestinian-recognize the rights of each other and live side by side in peace and dignity.

Many of the claims spread by pro-Palestinian activists, and amplified in mainstream media and online, are oversimplified, misleading, or flat-out false. These myths obscure the possibility of peace rather than promote it. Consider the following[2]:

Israel fully withdrew from Gaza in 2005, evacuating over 8,000 settlers and........

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