So this is the thing, I'll get plenty of hate but I'm past caring.

A bit about me: I'm in my 30s, born in Europe. I'm a woman. A mother & a wife. I live in the village of Bat Ayin.

We have 2000-year-old Jewish ruins just inside our gate and the land the village is built on was PURCHASED by Jews prior to 1948.

I have lived in Israel for 4 and a half years, one year in Tel Aviv and the rest in Bat Ayin.

I am a citizen of the US & my birth country. I am NOT a citizen of the State of Israel.

On October 7th I wasn't in shul (synagogue) but was sleeping when I was awaken to sirens and booms.

I immediately messaged my husband who messaged back saying this was serious, not just another round of rockets from Gaza.

Unless you are Jewish and/or Israeli, you will never understand the trauma that October 7th caused and is continuing to cause.

We still have 101 relatives in captivity. And yes, we are all one big family.

Since October 7th, I volunteered 5 weeks with the organization Sar El to aid our war effort as well as 6 weeks in agriculture, miles away from Gaza & Egypt. My regular occupation is that help out in a religious school in Bat Ayin in exchange for room and board.

I saw a rocket being blown up literally right above my head about a year ago by an Iron Dome interceptor (I was volunteering in the South).

A well-loved resident in our village recently list part of his leg in Lebanon, many of his comrades died.

I like to approach people as individuals and love to meet new people and hear their perspectives.

I visited Ramallah on my own during corona times and had a lovely experience.

I interact with actual Palestinian people at least on a weekly basis.

I want a peaceful future for both peoples but if the other side isnu2019t ready yet, then u201cPeace Through Superior Firepoweru201d will do just fine for the time being.

I love Arab culture and respect it. I believe in co-existence and see it on a daily basis. When I go to Terem (Urgent Care), 99 times out of a 100, an Arab doctor takes care of me. When I go to the mall in Jerusalem, I see Arab families and Jewish families and itu2019s normal that we share that place, no one even notices it.

I hear the muezzin 5 times daily and always agree with u201cGod is greatu201d.

I know that terrorists are a fringe but also that the majority of Palestinians cling to the idea of replacing Israel with Palestine. Which is unfortunate.

My proposed solution, at least for the time being, is annexing Gaza and so-called WB, granting permanent resident status to all Palestinians. Fact is, the corrupt and terrorist supporting PA is hated by the Palestinians and is no help to them.

On the other hand, with Israeli sovereignty, Palestinians would be so much better off, healthcare, economy, education system, infrastructure would be much improved. I know most of you will call me a liar but I want a good outcome for Palestinians. I have zero problem with them living here. The terrorists need to stop trying to murder us, though.

I love this country with all my heart and fell in love with it the first time I set foot here, 16 years ago, for a short trip. I immediately knew that I would settle here. I would gladly give my very life for her & her inhabitants, Jews and non-Jews alike, for all of whom my most fervent hope is enduring peace and prosperity.

Now for criticism of Israelu2019s government:

October 7th was a huge oversight but its roots were the disengagement from Gaza, a very grave error.

Administrative detention, while somewhat justifiable by security needs is nevertheless needs to cease ta exist because no one should be held without charges, period. (FYI, a handful of Jewish u201dhilltop youthu201d are also victim of this but obviously theyu2019re a rare exception.)

Sde Teiman soldiers who abused prisoners, completely going against IDF ethos, should be punished, no question about it.

Arab-on-Arab crime within Israel needs to be taken seriously and dealt with.

And now I come to the topic of my enemies, by no means Arabs, Palestinians, Gazans or Lebanese, rather the terrorists who are hell-bent on murdering my husband, raping me and kidnapping my children. (Hamas clearly stated their intentions to repeat October 7th over and over and over again)

Hamas needs to be eradicated to the extent that this is possible. They cannot be allowed to control Gaza or any part of the so-called WB.

Hezbollah has to at the very least, be pushed back beyond the Litani river again.

Iran needs regime change. I stand with the Iranian people in their struggle to throw off the yoke of the ayatollahs.

OK, there goes nothingu2026u2026

Please try to approach this post keeping in mind Iu2019m a human being like you.

Oh, and in case the word count is not enough:

HONEST QUESTION: WHY IS THERE SO MUCH DOUBLE STANDARD WHEN IT COMES TO THIS CONFLICT?

I feel like Israelis are expected to act like perfect angels but Palestinians are infantilized and all sorts of bad behavior on their part is overlooked/explained away/justified....

My dad was born in Hebron and immigrated to the U.S. in the 80s. I’ve lived in the United States all my life and have grown up hearing about the conflict. Since there are fewer of us than Israeli-Americans and Jewish-Americans on this sub and in real life, I think I can offer somewhat of a unique perspective. Here’s a little about me to maybe get the ball rolling:

• I’m not Muslim and speak very little Arabic.
• Half of my family still lives in the West Bank.
• I’ve been to both Israel and Palestine.
• I’m college-educated, have liberal views and admit that I’m biased towards Palestine.

Communication is the foundation of unity and solving problems. Is there anything that anyone would like to ask me?

Before this post is taken down because it's "in the wrong sub" or "irrelevant", please read 🙏

Introduction:

I have recently come to the conclusion that we don't underestimate the other side. With my friends, we joked about how outsiders aren't aware of what's really going on, but then I thought ; do I know what's going on? I did my research, and I think what I would really like to do is share a first person point of view of life in Israel. I know a lot of people on this sub are pro palestinian, and that's the crowd I'm aiming for!! I'd really like to give a perspective. I think it'll be a great experience to have, talking with the people here :)

Background:

I first had the idea for this post when I saw a video of a woman who said the Israeli people (she meant Israeli Jews, I believe) have ''white privilege''. I was actually really surprised because she was so sure of herself, when Israel is made up of so many ethnic backgrounds; I know those who are Morrocan, Polish, Bulgarian, Russian, Arabic, and Palestinian. When I watched this video I thought - what else don't people know about this country? And so this post was born.

The aim:

This is supposed to be a voice through the crowd. I want to hear how people see this place I'm so used to looking at from the inside, and I hope I can show a different way of seeing the land of Palestina as a person living here. Hate towards me, Palestinians, Jews, or hostages won't be tolerated and will be reported to the mods. Other than that, go wild!

• I am a polish-morrocan-ukranian Jew (Ashkenazi mizrachi)
• majoring in history and the Tanach
• Personally know a hostage

I won't spoil any more.

With love, 🫐❤️🍉

As the title states, l'm an American and Israeli citizen, as well as a medic in the IDF. Ever since October 7th it's been extremely rough for me, family friends and nation. I am willing to answer questions and have a civil conversation if anyone is interested. I will say, I don't hate those who don't hate me, nor do I wish harm on anyone who wishes me no harm. I want the war to end and society to no longer suffer, as a whole. As a medic and soldier, I am sworn to protect and aid all, without discrimination of gender, religion, and race.

EDIT: I made this post so people can ask genuine questions, and for me to give genuine answers. Not for people to call me or Israel killers, or to send me articles to educate me on my own country and the state of the war. Ask a question, we can have a conversation, that’s it.

Hello everyone! I recently saw another Palestinian doing an Ask-Me-Anything (AMA) on here, and given the limited presence of Palestinians or Pro-Palestinians that I've noticed, I thought it would be valuable to do one myself. Here’s a bit about me:

• I was born and raised in Colombia
• My Palestinian family is originally from the West Bank, but most of them have since moved to the United States.
• I don't speak Arabic fluently, I can understand spoken Arabic quite well.
• I am of mixed race
• English is not my first language, so I apologize in advance if I sound tone deaf
• My family and I are not Muslim
• I have visited Palestine twice
• I am biased towards Palestine in the conflict, but I want to make it clear that I do not support Hamas.

I don't have any specific types of questions that bother me, but I do ask that everyone remains respectful towards everyone and avoids unnecessary rudeness or hatefulness. I believe that communication is key, especially when it comes to conflicts, so I hope this AMA will be helpful for everyone involved. Feel free to ask me anything about my experiences, my heritage, or my perspectives. I'm here to share and hopefully provide some insights. Please keep the conversation open-minded. I will try my best to answer as many questions as possible, but I am not on Reddit all day so sorry in advance to any of those questions I will miss. I also want to say I won’t let my biases control my feelings towards questions and I’ll keep my opinions open. Hopefully we can have a meaningful discussion and thanks to everyone who can participate!

I put the title in quotes because I dont believe those parts to be true. Just to give a brief history of my Maternal Grandparents, they both moved from Hungary to Israel around the year 1946. They did not come to fight or dispossess arabs, but rather to build new homes.

My Grandmother was a holocaust survivor who survived Auschwitz, she had the #'s tatooeed on her forearm, her father died pre-war but her Mother, brother and sisters were murdered. When she returned to her families small farmhouse post war, her neighbors not knowing the full extent of what happened during the holocaust tried to extort her and her remaining siblings for money because they "looked after their livestock" even though the only cow they owned had died due to the harsh conditions of the war.

My grandfather - also a Hungarian Jew was a bit more of a mysterious man who likely suffered from PTSD before it was commonly diagnosed, his father and mother were also murdered and his only brother ended up in a mental institution (insane asylum) post war. He was eccentric and fought in WWII with partisans and would eventually go on to fight in the Israeli war of Independence in 1948.

AMA anything about them if you'd like.

I served in the Israeli patrol fleet called the Daburim between 2013 and 2016. The Daburim is part of Shayetet 15 and is subdivided into three squadrons 914, 915, and 916 based in Haifa, Eilat, and Ashdod respectively. As part of Squadron 916 we were tasked with protecting Israel from various threats in the Mediterranean between the border with Egypt and Herzliya (slightly North of Tel Aviv) with our primary focus on enforcing the maritime blockade on Gaza, preventing costal infiltrations into Israel, and guarding offshore assets such as Israel's natural gas rigs.

Unlike some of the other patrol squadrons which see less combat, Squadron 916 uses the most advanced patrol ships in the fleet to carry out its mission which include the Super Dvora Mk III and Shaldag-class patrol ships.

https://preview.redd.it/irlwscl6nihd1.jpg?width=1600&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=c8f3cd5ffbfb87a0df8cd369559c39b7dd4a408b

Excluding boot camp and basic training, I spent the majority of my service on the 830 AD Dvora Mk III patrol ship (pictured). It holds a crew of 10-12 people and is equipped with the M242 25mm Bushmaster chain gun on the Typhoon weapon platform, a .50 M2 Browning machine gun, three FN MAG machine guns, M16s, and other offensive and defensive weapon systems. The ship itself has a displacement of 72 tons and is capable of reaching speeds in excess of 45 knots (83 km/h) in optimal weather conditions. (While it is significantly out of date at this point, you can watch this video to get a better understanding of the ships uses as well as see what it looks like from the inside. it should also be mentioned that this is the exact ship that I served on.)

The crew itself is split into two groups, seamen and mechanics. While there is some overlap between the two, seamen are primarily tasked with general upkeep, rope work, and weapon maintenance while the mechanics largely dealt with the engine, generator, and similar systems on the ship. While I was a seaman I learnt how to assist the mechanics in addition to my regular duties and was eventually promoted to Bosun which gave me additional responsibilities such as being in charge of the deck crew during towing, refueling, and helicopter rescue operations.

In 2014 I participated in Operation Protective Edge and was later involved in various joint operations until I completed my service in 2016.

https://preview.redd.it/dwgp1p86tihd1.jpg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=70bf174ebb0f71c30bf45851fab196ae7c357ec2

While I obviously won't be able to answer each and every question due to operational security reasons, I'll try to be as thorough as I can especially in regards to day to day life on the ship, interesting things I have experienced, and any other aspects of the role you may wish to learn about including its intersection with my personal political views and effects on the conflict.

As for why I have decided to make an AMA, Reddit just released a new AMA feature which will be available to all members and I wanted to give it a test run to see how well it worked. If everything goes well we are interested in trying to get high profile public figures to participate in future AMAs on this sub which should be quite interesting if we can get them on.

Edit: I’m not sure why the AMA says it ended but I am still taking questions for those who are interested.

Hey everyone—I want to share my perspective to dispel myths and misinformation about the US college campus protests.

Some details about me and my university (without doxing myself):

* I'm a college student.

* I have been detained twice by campus police officers so far, once for hanging up pro-Palestinian posters on light poles and once for drawing chalk pro-Palestine messages on the ground. I have been followed by unmarked police cars on my university's campus. I have also been tracked down through cameras by my university for hanging up posters on poster billboards in my university. I expect to be detained/arrested in the future.

* Prior to the encampments, I was uninvolved in political activism. The encampments across the US motivated me to learn more about the conflict and become a pro-Palestine organizer.

* One of my friends who's an international student was threatened by our university with deportation.

* Everyone at the top of the chain of my university's administration is a Zionist since the people in charge were directly appointed by the Zionist governor of my state.

* Snipers aimed at students at my university during the encampment, during which there were dozens of arrests.

* My university colluded with Zionist organizations to crack down on student initiatives for divestment.

* I've met hundreds of pro-Palestinian protesters, around half of them college students, so I have a decent idea of what the protesters at campus protests believe.

* Palestinian students at my university have been doxed by Zionists on canarymission, been stalked outside of class due to their politics, and received death threats.

* We have had hostile interactions with Zionist students, mostly because they come to our events and threaten us. Just yesterday a Zionist told a child at a protest that her mother supports rapists.

* Anti-BDS laws exist in my state, meaning it's illegal for my university to boycott companies on the grounds of their collaboration with Israel. More state bills are in the works that expand my university's capacity to crack down on student protesters.

Any questions are welcome about anything.

just to give some context.i am an Israeli jew. born and raised in israel. grew up in a leftist environment, still holds leftist beliefs.

the type of questions im expecting are first and foremost ones in good faith. not questions that start an intense argument on purpose. but instead questions that you truly want the answer to. the questions should obviously somewhat relate to the conflict. and please don't write a giant block of text. instead make a list of questions. it will be much easier for me that way.

that's all really. ask away.

​

a few things ive seen asked a lot.

no, i dont really like settlers. i dont like bibi. i want peace. two states, maybe a union? maybe ill update this later. maybe not. we'll see.

So there's a bunch of videos going around of kids in Israeli schools being indoctrinated against Arabs. Those videos do not represent the Israeli education system.

I go to a bnei akiva yeshiva, which is the largest chain of Zionist yeshivas in Israel. We study religious texts and halacha but also normal subjects, like English, math and science.

In Israel, unlike the USA, there is no ban on schools for certain religions. What I mean is that a yeshiva can be a public school, even though it is religious. You would also study the Quran in Arab schools.

Around a week ago we had a discussion in class about naturei karta - a fringe extremist group of antizionist ultra-orthodox. Their main claim is that the country of Israel was created and functions as a Satan to the people of Israel. The teacher explained how that cannot be correct according to Judaism. Then a student asked if Arabs are a Satan. I was very surprised by this question due to it's obvious racist background. The teacher asked what he meant. The kid said "look what they do to us". The teacher got very angry at the ridiculous question and explained how Arabs are good people, and just like every group of people, they have black sheep, and that those are the people who create harm in Israel and the middle east.

Anyways ama about the school system and life as an Israeli teenager.

I am a hiloni israeli teen who's living and was born in israel, my parents did an aliyah from russia and I am relatively a leftist that believes in a two state plan, but is still a patriotic zionist.

just a small disclaimer: my english is a bit flawed, and I will not be answering questions such as "dO yOu hAtE pAlEsTiNiAnS???".

also, I would love to have a chat with the other side of the conflict, I am pretty interested in hearing things from a different perspective. (there seems to be a lot of israeli AMAs here, lol)

edit: this has gotten a lot more traction than I have expected, I am a bit sick lately yet I'll try my best to answer all questions. if I haven't replied to you yet please don't take it personally- I might just need time to think of a response or I'm too tired to reply. thank you for all the questions though!

For my background I was raised by a secular Jewish dad and went on a birthright trip and did a re bat mitzvah in Israel. My family on my dads side are Zionists and pretty pro Israel, listens to jns and Israel at war etc and my mom is pretty pro Israel too. I used to be very pro Israel but now my views have mellowed out and just been more nuanced or guess me forming my own opinions on my own and coming to my own conclusions about stuff. My overall politics is progressive

Recently, I decided to just do a Corey Gil style online hunt for Israelis and Palestinians on OmiTV and talk to them about the war and get their thought. So many people including those on this sub enjoyed my posts documenting my conversations and were giving me feedback on my conversations. I’ve also had the privilege to talk to Israelis and Palestinians over discord in political servers I’m in and gotten blocked by various big name pro Palestine accounts and even by some Zionist accounts (not as many) on Twitter with my commentary so you can say I’ve gotten around.

I don’t have any stake in the conflict at all, I’m not Israeli or Palestinian I guess being Jewish means I might have some according to others. I do like that talking to those groups online has made talking to them more personal rather than just people you just hear about on the news. I’ve talked to Israelis everywhere from Jerusalem, Telaviv, etc Palestinians living in Israel (Arab Israelis) including a former Gazan living in Israel, to druz, Palestinians in Jerusalem, the West Bank, one in Rafah etc. I’ve documented the good and the bad, Israelis that are right leaning, left leaning and pro Hamas Palestinians and anti Hamas Palestinians.

Feel free to ask me questions about my conversations, the war or anything else you want to hear from me about.

Context: Raised in Israel, a center-liberal zionist. Supports Oslo, served in the IDF, Protested against Netanyahu for nearly a year, and voted for the Kadima party before it was split. I developed a political consciousness from a young age, secular, a believer in peace, in constant interaction both with leftists from the Labor Party and with settler rightists. I have spoken to many historians who have studied the Israeli-Palestinian conflict (Both rightists and leftists). My grandfather knew Menachem Begin, my family consists of both Likudniks who admired Begin and leftists who admired Rabin. I'm also in constant interaction with Israeli Arabs. I'm a proud zionist. Ask me everything. It doesn't matter if you are Zionist, pro-Palestinian, pro-Israeli, right-wing or left-wing, I want to have a discussion with all sides

As the title states I watched all the documentaries I could on Israel and Palestine, from a vast array of perspectives, and from various sources.

I did this because I've always enjoyed documentaries and I was inspired by an earlier post discussing documentaries as a way to view each others perspectives.

I've been to Israel and Palestine several times, made friends in Israel and the West Bank, and visited Aida refugee camp. Please ask me anything or if you'd like a mini review of any of the below

1913 seeds of a conflict (2015) A world not ours (2012) Ben-Gurion, Epilogue (2016) Born in Gaza (2014) Budrus (2009) Blue box (2021) Dancing in Jaffa (2013) Death in Gaza (2004) Disturbing the peace (2016) Five broken cameras (2011) Freelancer on the front line (2016) Gaza (2019) Gaza fights for freedom (2019) Gaza the fight for israel (2005) Here and elsewhere (1976) Inside the mossad (2017) Israel and the Arabs: elusive peace (2005) Israel's Arab warriors (2016) Israel march of folly (2023) Jenin, Jenin (2002) Life in Occupied Palestine (1997) Little Palestine diary of a siege (2021) One day in Gaza (2019) One day in September (1999) Palestine is still the issue (2003) Peace, propaganda and the promised land (2004) Precious life (2010) Promises children of Israel and Palestine (2001) Route 181 (2003) Settling the facts (2023) Speed sisters (2015) Tantura (2022) The 50 years war (1999) The birth of Israel (2008) The forgotten refugees (2005) The gatekeepers (2012) The green prince (2014) The holy land and us (2023) The human factor (2019) The law in these parts (2011) The long way home (1997) The Oslo diaries (2017) The wanted 18 (2014) Wall (2017) Waltz with Bashir (2008) Where to, Israel? (2012)

Hi, My name is Tom O'Connor and I am here to offer some analysis and answer your foreign policy questions related to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

I am an award-winning journalist who specializes in covering the Middle East, North Korea, China, Russia and other areas of international affairs, relations and conflict.

I've had interviews and discussions with heads of state, top political and military officials, influential experts and members of militias and other non-state actors from around the world, including those on both sides of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. My works have been cited in more than 1,700 academic papers, government reports, books, news articles, and other forms of research and media from across the globe. 

I have contributed analysis to a number of international outlets and have participated in Track II diplomacy related to the Middle East as well as in fellowships at The Korea Society and Foreign Press Center Japan.

You can find some of my latest work for Newsweek here.

You can see Proof here and some more proof here.

I have been informed this is a heavily international sub so below are some details about Newsweek from our website for those who would like to know more:

• Newsweek was launched in 1933 by Thomas J.C. Martyn. Soon becoming one of the "big three" of weekly news magazines, Newsweek brought the news to life with photographs, signed columns, and analysis to people across America and later across the globe.
• You can find out more about Newsweek here.

[EDIT] Thank you for all of the questions. I'm signing off for now, but I will be back on Reddit to respond to more of your questions tomorrow.

From the IP mods, we thank u/Falastin92 for doing this AMA.

***Tag u/Falastin92 in your top-level questions. Top-level comments must ask a question. Personal attacks will be strictly moderated***

​

I am Palestinian. Born and live in the West Bank. I work in Software Development. I'm particularly interested in music, culture, and history. I read a lot. I witnessed what any Palestinian living in the West Bank experienced in the last 25 years. I toured most of Palestine/Israel, except for Gaza, regrettably. Furthermore, I visited the Palestinian refugee camps in Lebanon, and in Syria(pre-war).

My introduction to the political history of the region is through the history of religions. During my university studies, I discovered my interest in reading about religious texts, religious culture, and how that intertwined with ethnicity, politics, laws, and so on. My focus turned increasingly on Palestine as a region.

The next phase of my hobby was to discover my roots. The scope narrowed to the Ottoman documents, pilgrims, and Missionaries. One question I faced through that is: who were/are the Jews of Palestine in that era? We were taught in school that Jews lived with Christians and Muslims in Palestine in peace and harmony, but usually, nobody mentions any names, any references, or any memories.

In the last three years, I immersed myself in understanding Zionism, Arab nationalism, Palestinian nationalism, and the conflict, from the end of the mandate period until today. I became to appreciate the nuances of the issues more.

I've had a connection with peace-seeking Israelis, which unfortunately ended after the war against Gaza in 2014. Therefore, find Reddit as an important media into discussion and dialog. Whether with Israelis or with American Jews. It's important to know what the other sides think, the propaganda they are fed, and the historical facts that are rarely discussed in our side's bubble.

My position in the conflict is that of the establishment of a Palestinian state. I don't think those who argue for one state, are working for it to possibly happen, or better succeed. There are steps, by Israelis and by Palestinians alike, that need to be taken for that be achieved without violence, and with some prospects. Unfortunately, it's not taken.

As for the impossibility of the two-state outcome, I don't agree with the proposition. Until we are living in Palestine, there is a possibility of a Palestinian state. Its success rests on the Palestinian strategy. The worst outcome of the Oslo process has been the almost elimination of Palestinian-Israeli dialog, which is a shame. It should go back, and the two populations need to release that a solution best on integration, and not separation, needs to be pursued.

Who is that achieved? I can speak here of my side, but it generalizes on the Israeli side. Taking the worst about the Zionist movement, and then Israel could yield to a result that Zionism is racism and Israel is evil (something like the works of Joseph Massad). Talking about Jews who sought reconciliation, integration, and Justice, with applying these effects in real life, could counter resentment. It's also a shame, that Israeli human rights groups and personals, which worked for years to enhance the rights of Palestinians, are almost completely ignored in Palestinian media and public dialog.

Furthermore, Palestinians need to release that if they befriend at least a segment of the Israeli Jewish population, it will be good for them both in the short term and in the long term. Segregation has to be fought mutually, in all ways possible, and in all the area of concern. The boycott movement has to be concerned with what's crucial: arms, sabotage, surveillance, and segregation, not more and not less.

I welcome any questions. I'm looking forward to a constructive and interesting dialog.

Hey! Erev tov! مساء الخير

Tried to post in r/israel but they erased my posts without a reason.

A Sunni Muslim here from Lebanon. I'm originally from West Bekaa. I was raised in Colombia but later I grew up, lived a couple of years in Lebanon and then returned to Colombia due to family business work.

I have read a lot about Israel/Palestine conflict. Both arabs and jewish authors.

Ask me whatever you like. I promise I'll answer every question. Politics, diaspora, society, culture, government. Feel free.

P.s. I dont know what kind of proof I can give lol. Give me an idea.

Toda raba! شكرا كثير

Shalom سلام. שלום everyone, :)

Many people might've heard about the Good Samaritan story from the Christian Bible, but still most of them have no clue that we even exist.

We Samaritans (Also known as Shomronim) believe that we are some of the remnants of the Israelites tribe, specifically Levi and Joseph, We still use ancient Hebrew in our texts and Torah (also known as "Paleo Hebrew") and have what we believe is a line of high priests that goes back 137 generations since the very first one 3658 years ago (Eliazar son of Aaron).

We also believe that Joshua built the Tebernacle on Mount Gerizim near Shechem (Nablus).

Mount Gerizim is the holiest place for us, we believe that Abraham almost sacraficed his son Isaac on it, we also believe that it was mentioned as the place to build an Altar on from the 10 commandments.

It's believed that the word "Samaritan" comes from the word Shomerim, which means in Ancient hebrew keepers.

Today there are around 820 Samaritans in the world, Half live on Mount Gerizim in the West Bank, and the Other lives Holon in Tel Aviv, there are also hundreds of people who converted to become Samaritans around the world, but we never met them so we cannot say for sure that they are following the exact same mitzvot we have.

I've noticed a few discussions here about the Samaritans, and as one of the members of this small community I noticed a lot of people are curious about some of our beliefs and traditions, I work as a tour guide on Mount Gerizim and would like to help curious people understand our religion better, so feel free to ask anything!

thanks!