To explore the onset of the current violence in Israel and the Gaza Strip, it is best to look back at the history that has shaped the region. A more recent time and place would be the formation of the state of Israel in 1947. Another – much
further back – would be to the biblical story of Yahweh parting the Red Sea and assisting the Israelites in escaping captivity in Egypt. That story tells us that the Lord of Israel brought his chosen people to a Promised Land.