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When Dublin officials moved to strip the name of Chaim Herzog—Israel’s Irish-born sixth president—from a community park, it wasn't just a local dispute. It was an act of erasure. In this emotional episode, Dr. Alexandra Herzog, AJC’s Director of the William Petschek Global Jewish Communities Department, explains why this attempt to rewrite history should alarm not only Jews.

What is the West Bank? The West Bank is a land of profound historical and religious significance to Jewish, Christian, and Muslim faiths and a focal point of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. This hilly, landlocked territory is home to both vibrant Palestinian communities and longstanding Jewish settlements, with governance divided between Israel and the Palestinian Authority. Its history, which goes back to biblical times, is of strategic and cultural importance, making it central to efforts towards a negotiated peace.

The Gaza Strip is a 141-square-mile Palestinian enclave located near Israel’s southwestern tip. After the Israeli withdrawal in 2005, the coastal territory has been under the control of the Iran-backed Hamas terrorist group. Hamas has launched several significant attacks against Israel from its base in Gaza, including in 2008, 2009, 2014, 2021, and most recently the Israel-Hamas War on October 7, 2023, when Hamas terrorists murdered over 1,200 Israelis, wounded over 12,000, and took 251 hostages.

After more than two years of war following Hamas’ October 7 massacre, Israel and Hamas have agreed to the first phase of a U.S.-brokered peace deal to end the Gaza conflict. Announced by President Donald Trump on October 8, the agreement—based on his 20-point peace plan—includes the release of all 48 Israeli hostages, a partial Israeli troop withdrawal, and the exchange of nearly 2,000 Palestinian prisoners.

More than two years after Hamas' massacre of Israelis on October 7, 2023, Palestinian terror groups are still holding one hostage captive in Gaza.