The story of the Palestinian Arabs can perhaps best be described as “a history of ignoring history.” They willfully reject the reality of the Jewish people’s history in the land of Israel. Instead, they substitute a revisionist history of their own invention.
They also disregard their own past. As a people, they refuse to learn from their mistakes and bad choices and instead continue to make the same foolish decisions over and over again, acting both against the realities of the situation and against their own best interests.
But if they refuse to learn from world history or from their own history, they would be wise to learn from American history, particularly that of the South after the American Civil War.
Unhappy with the results of the war and how history remembered and judged it, many in the South felt a need to create a competing narrative, known as “The Lost Cause.” The Lost Cause is a narrative born in the post-Civil War South that reinterprets the Confederacy's defeat, transforming it into a story of noble struggle rather than acknowledging the central role of slavery and the Confederacy’s ambition to preserve it. This revisionist history was not just an attempt to cope with the humiliation of defeat—it was a deliberate effort to reject the true history of the Civil War and recast Southerners as heroes in their own fabricated story.
At the heart of the “Lost Cause” narrative was the rejection of slavery as the primary cause of the war. Instead, it reframed the conflict as a fight for states’ rights, Southern honor, and resistance to Northern aggression. This version of history claimed that Southern leaders, such as General Robert E. Lee, were paragons of virtue who reluctantly took up arms only to defend their homeland. At the same time, Confederate soldiers were painted as selfless and gallant patriots. By doing so, it conveniently erased the Confederacy’s explicit commitment to upholding the institution of slavery as stated in the secession documents of multiple Southern states.
This romanticized narrative was actively constructed and promoted by Southern leaders, writers, and organizations like the United Daughters of the Confederacy (UDC). These groups worked tirelessly to spread the myth of the “Lost Cause” through textbooks, monuments, and public commemorations. School curricula were rewritten to teach children a version of history that glorified the Confederacy, minimized the horrors of slavery, and demonized the Reconstruction era as a time of Northern oppression and corruption.
In rejecting historical truths, the South crafted a story that placed itself as the moral victor, portraying the Confederate cause as honorable and its defeat as the result of sheer Northern might rather than any inherent flaw. This distorted history also painted enslaved people as content and loyal, further justifying the South’s antebellum way of life and enabling the rise of Jim Crow laws and systemic racism in the decades following the war.
The “Lost Cause” narrative became deeply embedded in Southern identity, shaping how generations viewed their history and culture. Confederate monuments erected during the height of the Jim Crow era served as lasting symbols of this mythology, reinforcing the idea of Southern heroism while downplaying the injustice of slavery.
By replacing historical reality with a fabricated narrative, the South sought to reclaim its dignity and position itself as the tragic hero of the Civil War. Yet this rewriting of history came at a significant cost, perpetuating falsehoods that continue to fuel debates about race, memory, and historical accountability. Today, efforts to confront and dismantle the “Lost Cause” are essential to understanding the true legacy of the Civil War and its lasting destructive impact on the United States.
It is undisputable that the South’s “Lost Cause” narrative parallels Palestinian Arabs' efforts to reinterpret history. Both groups have reframed historical events to cast themselves as the heroic victims of injustice. These narratives often downplay inconvenient truths or historical realities while emphasizing their own perceived moral righteousness.
Both the “Lost Cause” and Palestinian Arab narratives involve reshaping the story of their respective conflicts to justify past actions and rally support for their cause. After the Civil War, the Southern states rejected the historical reality that the Confederacy was founded on preserving slavery. Instead, they constructed a narrative that emphasized states’ rights, honor, and resistance to tyranny from a more powerful North bent on oppressing them. This portrayal cast Southerners as noble defenders of their way of life, obscuring the central role of slavery and racial oppression.
Likewise, Palestinian Arabs have sought to rewrite the past to delegitimize the Jewish connection to the land of Israel. They continue to deny historical Jewish ties to Jerusalem and the broader region, despite significant archaeological and historical evidence. This revisionism serves to frame the Israeli-Palestinian conflict as one of colonial conquest, erasing the deep historical roots of Jewish presence in the area.
They also invented new history for themselves, one in which they are the rightful and native inhabitants of the land. In their fiction, the Palestinian Arabs have always existed, and have been natives living in the land to such a point that the entire history of the region must not only be overlooked, but completely rewritten to support their claims.
Once they’ve crafted their alternate narrative, both recast their side in this narrative as the innocent one, attacked from without by hostile forces. Whatever crimes or wrongs they might have committed were only acts of self-defense against a stronger invader. In both cases, these narratives emphasize victimhood and moral superiority, portraying themselves as underdog defenders against an oppressive aggressor.
With the Lost Cause, the South reimagined itself as the victim of Northern aggression, ignoring its role as the instigator of the Civil War through secession and rebellion. By doing so they positioned themselves as tragic heroes fighting for a just cause.
Palestinian Narratives similarly portray themselves as the victims of Israeli aggression, occupation, and displacement. The narratives rewrite history and omit the actual causes of the conflict, including the actions of Arab states during Israel’s formation and rejection of partition plans.
As an illustration, consider the Palestinian Arabs’ attempt to reimagine Israel’s war for independence as the so-called “Palestinian Nakba.” They claim that, rather than being brought in as workers from outside countries by the early Jewish Zionists, they were the original inhabitants of the land. They then pretend that prior to 1948 Palestinian Arabs lived a quiet, tranquil existence as modest olive tree farmers and fishermen who led peaceful lives. What few Jews might have lived in the area lived in blissful harmony with their Arab neighbors.
Everything changed, the argument went, with the emergence of Zionist forces during the period of British imperialism, which resulted in violent incursions, the destruction of villages, and the appropriation of Palestinian Arab land.
Their false historical portrayal frames these actions within a context of malevolence, contrasting the perceived nobility of the Arab populace, who, despite their efforts to resist, were ultimately overwhelmed by the more powerful Zionist military forces. Importantly, the conflict has been reframed to emphasize that it arose not from the desire to exterminate Jews, but from a struggle to defend one's homeland.
The event referred to as the "Nakba," meaning catastrophe, is used to denote the profound tragedy experienced by over 750,000 Palestinian refugees, reflecting the devastating consequences of this period on the Arab community, instead of its true intention: their attempt at the systematic and complete extermination of the entire Jewish population and the subsequent results of their failure to achieve this horrendous dream.
To support their newly invented past, both Confederates and Palestinian Arabs then must rely on the suppression of inconvenient truths. Both narratives involve suppressing or denying parts of history that conflict with their constructed identity.
The South’s myth of the Lost Cause glosses over the Confederacy’s explicit commitment to slavery, as documented in its own secession declarations while romanticizing the antebellum era. Palestinian narratives downplay or outright deny the historical expulsions of Jewish communities from Arab lands, the indigenous and consistent Jewish presence in the land, and the rejection of peace initiatives that might have resolved the conflict earlier.
It would be easy to brush the comparisons aside as little more than a common enough case of history repeating itself. Yet, the two situations do not just parallel a past conflict. They continue to have a real and tangible influence on the present. Both narratives have had lasting impacts on modern identity and politics, complicating reconciliation and peace.
The glorification of the Confederacy contributed to systemic racism, the entrenchment of segregation, and resistance to civil rights movements. These evils continue to the present day. It’s a philosophy that has let hate groups like the Ku Klux Klan continue to find members, as well as countless other racist beliefs and attitudes to gain acceptance. It has become so ingrained in many Southerners that they never even think to question the validity of the belief.
With regard to the Palestinian Arab narratives, it's clear to anyone witnessing the current events that historical revisionism has fueled ongoing tensions, making it harder to achieve any form of peace. Denying historical connections undermines dialogue and fosters distrust against Jews by Palestinian Arabs and the West. It also leads to a justification of the unprecedented level of Jew-hatred and antisemitic attacks that have recently occurred around the world.
In both cases, the contexts center around issues of sovereignty, identity, and history. Both groups have used historical revisionism to craft narratives that position themselves as moral heroes. It’s therefore important that the Palestinian Arabs be able to see themselves in the Lost Cause, and therefore learn it’s lessons.
It’s understandable why the Palestinian Arabs would want to cling to their fiction. These narratives provide comfort to a people desperately in need of encouragement, as well as offering a sense of unity and purpose. But it will never lead to a meaningful existence for them.
I don’t claim that it’s a perfect parallel. For one thing, the Confederacy actually lasted for four years, unlike Palestine, which never existed in any way shape or form. For another, the South was fighting on their own land, while the Palestinian Arabs are the invaders.
But the similarities are too strong to dismiss. It’s no wonder that David Duke, former grand wizard of the Knights of the Ku Klux Klan, is a staunch supporter of the Palestinian Arab cause. After all, Hamas is nothing but the Klan with better public relations.
When the Palestinian Arabs, and the Western world, believe in these narratives they accept a version of history that ignores critical facts and realities. Historical truth is essential for understanding the causes and consequences of conflicts. By rejecting facts (be they the Confederacy’s foundation on slavery or the Jewish historical connection to Israel), societies cannot learn from the past to make informed decisions for the future. This distortion reinforces biases, undermines accountability, and fuels further misinformation.
Revisionist narratives like the Palestinian Arabs justify and obscure systems of oppression and harm. By refusing to acknowledge the Jewish connection to the land, for example, they delegitimize Jewish rights and fuel hostility, making peace and coexistence harder to achieve. Constructed myths also prevent open and honest dialogue, which is necessary for healing and resolution. Historical denialism contributes to entrenched positions in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, making the Palestinian Arabs less willing to compromise.
The result is an approach that can never lead to peace. Believing in these narratives simply engrains the Palestinian Arabs with an "us vs. them" mentality, which only serves to escalate conflicts. Denying historical realities and vilifying the Jews only intensifies distrust and fuels extremism. Moreover, when people buy into revisionist narratives, they often avoid taking responsibility for their actions or their ancestors’ roles in historical injustices. Denying their responsibility for failed peace processes simply perpetuates a sense of victimhood rather than encouraging constructive solutions.
This is why today we see within the Palestinian Arabs a complete stalling of social and political progress. Holding onto unyielding myths prevents realistic solutions to complex problems, leaving those who believe in them stuck in conflict.
In the end, Palestinian Arabs have created an unsustainably fragile identity for themselves. When identities are built on myths, they are more vulnerable to collapse when confronted with reality. A narrative that denies historical realities rather than integrating them into a broader story will weaken collective identity over time.
The Palestinian Arabs must learn that believing in historical revisionism might feel comforting or empowering in the short term, but it leads to a distorted worldview that hinders growth and cooperation. Societies that confront their history honestly—acknowledging both their achievements and their flaws—are better equipped to address present challenges and build a more equitable future.
Truth-telling is a cornerstone of justice, reconciliation, and lasting peace. By rejecting myths and embracing historical realities, Palestinian Arabs actually have a chance to move forward.
Otherwise, their delusions will lead to the same doomed ending. “From the river to the sea.” Is simply the new “The South will rise again.”
For the Palestinian Arabs learning from the pitfalls of revisionist narratives like the South’s “Lost Cause” is essential for forging a path to a real future. Clinging to myths and denying historical realities—such as the Jewish people’s ancient connection to the land or Arab’s responsibility in the conflict—only delays their own progress.
History shows that true strength lies not in rewriting the past to suit a narrative but in confronting it with honesty and courage. By acknowledging the actuality of history and embracing the hard truths, Palestinian Arabs can start from the true foundation of their identity, and from there foster meaningful dialogue with Israelis, as well as take definite steps toward a future where peace, whatever that ends up looking like, replaces the cycle of denial and conflict.
It's nice to think that this can happen. But I won’t bet my country on it. Most likely, it will prove impossible for the Palestinian Arabs to completely change their entire worldview, a worldview based on the belief that a comforting lie is better than an unpleasant truth.
It’s a shame. Accepting the past is the only chance the Palestinian Arabs have of a future.
Ilan Goodman is a museum collections professional and exhibition curator. He also serves as a rabbi and educator. He made Aliyah to Israel in 2011 and lives with his wife and children in Beit Shemesh.