Former President Barack Obama has sparked criticism after accusing Jews who sought refuge in the Land of Israel of taking land from its Arab inhabitants and acting excessively, remarks that critics say disregard the Jewish people’s historical connection to Eretz Yisroel and the extensive legal purchase of property by Jewish communities before the establishment of the state.

Speaking before approximately 7,000 people in Belfast, Northern Ireland, Obama acknowledged centuries of persecution suffered by Jews, particularly in Europe, before arguing that the establishment of a Jewish homeland had involved injustices against the local Arab population.

“The fact is that the Jewish people, for millennia, were oppressed, discriminated against, killed,” Obama said. “Europe was responsible for much of it. They understandably sought a refuge. That is undeniable.”

He then added: “What is also undeniable is that they took land off people and they were excessive. And those people understandably said, ‘This is injustice and I want my land back.'”

The comments came during a public discussion with journalist and author Susan McKay at Belfast’s O2 arena, part of Obama’s speaking tour in the United Kingdom and Ireland. Earlier that day, he had received an honorary doctorate from Queen’s University Belfast.

Obama’s description of Jewish settlement drew objections from pro-Israel commentators, who argued that his account failed to distinguish between land purchased legally by Jews during the Ottoman and British Mandate periods and the displacement of Palestinian Arabs during the 1948 war.

Jewish communities had existed in Eretz Yisroel long before the modern Zionist movement, including in Yerushalayim, Tzefas, Teveria, and Chevron. During the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, Jewish organizations and private individuals purchased substantial tracts of land, frequently from Arab landowners, including absentee owners residing outside the territory.

Critics noted that Obama’s formulation presented Jewish settlement primarily as a response to European persecution, without adequately addressing the Jewish people’s ancient religious and historical ties to the land.

The circumstances surrounding Israel’s establishment in 1948 also remain central to the dispute over the former president’s remarks. The United Nations approved a partition proposal in November 1947 calling for separate Jewish and Arab states. Jewish leaders accepted the proposal, while Arab leaders rejected it.

Fighting began following the partition vote, and armies from neighboring Arab countries entered the conflict after Israel declared independence in May 1948. Hundreds of thousands of Palestinian Arabs fled or were expelled from their homes during the war, while Jewish communities also faced attacks and displacement, including the expulsion of Jews from the Old City of Yerushalayim.

Obama’s remarks did not address these historical developments in detail, prompting critics to argue that his characterization left listeners with an incomplete account of how the conflict developed.

The former president went on to criticize the current Israeli government, suggesting that Israel’s military strength had encouraged its leaders to believe they could impose their preferred outcome without making meaningful concessions.

Obama argued that if Israel’s position was that its regional superiority entitled it to take what it wanted, “you have ceded moral ground.”

He said “the current Israeli government appears to have taken that” position and maintained that Israeli leaders must recognize that “7 million Palestinians are not going anywhere.”

Obama urged Israelis to reconsider how future generations would coexist with the Arab population, questioning whether the country could rely indefinitely on military superiority and physical barriers for its security.

“The citizenry of Israel has to rethink, to reimagine,” Obama said, asking, “how are your children and grandchildren going to live in this region? Are you just going to be behind walls and wipe out everybody around you, or are you going to find some just way of defending yourself while still acting in an ethical, moral way?”

At the same time, Obama directed criticism toward Palestinian political and military strategy, arguing that Palestinian leaders must recognize the impossibility of defeating Israel through armed confrontation.

He said the Palestinian approach must be one “that is not premised on beating their military.”

Obama urged Palestinians to pursue political and nonviolent methods rather than attempting to overcome Israel’s military capabilities, saying that efforts to secure change through force had repeatedly failed.

Referring specifically to Hamas’ October 7, 2023, massacre in southern Israel, Obama said, “you could not have designed something that was less likely to produce meaningful change.”

His remarks reflected a longstanding position that both Israelis and Palestinians must acknowledge the other’s continued presence in the region and pursue a political settlement rather than attempting to achieve their objectives through military force alone.

During his presidency, Obama frequently clashed with Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu over Israeli settlement policy and the prospects for a Palestinian state. His administration nevertheless maintained extensive security cooperation with Israel and signed a ten-year, $38 billion military assistance agreement in 2016.

In December of that year, the United States abstained from a United Nations Security Council vote on Resolution 2334, allowing a resolution condemning Israeli settlements to pass. The decision drew sharp criticism from Netanyahu and other Israeli officials, who accused the Obama administration of abandoning Israel at the international body.

Obama’s latest statements also come as he has reentered Democratic electoral politics ahead of the November midterm elections. Days before his Belfast appearance, he recorded a campaign advertisement supporting Abdul El-Sayed, the Democratic Senate candidate in Michigan who has called for ending American military assistance to Israel and has accused the Jewish state of genocide in Gaza.

The Belfast appearance was part of a broader speaking tour during which Obama discussed democracy, international affairs, and political polarization. He also warned that democratic institutions cannot be taken for granted and expressed concern about the direction of American and international politics.