From the Sand Dunes #1: The Birth of Tel Aviv
A new weekly series covering the history of Tel Aviv. Please like and share.
Standing beside Weiss House at 1 Herzl Street, in the heart of Tel Aviv, is not such a pleasant experience. The traffic growls, drivers roar, the transportation veins of the bustling city throb.
Things were very different here in 1909. This was one of the first houses constructed in Tel Aviv. It was built by Akiva Arieh Weiss, who led the project of planning the First Hebrew City just north of the ancient port city of Jaffa.
Tel Aviv did not exist back then. This new residential neighborhood was known as Ahuzat Bayit (Homestead) and would only be officially renamed Tel Aviv in 1910.
Weiss was the leader of the Ahuzat Bayit association, which comprised a group of 66 families that wanted to create a new Jewish neighborhood outside of the crowded (and often dangerous) Arab port of Jaffa. They were far from the ‘land-stealing colonizers’ portrayed by the anti-Israel movement.
The area was under Ottoman rule, and the plots (famously featuring a bunch of sand dunes) were legally purchased from three Arab-Christian families from Jaffa.
While Weiss was the primary figure behind the establishment of Tel Aviv, he sadly died one year before he could see Israel achieve independence in 1948. He is buried in Trumpeldor Cemetery.
John Costello retweeted
Eric Hoffer is the man.
Eric Hoffer wrote this article about Israel almost 60 years go. It reads like it was written yesterday.
"The Jews are a peculiar people: things permitted to other nations are forbidden to the Jews.
Other nations drive out thousands, even millions of people and there is no refugee problem. Russia did it, Poland and Czechoslovakia did it, Turkey threw out a million Greeks, and Algeria a million Frenchmen. Indonesia threw out heaven knows how many Chinese-and no one says a word about refugees. But in the case of Israel the displaced Arabs have become eternal refugees. Everyone insists that Israel must take back every single Arab. Arnold Toynbee calls the displacement of the Arabs an atrocity greater than any committed by the Nazis.
Other nations when victorious on the battlefield dictate peace terms. But when Israel is victorious it must sue for peace. Everyone expects the Jews to be the only real Christians in this world.
Other nations when they are defeated survive and recover but should Israel be defeated it would be destroyed. Had Nasser triumphed last June he would have wiped Israel off the map, and no one would have lifted a finger to save the Jews.
No commitment to the Jews by any government, including our own, is worth the paper it is written on. There is a cry of outrage all over the world when people die in Vietnam or when two Negroes are executed in Rhodesia. But when Hitler slaughtered Jews no one remonstrated with him.
The Swedes, who are ready to break of diplomatic relations with America because of what we do in Vietnam, did not let out a peep when Hitler was slaughtering Jews. They sent Hitler choice iron ore, and ball bearings, and serviced his troop trains to Norway.
The Jews are alone in the world. If Israel survives, it will be solely because of Jewish efforts. And Jewish resources. Yet at this moment Israel is our only reliable and unconditional ally. We can rely more on Israel than Israel can rely on us. And one has only to imagine what would have happened last summer had the Arabs and their Russian backers won the war to realize how vital the survival of Israel is to America and the West in general.
I have a premonition that will not leave me; as it goes with Israel so will it go with all of us. Should Israel perish the holocaust will be upon us."
John Costello retweeted
Why are we still apologizing?
Jewish and Israeli contributions to cancer research, technology, and disaster relief are worth celebrating.
We're so busy defending ourselves that we forget to tell those stories.
I'm proud of what we've built and the lives we've helped.
Stop apologizing. Own the light.
#Israel #JewishPride #IsraeliInnovation #Zionism #JewishIdentity
John Costello retweeted
If you support Palestine and keep screaming “genocide” after watching this video, there’s no fixing your level of hate and idiocy.
John Costello retweeted
The most effective weapon against Israel has been redefining words until self-defense becomes the crime.
“Genocide” once meant the deliberate attempt to destroy a people. Hamas wrote that goal into its charter, yet the army fighting it is the one called genocidal.
“Apartheid,” “colonialism,” “occupation”—same method. Change the meaning and repeat the new one so many times it becomes gospel.
The only real "offense" to those fighting linguistic warfare is the very existence of the world's only Jewish state.
John Costello retweeted
We’ve been badly misunderstanding what antisemitism actually *is* and it’s holding us back. That can now change.
Welcome to The Pattern theory of antisemitism, by @DavidDeutschOxf
The print (short) version of my @Telegraph column
John Costello retweeted
Those of us, myself included, who were targets of Gillick's anti-Jewish abuse on this platform, will never forget how he initially claimed that his account was "hacked" and that he wasn't responsible for the antisemitic content
And how so many people, so many "humanitarians," were willing to accept his obvious lies
Message to the anonymous Irish accounts that engage in antisemitic incitement on a daily basis: one day, you cowards will be exposed as well
Tick tock
John Banvill, paraphrased:
Ireland is deeply antisemitic
People perceive Jews as white and so it's easier for lazy minds to digest Jews Vs Arabs compared with other conflicts like Yemen, for example — Arabs Vs Arabs
Terrible as what’s happening in Gaza is, it's not genocide
John Costello retweeted
There still remain questions to answer.
AIG executive accused of posting anti-Semitic comments no longer working for company
irishtimes.com/ireland/2026/…
John Costello retweeted
If you watch one thing today, make it Orens incredible synopsis on the root of Ireland's obsession with the worlds only Jewish state.
On Ireland's political and activist class: "They look out the window, and see only themselves".
🎯🎯🎯
John Costello retweeted
The absolute paranoid delusion on display here is breathtaking to behold
Believing that Israel is "hostile" to Ireland is absurd. Israel fully recognizes Ireland's right to exist
Furthermore, Ireland isn't remotely a campaign issue in Israel's democratic elections; whereas in Ireland, academics & politicians are constantly libeling and slandering the world's only Jewish State, sometimes tripping over one another to see whose words can be the most inflammatory
Greetings from Trumpeldor Beach in Tel Aviv. Before Hamas destroyed Gaza, the Palestinians also used to enjoy relaxing on the beaches there. They are legendary for their beauty. So, I am blowing a kiss to the Pro-Palestinians in this video hoping they will unite to Free Gaza from Hamas. Have a beautiful week.
John Costello retweeted
Newstalk has now covered the latest antisemitic scandal engulfing Official Ireland: a hotel's decision to cancel the accommodations for the attendees of a conference about how to fight antisemitism!
newstalk.com/news/herbert-pa…
John Costello retweeted
I am in shock. I started to actively use X at the end of August this year. I was annoyed and angered at the anti-Semitic tropes being used freely in the mainstream media, the representation of Israel and the intimidation of the Jewish community in Ireland and around the world. I had had enough. So I started posting. By the end of September I had about 80 followers. Yesterday, when I woke I had 1.4k. Then I posted the first in my series entitled “Everything You Think You Know About Israel is (Probably) Wrong”. This morning I have 14k followers. I want to thank everyone who helped along the way, for the likes, follows and reposts. Please know this is only the beginning. Having worked in the media and seeing the level of antisemitism and misinformation out there, I am going to be an antidote. I am Israeli. I stand with the Jews and those who are pro-Israeli. I have no energy for the lies, hate and bile of antisemites and pro-Palestinians. Please spread the word. The next installment of “Everything You Think You Know About Israel is (Probably) Wrong” will be published in the coming days. Thank you from my heart.✊🇮🇱✡️💪❤️
John Costello retweeted
Replying to @CostelloDiamond
Why am I a Zionist? - Dale Wen dalewen.substack.com/p/why-a…
John Costello retweeted
Replying to @CostelloDiamond
When I saw this been allowed on Dublin Streets I knew Ireland is in trouble
The lack of honesty in Ireland around the conflict in Gaza is pretty obscene. Louis Walsh is a washed-up boyband manager and on the country’s main talk show chastised Bono and U2 regarding Gaza. Problem is, neither Bono or U2 claimed there was a genocide taking place. Bono actually said: “There’s all this semantic back and forth over genocide, and it’s a legal term, and the ICC and the ICJ will rule on it eventually.”
Irish Media+Gaza = Lies
independent.ie/irish-news/it…
John Costello retweeted
به عنوان یک زن« مسلمان زاده» ایرانی که توحش و تحجر و بیعدالتی اسلام رو تجربه کرده ٫ کاملا و از صمیم قلب با یهودیها همدرد و همدلم . به امید روزی که در شادی همدیگه شریک باشیم .
I want you to do one thing today. Please SHARE THIS POST. All of us who support Israel are used to the hate we get online. But Jewish people and their families around the world get this hate in their face. They are feeling scared and isolated. Many have messaged me. They need our support more than ever. We have to stand up and be counted — now. Please share this post on your profile and show them they are not alone. ✊✡️❤️


























