Technically Jews are a religious grouping; in the real world Jews are defined by a complex web of religious, cultural, ethnic and other communal ties. Israelis (excluding Palestinian citizens of Israel) are Jews who are Israeli citizens.

Language often gets confusing, and is often used in sloppy ways, both internationally and within Israel itself, where "Jews" is often used interchangeably with "Israelis" or "settlers." As a result, Palestinians in the occupied territories often fall into the habit of conflating the terms.