JRMI: Jerry Robinson Ministries International

The Arab-Israeli Conflict

Written by Jerry Robinson
Originally Posted on 3/28/2005

It appears that once again, the Arab-Israeli conflict has worked its way to the forefront of the world's conscious, dominating world headlines with a recent rash of suicide bombings and more attempts by world leaders to bring peace to the region through diplomacy.

Recently, while in a debate about the Arab-Israeli conflict, I realized that many Americans are uninformed about the crisis. Sure, we turn on the television at night to find some suicide bomber has blown himself up in a public place leaving many Israelis wounded or dead, but how many of us know the root of the terror? Having passionately studied the conflict in both the American and the foreign media, I believe there are some myths surrounding the topic that need to be dispelled. However, it would be foolish, if not impossible, to attempt to interpret the present-day tension without first understanding a basic history of the region and its people.

A Brief History of the Jewish People

The plight of the Jewish people and the struggle for their homeland in modern day Israel may not have an equal in either duration or intensity in all of recorded history. Since the inception and establishment of the Biblical land known as Israel by the early Jewish settlers until the creation of the modern-day state of Israel by the United Nations in 1948, no other land or people have endured such consistent persecution. In fact, throughout their entire history, the Jews have found hostility in every country in which they settled. In the aftermath of two exiles, documented worldwide persecution, and the horror of the Nazi-led holocaust during WWII, in which an estimated six million Jews were brutally massacred, the Jewish race remains intact and thrives to this day.

According to Mitchell G. Bard, Ph.D., a leading expert on the Middle East crisis, the Jews maintain their claim to the land of Israel with at least four basic premises.

God's promise to Abraham

First, the Jews believe that God promised the land of Israel to their forefather Abraham. Almost all of the confusion stemming from the Arab-Israeli crisis finds it roots in examining the life of Abraham.

The patriarch Abraham was a wealthy livestock owner from an important ancient city known called Ur. The Torah records in Genesis 12:1,2: "Now the Lord had said unto Abram, Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from, thy father's house, unto a land that I will show thee. And I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless them that bless thee, and make thy name great; and thou shalt be a blessing." (KJV)

A few verses later, the Torah records that the Lord says to Abraham, "Look now toward heaven, and tell the stars, if thou be able to number them, so shall be thy seed." (Gen. 15:5 KJV)

In order for Abraham to become a father of many nations as promised, he needed to bear children. Unfortunately, his wife Sarah was barren. According to both Islamic and Jewish history, Sarah encouraged Abraham to have sexual relations with their servant girl, Hagar, in order that the promise from God might be fulfilled. In time, Hagar bore a child named Ishmael, who Muslims claim as their ancestor. (Muslims believe the prophet Mohammed was a direct descendent of Ishmael.)

The Torah says that God is displeased with Abraham's lack of faith and that his covenant with Abraham will continue only through a child born to his natural wife Sarah. Miraculously, Sarah gives birth to a baby boy named Isaac.

Isaac or Ishmael?

In ancient times, a family's firstborn child was the benefactor of all the family wealth and was to carry on the family name. Since Ishmael was technically Abraham's firstborn child, the Muslims argue that they are entitled to the land promised to Abraham. Unfortunately for the Muslims, Ishmael was an illegitimate child and therefore not considered the true firstborn by God. Therefore, Isaac, as the legitimate firstborn, would be the benefactor of God's promises to his father Abraham. Isaac bore Jacob; Jacob bore Joseph, and so on...

It is at this juncture that the Arabs and the Israelis historically part ways. History records them at odds with each other since this point.

Jewish Development of the Land

Second, Jewish settlement and development of the land of the Israel is an undisputed historical fact. The Jews have maintained a constant presence in the land for over 3500 years. Around 1000 B.C., King David proclaimed the city of Jerusalem as Israel's capital. Later, David's son Solomon built the first Jewish temple on the present-day area of the Temple Mount. Throughout history, the Jews called Israel their homeland and Jerusalem their capital.

U.N. Establishment of Modern-Day Israel

Third, the Jews base their claims to the land on the political sovereignty given to them by the international community. The wake of World War I changed the face of the Middle East forever. The victors of the war, namely Britain and France, carved up the region into separate states despite extreme Arab opposition. Britain gained control of the land of Israel, which had been renamed 'Palestine' by the Roman Empire, and pledged to establish "a national home for the Jewish people." (Balfour Declaration-1917) Under the British Mandate, Palestine would be divided into two districts. The Jews would be permitted to live in the western half. The Eastern half would become Jordan.

Land Captured By War

Finally, the Jews based their claim to the land of Israel because they had captured the contested areas through wars of self-defense. These wars include the War of Independence in 1948, and the Six-Day war in 1967.

Dispelling the Myths

Many untruths have been spawned through biased media coverage of this perpetual conflict. Many times the violence in the region is simply attributed to the 'mutual hatred' that exists between the Jew and the Arab. Many studies consistently find that most people hold firm opinions on the conflict despite having little or no knowledge of its origins. The media has certainly helped foster these strong opinions by portraying Israel as heavy-handed warlord country who metes out judgment on the displaced Palestinian people without any justification. Let's consider some of the popular myths surrounding this conflict one at a time.

Myth #1: The Palestinians deserve a homeland in Israel with Jerusalem as its capital because they have always lived in the immediate area.

Fact: Arab refugees in Israel began identifying themselves as Palestinians in 1967, two decades after the establishment of the modern State of Israel. There are currently eight or nine nationalities that make up the modern day Palestinian people. Instead of returning to their original homelands, they desire to live in Israel, a sovereign Jewish nation. While the Arabs claim that Jerusalem has always been an important city to them, history shows that Jerusalem has never been the capital of any Arab or Muslim entity.

Myth #2: The Jews really have no legal right to the land of Israel.

Fact: According to ancient history, Israel became a nation in 1312 B.C., coincidentally 2,000 years before the rise of Islam. The ancient Jewish monarch, King David, established the city of Jerusalem. Although dispersed and exiled at various times, the Jews have always lived in the land of Israel.

Myth #3: The Arab Muslims deserve the city of Jerusalem because it is a holy city to Islam.

Fact: While Muslims claim that Jerusalem is a holy city to the Islamic faith, interestingly, it not mentioned once in the Koran. On the contrary, Jerusalem is mentioned over 700 times in the Jewish Holy scriptures. Also, Mohammed, the founder of Islam, never visited the city during his earthly life.

Myth #4: The Israeli armed forces provoke terror upon themselves by being too dominating.

Fact: On May 14, 1948, Israel was declared a sovereign nation by the United Nations with the backing of the United States. On May 15, six Arab nations attacked Israel. The Arabs refused to recognize the Jewish right to the land. Miraculously, Israel defeated the Arab invaders without any organized military. Despite five separate Arab attacks since the inception of the modern state of Israel, the Jews have defended and defeated their enemies on every occasion. Except for the invasion of Lebanon in 1982 to stop missile attacks by the PLO on civilian targets and a pre-emptive strike on Egypt prior to the Six Day War, Israel has sought peace with its neighbors.

As the only pure democracy in the entire Middle East, Israel's desire for peace is only logical. After 55 years of attempting to obtain a lasting peace, I applaud their efforts and determination. The way I see it, those who truly favor democracy, favor Israel.

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The Arab-Israeli Conflict