It is a land of mountains and valleys that drinks rain from heaven. It is a land the Lord your God cares for; the eyes of the Lord your God are continually on it from the beginning of the year to its end.
Deuteronomy 11: 11b-12
Throughout history this piece of land has had many names, Canaan, Israel and Palestine. Today however, it is once again known as Israel. It is the furtile and flourishing sliver of land that runs between the river Jordan and the Mediterranean Sea and also the Negev desert down to Eilat. All countries of the world belong to God, but only to this piece of land does He repeatedly refer as 'My land'.
A firm promise
God promised this piece of land to His own people thousands of years ago, saying to Abraham:
The whole land of Canaan, where you are now an alien, I will give as an everlasting possession to you and your descendants after you; and I will be their God.
Genesis 17:8
The amount of times that this promise is repeated in the Bible – 47 times – shows us just how serious God was about it. Not only did he declare it to Abraham, but he reconfirmed it by promising the same thing first to his son Isaac and after that to Jacob, his grandson and the forefather of the Jewish people.
God's promise to Israel is not only serious, it is also specific. God clearly states that His promise is for 'the whole land of Canaan' to be 'an everlasting possession'. That means that the piece of land from Jordan to the Mediterranean Sea belongs to the Jews even when they are not there. For example, in times of exile.
Wars fought over the land
However, throughout history many nations, and particularly the Arabs, have contended the ownership of this piece of land as bestowed on the Jews by God. As descendants of Ishmael and Esau, the Arabs descend from Abraham just as the Jews do. They too were given land. A lot of land in fact – about 250 times as much as Israel – and land with a lot of natural resources such as oil. God's own land though was reserved for His own people. Yet, for more than 80 years, this land has been fought over.
The trouble first started in the 1920's. At that time, the land started to flourish as a result of the Jews' hard work in clearing the land. That prosperity attracted a large number of poor Arabs from the surrounding Arab nations to the former Palestine. In the beginning it was fine, but before long local Arabs and groups of 'import-Arabs' started to pledge terrorist attacks on the Jewish villages and kibbutz'. That was the beginning of it all.
After WOII, the United Nations approved the founding of a Jewish state, Israel, declaring that the land was to be divided amongst the Jews and the Arabs. Israel agreed to this, but five Arab states started a destructive war against the newly founded Jewish state. The Arab aggression that started what is called the War of Independence of 1948, resulted in many Palestinian refugees. It was won by Israel, but the land that was reserved for the Arabs in Israel. Instead of protesting against such an action or demanding Jordan to found a Palestinian state in that area, they simply took to terrorism again. Constant Arab aggression and terrorism also led to several wars after that: the Sinai War (1956), the Six-Day War (1967), and the Jom Kippoer War (1973). During the Six-Day War, Israel managed to conquer the Westbank from Jordan and Gaza from Egypt. These wars were then followed by two Palestinian Intifada's, of which the last still continues. So many wars about the land God reserved for His people, Israel.
The Bible is right
As the fights over the land of Israel continue, those involved in it should beware. In the Bible we find the following prophecy:
In those days and at that time, when I restore the fortunes of Judah and Jerusalem, I will gather all nations and bring them down to the Valley of Jehosaphat. There I will enter into judgment against them concerning my inheritance, my people Israel, for they scattered my people among the nations and divided up my land.
Joel 3:1-2
This prophecy was spoken more than 2,800 years ago, but is particularly real today. After all, it refers to our day and age 'when I restore the fortunes of Judah'. That is clearly our day and age. After that it says that 'all nations' will come to the Valley of Jehosaphat. That valley is very close to Jerusalem. It is quite likely that this passage refers to a UN peace corps, in which 'all nations' are represented. Not only the UN, but also the US, the EU and even the NAVO are working on getting together a peace corps for the Middle East. And then, beware, because at that time, God's judgment is going to fall upon two things. Firstly, the century-old persecution of the Jews. God does not forget! And secondly, the division of God's land that is currently taking place.
Isn't the Bible real and true! And aren't those with political power playing a dangerous game!
Palestinian rights
All of this does not mean in the least that the Palestinians have no rights whatsoever. On the contrary, in God's book, the Torah, we find information about their rights. It states that strangers – which is what they are in God's land – have certain rights as long as they behave themselves correctly. But the Bible doesn't speak about a Palestinian state within the Promised Land. We are well aware that politically this issue is much more complicated, but will not go into this right here.
A happy end
The end of this almost irresolvable conflict is a disaster for that 'peace corps'. We have seen that according to the prophet Joel almost all of the world will get into trouble with this land issue. God Himself will intervene and judge them severely. A war will also start over the holy city of Jerusalem; a matter that we will discuss further on. In the end, various prophets say that Israel will live peacefully. Under the direction of the Messiah, Israel will be a blessing at the centre of the earth.
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