By Howard Green
Who is the rightful owner of the most contested piece of real estate in the world? Everyone seems to have an answer to this question that has captured the world’s attention. The Bible prophesies a time when the nation of Israel and Jerusalem in particular, will be a burdensome stone to the nations of the earth. In light of recent political events, I believe we are seeing the beginnings of what Zechariah wrote about almost 2,600 years ago. The media, politicians, and pop culture have made the Jews out to be the ‘problem’……again. This is because many choose to believe a popular lie and ignore the facts about Palestine.
Zechariah 12:3 And in that day will I make Jerusalem a burdensome stone for all people: all that burden themselves with it shall be cut in pieces, though all the people of the earth be gathered together against it.
When you reduce the Israeli-Palestinian issue down to the ridiculous, you will find it’s root cause. The cause is the lie about ownership and what I will call “the Palestinian lie” in particular.
The premise of the Palestinian lie is quite simple: Tell a lie often enough and people will believe it. That strategy has worked……and worked so well that it is hard to find a person who will ask three fundamental questions:
Who are the Palestinian people, where did they originate from, and do they have a legitimate claim to the holy land?
Before we dive deeper into this article I want to make an important point. This article is not meant to vilify the so called Palestinian people. The point of this article is to focus on the lie that has made the situation in the Middle East go from bad to worse and how it will ultimately be used as fuel to turn the all nations against Israel. As you read on please understand this: God sent His Son to die for the sins of all people, Jew and gentile alike. God loves the Arab people at the center of this land dispute as well.
It is the prayer and hope of this ministry that many Arab people will come to a saving knowledge of Jesus and to that end, we provide evangelistic resources in many languages including Arabic.
The Palestinian lie is quite simple: Society is continually repeating the lie that there is in fact…a Palestinian people. How do you refute a lie? You confront it with truth. Not just one individual’s version of the truth, but truth rooted in historical, documented, and verifiable facts. In consideration of our reader’s time, my intent isn’t to write a doctoral dissertation about who the holy land belongs to, because that subject could fill volumes. I encourage you to do some self study and examine the facts for yourself and come to a logical conclusion. I do want to briefly mention a few historical and biblical facts that will answer the three fundamental questions.
Who are the “Palestinian” people?
The terms Palestine and Palestinian have origins dating back to the second century AD. It is a well documented historical record and matter of fact that the Roman Empire and it’s ruler Hadrian wanted to get rid of all Jewish identity in the region. He used the name of Israel’s ancient foes…the Philistines and renamed the land Palaestina. The Philistines were located to the north of Israel in modern coastal Lebanon and parts of Syria. The term Palestine was rarely used until Israel declared her Independence in 1948. The term “Palestinian” wasn’t widely used until the 1960s and 1970s. Yasser Arafat, a well known terrorist….was the chairman of the PLO (Palestine Liberation Organization) and his goal was to legitimize a people and cause that have no historic precedent. The PLO seeks to liberate “Palestine” through armed struggle. Since 1994, the PA (Palestinian Authority) has been the governing body of the so called “Palestinian” people.
Where did the “Palestinians” originate from?
Throughout history, there has never been a “Palestinian” people as a distinct group. This is a fabrication of terms used by Arabs to identify the people who occupy the Gaza Strip, West Bank, and other parts of Israel. These people are Arabs from Syria, Lebanon, Jordan, and surrounding countries. The Arabs in the disputed areas can trace their recent history to Israel’s neighboring countries. While it’s true that Arab children are born in these disputed territories, they are Arabs who live in Israel, not “Palestinians” who live in occupied territory.
Do the so called “Palestinian” people have a legitimate claim to the holy land?
The short answer is no. To have a legitimate claim you must have historical precedent and there was never a Palestinian people in the land of Israel. Here is the problem: Let’s go back to our original point about legitimacy……if you tell a lie often enough, people will believe it.
People and organizations such as the late Yasser Arafat, Mahmoud Abbas, Tony Blair, the European Union, and the UN are promoting a distorted view of history and holding negotiations based on a false supposition that Arabs (with no historical claim), deserve land that rightly belongs to the Jews. To make matters worse, people such as Rick Warren, Gary Burge of Wheaton College, and Lynne Hybels of Willow Creek church are seeking to legitimize the “Palestinian” cause under the banner of evangelical Christianity.
Just this week, Pope Francis made a very unfortunate move by officially signing a treaty recognizing Palestinian statehood that should be approved by the Vatican in short order. There are also reports that the Pope referred to Mahmoud Abbas as an “Angel of peace.” The statement is still being questioned and verified by media outlets, so we will not offer commentary based on that. The fact is, when the Pope, who is a global figure makes a treaty with an illegitimate group like the so called “Palestinians”, they gain instant credibility in millions of minds….regardless of the facts. Add to this the social media frenzy and down right antisemitic actions of many on America’s university campuses…..you have a cause based on nothing but lies. Click here to see just one of many reports about Pope Francis and his recognition of a Palestinian state.
The governing bodies of Hamas and the PA take western aid money meant to help improve the lives of the so called “Palestinian” people. Much of the money ends up lining the pockets of the governing officials and used to procure weapons that are used to wage jihad on the citizens and population centers of Israel. The Hamas thugs routinely place their weapons of war near playgrounds, mosques, and homes of civilians. These actions are indicative of the mindset of the entities Israel is forced to go to the bargaining table with…..groups calling for the destruction of Israel.
Regarding a two state solution: Israel has put numerous offers on the table and they have been soundly rejected by the PLA. Land for peace simply will not work because ultimately Abbas and Hamas don’t want a two state solution. Their goal is complete control and domination with Jerusalem as their capital.
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