Why were Jews put in Palestine?

Answer 1

The way the question is written is to assume that it is not theirs, which is not the case in the slightest. According to historical, religious, legal, and political grounds, the territory of the British Mandate of Palestine at least partially, if not entirely, belongs to the Jewish people.

1) Historically: The Jews have an undeniable presence in the land from at least 700 BCE until 70 CE and this is proven not only by the Biblical account, but from Assyrian Ruins, Babylonian documents, Hellenistic inscriptions, and Roman volumes. Jews had a continuous presence in the land from 70 CE until the present day (even though they were nowhere near the majority) even though they were forcibly deported from the territory. The fact that they survived, as opposed to the Arameans or Hittites who were similarly exiled does not illegitimate their claims.

In addition to the population-part of the historical claim, Jews have physical ruins and cities that are very sacred to them in the territory of the British Mandate of Palestine. The city of Jerusalem is mentioned over 700 times in the Jewish Bible. The city of Nablus used to be the Northern Metropolis of Shechem. Hebron was the first capital of Ancient Israel whence Saul ruled and David ruled until he conquered Jerusalem from the Jebusites. Even more recent sites like Masada document the Jewish presence and struggle to persevere.

2) Religiously: The Jewish claim to have a connection to the land of the British Mandate of Palestine is firmly grounded in their religion. Jews as early as the Babylonian exiles wrote about returning to the land because God had promised it to them. According to the Pentateuch, God promised Abraham that piece of land. (This promise is even acknowledged in the Qur'an 5:20-21, 17:104, and 26:59.) Many Jewish Holy Sites are in Israel such as the Kotel Hama'aravi (Western Wall).

3) Legally: By international law, the Ottoman Empire took the territory from the Seljuks and Abbassids by internationally recognized conquest. The territory was ceded to the British as a Mandate by the Ottomans as a term of surrender in World War I. (Even though the British had promised the territory to both the Arabs and Jews during the War, neither promise is legally binding.) According to the terms of the Mandate, even though the British were in control, the League of Nations had official jurisdiction. In 1947, the British gave direct authority to the League of Nations' successor, the United Nations, in accordance with the terms of their Mandate. The UN passed the 1947 Partition Plan that gave both a Jewish State and an Arab State the Right to Declare Statehood. The fact that the Arabs decided not to immediately declare such a state does not make the Israeli declaration any less valid. (It is important to note that Palestine did declare statehood on these grounds in 1988, which further cements the legality of this view.)

4) Politically: Jews invested a lot in building the political and physical infrastructure of the land even before they had control. Jews built farms, trained military brigades, created political parties, studied government, and defended themselves. This created a system that was able to repel the Arab Attacks in the Arab-Israeli War of 1948-9, secure expanded borders in the Six Day War of 1967, and hold those borders in the Arab-Israeli War of 1973. Israelis were actually able to exert control over this territory.

Of course, this list is not exhaustive, but should capture the sentiment of the question.

Answer 2

According to historical, religious, legal, and political grounds, the territory of the British Mandate of Palestine at least partially, if not entirely, belongs to the Jewish people.

1) Historically: The Jews have an undeniable presence in the land from at least 700 BCE until 70 CE and this is proven not only by the Biblical account, but from Assyrian Ruins, Babylonian documents, Hellenistic inscriptions, and Roman volumes. Jews had a continuous presence in the land from 70 CE until the present day (even though they were nowhere near the majority) even though they were forcibly deported from the territory. The fact that they survived, as opposed to the Arameans or Hittites who were similarly exiled does not illegitimate their claims.

In addition to the population-part of the historical claim, Jews have physical ruins and cities that are very sacred to them in the territory of the British Mandate of Palestine. The city of Jerusalem is mentioned over 700 times in the Jewish Bible. The city of Nablus used to be the Northern Metropolis of Shechem. Hebron was the first capital of Ancient Israel whence Saul ruled and David ruled until he conquered Jerusalem from the Jebusites. Even more recent sites like Masada document the Jewish presence and struggle to persevere.

2) Religiously: The Jewish claim to have a connection to the land of the British Mandate of Palestine is firmly grounded in their religion. Jews as early as the Babylonian exiles wrote about returning to the land because God had promised it to them. According to the Pentateuch, God promised Abraham that piece of land. (This promise is even acknowledged in the Qur'an 5:20-21, 17:104, and 26:59.) Many Jewish Holy Sites are in Israel such as the Kotel Hama'aravi (Western Wall).

3) Legally: By international law, the Ottoman Empire took the territory from the Seljuks and Abbassids by internationally recognized conquest. The territory was ceded to the British as a Mandate by the Ottomans as a term of surrender in World War I. (Even though the British had promised the territory to both the Arabs and Jews during the War, neither promise is legally binding.) According to the terms of the Mandate, even though the British were in control, the League of Nations had official jurisdiction. In 1947, the British gave direct authority to the League of Nations' successor, the United Nations, in accordance with the terms of their Mandate. The UN passed the 1947 Partition Plan that gave both a Jewish State and an Arab State the Right to Declare Statehood. The fact that the Arabs decided not to immediately declare such a state does not make the Israeli declaration any less valid. (It is important to note that Palestine did declare statehood on these grounds in 1988, which further cements the legality of this view.)

4) Politically: Jews invested a lot in building the political and physical infrastructure of the land even before they had control. Jews built farms, trained military brigades, created political parties, studied government, and defended themselves. This created a system that was able to repel the Arab Attacks in the Arab-Israeli War of 1948-9, secure expanded borders in the Six Day War of 1967, and hold those borders in the Arab-Israeli War of 1973. Israelis were actually able to exert control over this territory.

Of course, this list is not exhaustive, but should capture the sentiment of the question.

Answer 3

There are several reasons why people in various nations around the world felt that they should support a Jewish State in Mandatory Palestine, even if they were not Jewish themselves.

1) The Promises: (written by other people)

View 1: When the British first occupied the area it was Palestine, but before they left the promised it to the Jewish population, thus Israel was formed. The British made two separate promises (one to the Arabs and one to the Jews), but the latter one was followed through one.

View 2: Those promises were made in 1917 during World War 1, and until 1948 the area was under British rule. From the outset there was conflict in the area between Jews and Arabs, and it became increasingly intense in the 1930s with the persecution of the Jews in Nazi Germany. In 1948 Britain's mandate (authority) to rule the area expired and the United Nations resolved to split the area into two states.

View 3: After WW2, Britain and other European powers made lots of promises. The Holocaust was a main reason for the Zionist movement to create a jewish homeland. Britain handed this case over to the United Nations to handle. They annexed a small part of Palestine for the Jews.

2) Be Gone & Good Riddance: (written by someone else) Many nations looked on with favor and relief, assuming that all Jews would eventually migrate there, and the nations would finally be rid of them. But even that fond hope was not enough for most Muslim nations, who bitterly opposed the creation of Israel, and after 64 years, still do.

3) Holocaust Pity: The Holocaust bore out two major truths as concerned the Jewish people. The first was that without a government loyal to their interests, they could easily be targeted against and brutally murdered. The second major truth was that such an event was no longer a hypothetical since 6 million Jews were intentionally mass-murdered by what had previously been seen as one of the most progressive modern countries: Germany.

4) Middle East Control: Although it seems odd to say it today, both the United States and the Soviet Union believed that Israel could be converted to "their side" in the Cold War. Given that any Jewish State in the Arab World would be isolated, it would be natural for such a state to create a strategic relationship with one of the major powers. Additionally, a Jewish State might be able to influence neighboring Arab states and make them more pliant as concerns oil shipments. Both the USA and USSR supported the Creation of the State of Israel for these strategic reasons.

5) Solidarity with the Oppressed: Many nations in Latin America supported Israel because they sympathized with the oppressed Jewish people and saw the Independence of Israel as akin to their wars against Spain/Portugal and the internal fights for more indigenous equality.

6) Because It's the Right Thing to Do: There was certainly support for a Jewish State because some just saw it as the proper thing to return Palestine to the Jews. Churchill, who was no longer Prime Minister, held many pro-Zionist views out of respect for the Jews and their contribution to that region of the world.

7) Diplomatic Pressure: Both the United States and Soviet Union pressured their allies and third world countries to support the United Nations Resolution. This does not make the vote any less valid, but is worth noting.

Answer 4

• Genesis 17:8,18,19 "And I will give unto you (Abraham), and to your seed after you...all the land of Canaan, for an everlasting possession; and I will be their God. ...And Abraham said unto God: 'would that Ishmael might live in Your presence!' And God said: 'No; Sarah shall bear you a son; and you shall name him Isaac; and I will establish My covenant with him for an everlasting covenant for his seed after him.' "
• In Genesis ch.25: Isaac has two sons, Jacob and Esau. In Genesis 35:9-12 "And God appeared unto Jacob...and He called his name Israel...And God said unto him...'the land which I gave unto Abraham and Isaac, to you I will give it, and to your seed.' "
• Exodus 3:7,8 "And the Lord said (to Moses): 'I have seen the affliction of My people in Egypt, and ... I have come down to deliver them out of the hand of the Egyptians, and to bring them up out of that land unto a good land...unto the place of the Canaanites...' "
• Numbers 33:51-54 "Speak unto the children of Israel, and say....'unto you I have given the land to possess it; and you shall inherit the land.' "

The Patriarchs and their family lived in the land of Israel (Canaan) for 220 years. The era from Joshua until the First Destruction (including the Judges and Kings) was 850 years. The Second Temple era was, according to traditional chronology, another 420 years (not 586), which included the Hasmonean dynasty. That's a total of 1490 years.

• After the Second Destruction, there were thousands of Jews who remained in Israel (Judea; Palestine) throughout the Talmudic era and beyond (see for example the Talmud, Sanhedrin 17b). They were the majority of Palestine's population well into the fourth century, with records attesting to at least 43 Jewish communities, most of them in the Galilee and Jordan valley. After that, there were still Yeshivas in Israel with at least some thousands of community-members.
• In the fifth century, the Jerusalem Talmud was collated in the yeshiva of Tiberias, by the disciples of Rabbi Johanan; and the Christians of Palestine declared the Jews to be a tolerated minority.
  
• In the sixth century CE, Mar Zutra and his descendants served as head of the community and the Rabbinical academies.
  
• In the seventh century, the Palestinian Jews joined the Persians in a battle to take Jerusalem from the local Byzantines, and enjoyed a brief autonomy, which the Byzantines under Heraclius officially recognized in 628.

At the time of the Moslem conquest of Palestine in 638, the Jewish population in the land has been put at no less than 300,000; and a period of flourishing began. Caliph Umar encouraged Jews to resettle Jerusalem.

• In the eighth century, there were 30 synagogues in Tiberias. A Jew named Abu Issa brought his forces in battle against the Caliph.
  
• In the ninth century, the Jews of Palestine instituted their own Gaon (leading sage) in Tiberias and in Jerusalem.
  
• In the tenth century, we have the greatest of the Massoretes, Rabbis Aharon ben Asher and Ben Naphtali, flourishing in Tiberias.
  
• Contemporary with Rashi (11th century), we have a Rabbi Abiathar and others, who lived in Israel (see for example Rashi commentary, Talmud Berakhot 62a), and large Jewish communities in Rafah and Ramle, Hebron, Acre, Caesaria, Jaffa, Ashkelon and Gaza.
  
• In the 12th-13th centuries, the Palestinian Jews were harshly persecuted under the Christian Crusaders, yet many Jews continued to live in all the above-mentioned towns as well as Haifa, with Judah Halevi journeying to the Jewish communities of Palestine in 1141, Maimonides in 1165, and Nachmanides in 1286.
  
• In 1187, Saladdin invited more Jews to settle Palestine. In 1204, a group of Maghreb Jews arrived; and in 1211, 300 Rabbis arrived from France and England. In 1260, Rabbi Yechiel of Paris established a Talmud academy in Acre.
  

Since that time, the continuous presence of Jewish communities in Palestine (Israel) is well-known and needs no reiteration.
A brief timeline of Israel and the Jews:
1) c.1950 BCE: Noah delegated what is now called Israel to the Semites (children of Shem) (Rashi commentary to Genesis 12:6).
2) c. 1750 BCE: The neighboring Canaanites gradually take control of the land (ibid) which therefore becomes called Canaan.
3) 1737-1522 BCE: Abraham, Isaac and Jacob spread their teachings in the land. God promises this land to them and their descendants (Genesis ch.28).
4) 1272 BCE: The Israelites under Joshua, at God's command, enter the land (Joshua ch.3-4) which now becomes called the Land of Israel. They remain for 850 years.
5) 422 BCE: The Babylonians destroy the First Temple, exiling the Jews.
6) 352 BCE: The Persians permit the Jews to rebuild the Temple. Tens of thousands of Jews resettle in Israel, now called Judea, while others remain in Babylonia.
7) 68 CE: The Romans destroy the Second Temple. Most of the Jews in Judea slowly scatter afield, but some thousands remain. Judea is renamed Syria-Palaestina by the Romans. The Galilee region remains heavily populated by Jews
8) 1096-1270: the Crusades.
9) from 1492: after the Spaniards expel all Jews from Spain, many thousands relocate to the Jewish communities in Palestine.
10) c.1780-1880: The first wave of modern Aliyah, mostly religious Jews, who move from Europe to Israel (Palestine) in the thousands.
11) c.1880 onward: the large-scale Jewish return to Israel gets underway.

Answer 5

1. God promised the land to the Israelites many times.
   
2. Jews have had a continuous presence in Israelfor over 3300 years. Of that time, the Jews were a majority in the land for around 1900 years.
3. The Muslims' Qur'an clearly states that Israel belongs to the Jews.

Answer 6

• Genesis 17:8,18,19 "And I will give unto you (Abraham), and to your seed after you...all the land of Canaan, for an everlasting possession; and I will be their God. ...And Abraham said unto God: 'would that Ishmael might live in Your presence!' And God said: 'No; Sarah shall bear you a son; and you shall name him Isaac; and I will establish My covenant with him for an everlasting covenant for his seed after him.' "
• In Genesis ch.25: Isaac has two sons, Jacob and Esau. In Genesis 35:9-12 "And God appeared unto Jacob...and He called his name Israel...And God said unto him...'the land which I gave unto Abraham and Isaac, to you I will give it, and to your seed.' "
• Exodus 3:7,8 "And the Lord said (to Moses): 'I have seen the affliction of My people in Egypt, and ... I have come down to deliver them out of the hand of the Egyptians, and to bring them up out of that land unto a good land...unto the place of the Canaanites...' "
• Numbers 33:51-54 "Speak unto the children of Israel, and say....'unto you I have given the land to possess it; and you shall inherit the land.' "

See also the Related Links.Link: Jewish history in Israel

Link: The conflict over Israel

Link: What a Muslim scholar says

Answer 7

Nobody put the Jews in Palestine. They chose to go there. Historically it was their homeland and they returned in fulfillment of their dream to return.

Answer 8

People are not required to "deserve" an inheritance; it was given.

Answer 9

They don't. They think they should have the land of Israel, because they have a connection to the land that goes back 4000 years.

Answer 10

The entire Tanakh (especially verses such as Genesis 28:13, Deuteronomy 1:8, and many similar verses), together with the historical fact of their having lived there for many centuries.