Background to the Problem of Israel and Palestine

1. Background to the Problem of Israel and Palestine

2. God’s covenant with Abraham • “You shall be the father of many nations” • “I will establish my covenant between me and you and your descendants for ever” • “I will give to you, and to your descendants, all the land of Canaan, for an everlasting possession; and I will be their God” Genesis 17:4-8

3. Questions • Who are the descendants of Abraham? • What is the land of Canaan? • To whom should the land belong? • What authority does such a promise made 4000 years ago have today?

4. Abraham’s family

5. Abraham and Ishmael • God promised Abraham he would have a son • But Sarah his wife was 77 years old • So Sarah suggested to Abraham that he have a son through her maid Hagar Sarah presenting Hagar to Abraham

6. Abraham’s family Hagar Abraham Sarah Ishmael

7. Abraham and Isaac 13 years later God spoke to Abraham: “I will bless Sarah and I will give you a son by her; and she shall be a mother of nations; kings of peoples shall come from her.” Genesis 17:16 An angel speaks to Abraham

8. Abraham’s family Hagar Abraham Sarah Ishmael Isaac “Sarah said to Abraham, ‘Cast out this slave woman with her son; for the son of this slave woman shall not be the heir with my son Isaac.’”Genesis 21:10

9. God’s promises about Ishmael “I will bless [Ishmael] and make him fruitful and he shall be the father of 12 princes and I will make him a great nation. But I will establish my covenant with Isaac.” Genesis 17:20-21 Abraham sending Hagar and Ishmael away

10. Abraham offers his son • God told Abraham to offer his son as a burnt offering on Mount Moriah • The Bible says this son was Isaac • Muslims believe it was Ishmael • Jacob had his dream of the ladder going up to heaven on this rock The Rock

11. Holy site for Jews and Muslims • On this rock the Jewish Temple was built • Muslims believe that on his Night Journey Muhammad went to visit heaven from this rock • Now it is covered by the Dome of the Rock shrine Model of Solomon’s Temple Dome of the Rock

12. Building the Ka’aba • Later Abraham and Ishmael built the Ka’aba, the first house for the worship of God • ‘As Abraham raised the foundations of the shrine, together with Ishmael (they prayed): “Our Lord, accept this from us. You are the Hearer, the Omniscient.”’ Qu’ran 2:127 Ishmael and Abraham pray after building the Ka’aba

13. Muhammad and the Ka’aba • Muhammad helped to rebuild the Ka’aba • In 630 Muhammad cleared the Ka’aba of its idols • It is an obligation for Muslims to go on Hajj once in their lifetime if they can afford it Muhammad praying at Ka’aba Pilgrims circling the Ka’aba

14. Abraham’s descendants Hagar Abraham Sarah Ishmael Isaac Arab nation Jewish people Jesus Muhammad Christianity Islam Judaism

15. Into and out of Egypt Jacob’s family move to Egypt Hebrews led by Moses return to Canaan Exodus

16. 12 tribes of Israel settle in Canaan

17. The Israelite kingdom • King David ruled Israel from 990 BCE to 968 BCE • His son King Solomon expanded the kingdom • 931 BCE - kingdom split into Judah (south) and Israel (north) • 722 BCE - Assyria destroyed the northern kingdom of Israel

18. One empire after another Babylonian Empire 600 BCE Persian Empire 539 BCE Greek Empire 333 BCE Roman Empire 63 BCE

19. Israel under Rome • King Herod appointed king of Israel by Rome from 40 BCE to 4 BCE • After Herod’s death kingdom divided • Jesus 4 BCE – 30 CE

20. Jesus crucified in Jerusalem • Jesus was tried and put to death in Jerusalem • Many Christian holy sites Church of the Holy Sepulchre Tomb of the Virgin Mary

21. Destruction of Jerusalem and Israel • First Jewish revolt against Roman rule • Destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple 70 CE • Second Jewish revolt 132-135 CE • 500,000 Jews killed, 985 villages destroyed • Jews forbidden to live in Jerusalem • Judea renamed Palaestina Arch of Titus in Rome

22. New Jewish Diaspora

23. Byzantine Holy Land • Emperor Constantine supported Christianity • Empress Helena started building of many churches • Pilgrimages to Holy Land and Jerusalem developed The Basillica in Bethlehem Church of the Annunciation Nazareth

24. Rise of Islam • Muhammad “the Seal of the Prophets” born 570 • Islam the heir of the promises given to Abraham, Moses and Jesus • Jihad to establish Muslim hegemony to facilitate the spread of Islam Muhammad preaching in Makkah

25. Conquest of the Holy land • Caliph Umar conquored Palestine & Jerusalem from Byzantines in 638 • Al-Aksa Mosque built 674 • Dome of the Rock built in 687 • Jewish and Christian pilgrims allowed to freely visit holy sites Caliph Umar enters Jerusalem

26. Expansion of the Islamic Empire

27. New rulers, new policies • Fatimid dynasty established in Egypt in 969 • Caliph Al-Hakim bi-Amrdestroyed Church of the Holy Sepulchre in 1009 • Seljuk Turks defeated Byzantines at Battle of Manzikert in 1071 and seized Anatolia • Christian pilgrim routes threatened • Crusade to retake Jerusalem and protect pilgrims preached by Pope Urban II in 1095

28. The Crusades • There were 9 Crusades • Jerusalem captured in 1099 and its population massacred • Saladin recaptured Jerusalem in 1187 • Crusader rule in Syria ended 1291 • Constantinople conquered by Ottomans in 1453

29. Ottoman Empire (1299 - 1923) Ottoman Empire expanded into Europe until defeated at 2nd siege of Vienna 1683

30. Recent Jewish history

31. Anti-Semitism or Judeophobia • Forced conversion and baptism • Compulsory Christian sermons in synagogues • Public disputations • Burning of Jewish books • Forced into ghettos • Restrictions on professions • Expulsions and slaughter • Genocide • Holocaust denial

32. Expulsions of Jews

33. Growth of Jewish community in the Land of Israel • Jews always lived in the Land of Israel • Return to Jerusalem and Israel a constant theme in Judaism • Jews often emigrated there in Middle Ages • Jewish philanthropists sponsored agricultural settlements in 19th century Mikveh Israel agricultural school 1870 Petah Tiqwa founded 1880

34. Growth of Zionism • Movement to support a Jewish homeland in the Biblical Land of Israel • Response to rampant anti-Semitism of 19th century Europe • Russian pogroms and expulsions of 1880s • Dreyfus Affair in France in 1890s • Persecution 1930s and Holocaust 1940s • Secular but with religious roots • Desire for a refuge from persecution • Desire to be self-governing independent nation • 1st Zionist Congress 1897

35. World War I Allies Britain France Russia USA Central Powers Germany Austria-Hungary Turkey/Ottoman Empire

36. Sykes-Picot Agreement 1915-16 The British and French signed a secret agreement on post-WW I spheres of influence Fixed the southern border of Israel

37. Britain’s agreement with the Arabs In 1916 Britain promised the Sharif of Mecca it would support Arab independence if they revolted against the Ottomans except in these areas: The districts of Mersin and Alexandretta, and portions of Syria lying to the west of the districts of Damascus, Homs, Hama and Aleppo, cannot be said to be purely Arab, and must on that account be excepted from the proposed delimitation. Sir Henry MacMahon 1915

38. Did this include Palestine? • Did the area to be excluded from Arab control include the Sanjak of Jerusalem and the Vilayet of Beirut, in other words Palestine? • The Arabs said “No” • The British in 1922 said “Yes”

39. Balfour Declaration 1917 "His Majesty's Government view with favour the establishment in Palestine of a national home for the Jewish people, and will use their best endeavours to facilitate the achievement of this object, it being clearly understood that nothing shall be done which may prejudice the civil and religious rights of existing non-Jewish communities in Palestine, or the rights and political status enjoyed by Jews in any other country."

40. British Mandate • Britain given control of Palestine by Versailles Conference in 1919 • Faisal-Weizmann Agreement signed • In 1920 the League of Nations gave Britain the mandate to administer Palestine and establish a Jewish homeland

41. Separation of Palestine from Jordan In 1921 Britain stopped Jewish settlement in Transjordan and gave the territory to Emir Abdullah who later became the first King of Jordan

42. Rise of Palestinian nationalism • Muhammad Amin al-Husseini, a convicted anti-Jewish rioter, made Grand Mufti despite opposition of Muslim High Council in 1922 • He eliminated Arabs who opposed him and who wanted to cooperate with Jews • Instigated Arab revolts in 1920, 1927, 1936 • Poisoned Jewish – Palestinian relations until today

43. Muhammad Amin al-Husseini • He stayed with Hitler during WW2 and encouraged the Holocaust: • “The Mufti was one of the initiators of the systematic extermination of European Jewry and had been a collaborator and adviser of Eichmann and Himmler in the execution of this plan. ... He was one of Eichmann's best friends and had constantly incited him to accelerate the extermination measures.” Eichmann's deputy Dieter Wisliceny at Nuremburg Trials • Yasser Arafat was Husseini’s nephew

44. Between a rock and a hard place • Jews wanted unlimited emigration to Palestine to escape persecution in Europe and verbally and violently rejected British attempts to limit immigration • Arabs opposed Jewish immigration as they saw it would lead to a Jewish majority and the loss of their country. So they verbally and violently attacked Britain for allowing it

45. Inconsistent British policy • British Zionists versus British Arabists • Arabists – Jewish emigration wrong: threatened British interests in Arab world namely oil & India • Zionists – Supported Jewish emigration due to mandate obligations and for humanitarian and sometimes religious reasons • British policy fluctuated, giving in to the community which used the most violence

46. The demography of Jerusalem Jerusalem: Jewish, Muslim, and Christian Population (1910-2000)

47. The demography of Palestine Mandate Palestine: Arab / Jewish Population (1914 - 1946)

48. The demography of Israel Israel: Jewish / Arab Population (1949-2003)

49. Jews in Europe in 1933

50. Jewish emigration