The question of who rightfully owns the land of Israel has been a contentious issue for decades. However, when the issue is traced through the lens of religious history particularly from the Bible and the Quran, a clearer picture emerges.
Many scholars and historians try to use other books and means to explain the issue but no other source, book or publication has clearly explained it better than the holy books. Contrary to the claims that modern-day Israel is a political creation or has no connection with the Bible, an objective analysis shows that, it is in fact the very same Israel referenced in the holy books.
This ancient nation, whose people are the Jews, has a long and painful history that is marked by conquest, dispersion, suffering and ultimately, a divinely promised restoration.
The name Israel first appeared in the Bible in the book of Genesis 32:28, when God changed Jacob’s name to Israel after wrestling with him.
“Then the man said, ‘Your name will no longer be Jacob, but Israel, because you have struggled with God and with humans and have overcome.’” Thereafter, Jacob or Israel became the father of twelve sons, whose descendants formed the twelve tribes of Israel, the biblical foundation of the Jewish nation. These tribes later inherited the land which came to be known as the Land of Israel, given by God to Abraham and his descendants (Genesis 15:18-21).
In Deuteronomy 1:8, God tells the Israelites: “See, I have given you this land. Go in and take possession of the land the Lord swore he would give to your fathers, to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob and to their descendants after them.” From this, it is unmistakably clear that the land was divinely allocated to the Jewish people. They were the first organized nation to settle and form a structured kingdom in that region.
Moreover, the Quran also affirms the special relationship between the Children of Israel (Banu Isra’il) and the land. Surah Al-Ma’idah (5:20-21) says: “O my people, enter the Holy Land which Allah has assigned to you…” This verse, spoken by Moses to his people, recognizes the land’s divine allocation to the Israelites. Surah Al-Isra (17:104) further states: “And We said after Pharaoh to the Children of Israel, ‘Dwell in the land, and when the promise of the Hereafter comes, We will bring you forth in one gathering.’” This aligns with the prophecy of restoration that the scattered Jews would one day be regathered to their ancestral land.
Throughout history, many empires conquered and ruled over the land of Israel. First were the Egyptians, followed by the Assyrians who exiled the ten northern tribes. Then came the Babylonians under King Nebuchadnezzar who destroyed the First Temple and exiled the Jews to Babylon.
After them, the Persians under King Cyrus allowed the Jews to return and rebuild Jerusalem.
The Greeks under Alexander the Great followed, later succeeded by the oppressive Seleucid Empire, against whom the Maccabees revolted.
The Romans eventually took control and destroyed the Second Temple in 70 BC and exiled most Jews. After Rome, the Byzantines, Muslims under various caliphates, the Crusaders, the Ottoman Turks and finally the British all held sway over the land until 1948.
As a result, these empires or kingdoms that later took control of the land now claim ownership, which has become a major source of conflict in the Middle East, particularly since 1948.
However, when history is examined objectively and traced back to the very roots, it becomes clear that the Jewish people are the original and rightful owners of the land, not the later conquerors.
This clearly shows that the rebirth of Israel in 1948 was not a political accident but it was the fulfilment of divine prophecy.
The Jews lived in the land of Israel in ancient times but the majority of them left the land due to conquering powers and that made way for the others to inhabit the land.
Nevertheless, in 1948, they were given their land back and hence the Israel that is found in the holy books is the same Israel today.
The Bible foretells in Ezekiel 37 the vision of dry bones coming back to life which symbolizes the restoration of Israel. Isaiah 66:8 marvels: “Who has ever heard of such things? Who has ever seen things like this? Can a country be born in a day or a nation be brought forth in a moment?” The answer came on May 14, 1948, when the State of Israel was proclaimed.
The Jews have indeed suffered greatly throughout history, perhaps no more grievously than during the Holocaust, when six million of them were exterminated under Nazi Germany. Despite this pain, the Jewish people have remained resilient and faithful.
Yet hatred toward them persists. It is time for the world to understand, through the Bible and Quran alike, that the Jews were the first occupants of the land of Israel. Denying this is historically inaccurate.
All humans; Jews, Palestinians, Germans, Ghanaians and among others are created equal and deserve equal dignity and peace.
Nevertheless, it must be noted that peace must be built on truth and the holy books provide the foundation of truth for all. It is time that all people, especially those who revere the holy books, acknowledge that the Jews were the first to live in and build a nation in the land now called Israel.
Finally, the world must not sit idly by while threats of nuclear annihilation are levelled against Israel. The idea that any nation could develop such weapons with the intent to destroy the Jewish state should be alarming to everyone.
Never again should the world tolerate another Holocaust and in light of this, everyone must speak up for justice and truth and that begins with recognizing the rightful, ancient and divine connection between the Jewish people and the land of Israel.
Am Yisrael Chai (The people of Israel live).
Author: Scott Edward Agyemang
