Why Israel was created on land of Palestine and what is the history of conflict between Palestinian and Israeli people?

The land of Palestine and especially Jerusalem is religiously of special importance to the followers of all three religions namely- Jews, Christians, and Muslims. Historically this region has been under the influence of various empires. Jerusalem was also the Centre of the Jewish empire established in 1000BC. But this empire lasted only for a hundred years. While in the times that followed, this region was under the control of Babylon, Egypt, Rome, Persia and Byzantine empires. Before the First World War, Muslims ruled here for many centuries. But 3,000 years after the end of a Jewish empire that lasted only for a hundred years, the Jewish still claim the land as their right.

More or less six different proposals for a separate Jewish state were considered at different times and at different locations. But ultimately the Jews chose the land of Palestine for their separate state. Importantly, before World War II, by the 1930s, 60 percent of the world’s Jews lived in Europe and their population in Palestine was relatively small. Naturally a basic question arises  when the majority of the Jewish population was settled in Europe, then why was their separate state established in Palestine? Where were the proposals that were considered for a separate state of the Jews in different periods and why they could not be implemented? Why do the Jews consider the land of Palestine as their right and how was the Jewish state finally established on the land of Palestine?

Historical Proposals for a Jewish State

A particular group of Jewish people known as Zionists formed the basis of a religious, military and political effort in the early 19th century that led to the movement for a separate Jewish state. After that, according to the circumstances and event various proposals for the establishment of the Jewish state were under consideration in different periods.

Ararat, USA

In 1820, Manuel Noah, a leader of modern Zionism sought to establish a separate Jewish homeland on Grand Island near the Niagara River on the border of the United States and Canada. Over the course of the next five years, he purchased part of the 30- square-mile island. He suggested the name Ararat, derived from Mount Ararat which according to the Bible was the final resting of Noah’s Ark. He also asked the US government to support him in this effort. Sometime later he also had a monument built on the island that read “ Ararat, the city of refuge for the Jews.” But this was a personal idea of Manuel Noah and his effort was not supported by the Jewish Community, So the project ended here.

Uganda Scheme

In 1903, the British government offered an area of British East Africa, part of present-day Kenya for the possible establishment of a Jewish State. At that time, the situation of Jews in the Soviet Union and Europe was very bad and it was hoped that this area could prove to be a better place for Jewish refugees. The British Proposal, Known as the Uganda Scheme was presented to the sixth Zionist Congress in 1903 by Theodor Herzl, the founder of the modern Zionist movement. The proposal was discussed in a very serious manner and examined from every angle. Some were in favour of the scheme, some saw it as a temporary refuge, but some Jews believed that doing so would divert their focus from their original goal of establishing a Jewish state in Jerusalem and the Palestine territories. Apart from this, some experts also believed that this area is full of lions and other wild life and hence it is a dangerous land. There was also a perception that the large number of African tribes already settled there would not accept Jews from Europe under any circumstances. Therefore, the Zionist movement rejected this scheme as well.

An Independent Jewish state in the Soviet Union

In the 1930s, there was a proposal to create a separate region for Jews in the Soviet Union called the Jewish Autonomous Oblast. This area was located in the Far East of Russia near the Chinese border. The National Policy of Joseph Stalin, the leader of the Soviet Union at the time was that each ethnic group in the Soviet Union would be given a territory in which that nation would have cultural autonomy within a socialist framework. The establishment of such an independent Jewish region seemed to have two potential advantages for the Soviet Union. One is that these people will contribute to the development of the Soviet Union and particularly this region. And secondly, establishing a population in this remote area near the Soviet-Chinese border was also important from a defensive point of view. The climate of the area was quite harsh and it was difficult to settle here, So the area never attracted a significant Jewish population and this proposal failed.

Madagascar Plan

Madagascar, an island off the southeast coast of Africa, has been suggested several times as a site for Jewish settlement. The area was first proposed in the 19th Century by the French government to aid Jews and promote Colonization. But then most important was the German Nazi Plan to forcibly relocate European Jews to Madagascar in the late 1930s. However, due to the Second World War and its aftermath, this project could never materialize.

Kimberley Plan, Australia

During the 1930, when the persecution of Jews in Europe intensified a Jewish organization explored the possibility of establishing a Jewish homeland in the Kimberley region of Western Australia. The Plan received some support within Australia and from American Philanthropists. But a 1944 opinion poll found that 47% of the Australian Public opposed the scheme. Opposition was mainly based on fears that settlers would inevitably start migrating out of Kimberley to other towns which can affect the rights of local population. The project was eventually vetoed by the Australian government in 1944.

Fugu Plan- Japan

Shortly before and during World War II, thousands of Jewish refugees emigrated from Europe to the East, most of them settled in Japan-occupied territories of China. Most of the information we get about this project comes from Japanese literature written in the 1970s. And some historians also believe that there is no clear evidence for the establishment of a Jewish state in Japan. Anyway these were all the proposals that were considered at one time or another to create a separate Jewish state. But apart from all these proposals or plans the establishment of the Jewish state was ultimately done on the land of Palestine.

The establishment of a Jewish state in Palestine

Jews consider Israel their holy land and believe that this land was promised to them by God. Although a segment of Jews disagree with this view yet the land of Jerusalem certainly holds religious significance for all Jews. The Jews say that in about 1000 BC, a large empire was established in Palestine and its adjacent areas by Jews and that they were expelled from this land in later times. But this region has a long history in which the region was controlled by the Roman, Egyptian, Byzantine and Persian empires apart from the Jewish Empire.

After that, the area was under the influence of Muslim government for a long time. During the Crusades, sometimes Muslims and sometimes Christians were in Power here. And then, since the rise of the Ottoman Empire the entire region remained under the control of Muslims for almost four hundred years, till World War First. Jerusalem was the centre of the first Jewish government establishment in 1000 BC and at that time, a temple was also built here for the worship of the Jews, Which is also called the Temple of Solomon or the First Temple.

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At that time, all the Jews in the world worshipped facing Jerusalem or this temple. Four hundred years later in 600 BC the temple was destroyed during the reign of the Egyptian monarchy. About a hundred years later, another temple, also known as the second temple was built at the same location. But this temple was also destroyed during the siege of Jerusalem by the Romans in 70 BC after which this temple could not be built until today. When Jerusalem was conquered during the reign of the Muslim Caliphs, a mosque was built there for worship which is called today the Al-Aqsa Mosque.

According to the Jews, the Al- Aqsa Mosque was built on the same place that was once the site of Jewish worship place, that is, the first and second temples. Therefore, re-establishing the rule of Jerusalem and re-establishing their ancient place of Worship in the form of the third temple has become their sacred aim. At the end of the 19th century, when the Ottoman Empire began to weaken Jews began to immigrate here in the large numbers. When the Ottoman Empire collapsed during the World War First, British rule was established over the entire region, which the Jews took full advantage of.

Balfour Declaration

On November 2, 1917, during the First World War British Foreign Secretary Arthur Balfour sent a letter to the leader of the Jewish community in Britain, Walter Rothchild which later became known as the Balfour Declaration. The letter written on a simple piece of paper changed the destiny of the Middle East. The letter marked for the first time that the British government supported the establishment of a Jewish state in Palestine resulting in a conflict that has not been resolved to this day. At that time, the Jewish community around the world, including Britain had economic influence and specifically due to their influence in global investment, Britain needed their help during Second World War.

The British government hoped that after this declaration the Jews living in America and rest of the world would fully support Britain’s allies against the Germany in the First World War. Some experts also believe that Britain wanted to maintain its influence in the Middle East after the war because of which it wanted to bring Jews to power in the region. However, whatever the purpose of writing the letter (Balfour letter) , it ultimately resulted in the creation of a controversial state of Israel in 1948 and the expulsion of millions of Palestinians from the region. After the defeat of the Ottoman Empire in World War First, the allies supported the Balfour Declaration and Palestine formally came under British rule, meanwhile, a large number of Jews began to settle in Palestine.

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The Arabs expressed great concern over this because in order to gain the support of the Arabs in the First World War, Britain had assured them that after the end of the Ottoman Empire all Arab and Palestinians land would be divided among the Arabs. But on the other hand, in order to get the support of the Jews they promised a separate state to them through the Balfour Declaration. Therefore, the Arabs considered this whole situation as a deception to the Muslims by the British and they protested strongly against it. When the situation became more serious, in order to reduce the conflict British decided to impose some restrictions on the arrival of Jews.

However, during the Second World War a large number of Jews start migrating from Europe to Palestine. In this entire situation, the pressure to establish a Jewish state increased. In 1947, when Britain was withdrawing from this region they left the future of the land of Palestine to the United Nations and they left without making any decision. A UN Committee voted to establish a separate state of Israel and Palestine but only 33 percent of the Jewish population was given 55 percent land of Palestine. On the other hand the majority of Muslims were given only 43 percent of the land and that too was divided into different parts. While the sacred land of Jerusalem has to be under international control.

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After several Arab-Israeli wars over the next two decades, Israel occupied far more area of Palestine that was originally allotted by UN. The Jews claim that this land belonged to their forefathers and since they were forcibly expelled from here thousands of years back so now consider it their right to establish a government here. But if seen in the context of history, there is a lot of exaggeration regarding this claim. It is true that the region was ruled by the Jews in 1000 BC but this empire lasted for more or less 100 years. In later periods, the region was under the influence of the Babylonian, Egyptian, Roman, Persian and Byzantine Empires. While in recent history, the Ottomans ruled this region for a long time.

On the other hand, the Jews lived in Jerusalem or Palestine for a hundred years. But after that most of their population moved to Europe and then they stayed in Europe for thousands of years. Therefore, after living in a region for only 100 years asserting its right over it again after thousands of years became irrational in the sense that the same Jews have spent most of their time outside of Palestine in Europe and other regions. On the other hand, many parts of the world including Europe and Palestine have been ruled by Muslims for a long time. So according to this Principle, Muslims still have the right to many areas. So all these lands would be awarded to Muslims?