Is it Israel ? Or Palestine?

Biblical Background According to Torah (Old Testament of the Bible) all of Palestine west of the Jordan River was given by God to the Jewish People. Therefore Many Jewish & Christian People believe the Jews have a right to that land

Historical Background Historically the Jews established a state in what is now modern Palestine by 800 BCE that was called Israel Eventually they were conquered by Rome. In 132 CE they revolted against Rome for the second time The Romans banished them from their homeland and they were scattered across the Empire and eventually the world. The Roman called the province that was Israel, Palestine.

Zionism Zionism is a movement whose goal is to restore to the Jews their homeland. In the late 1800’s the Jewish people began to move back into the Palestine area. In 1917 The British issued the Balfour Declaration which stated its intent to give some of Palestine to the Jews as homeland. But there was a problem Christian and Muslim Palestinians already lived there In 1918 the Arabs objected to the plan.

Israel is re-established In 1947 Palestine was divided into two states One for the Jews And one for the Palestinians These borders made no-one happy.

Wars! In 1948 the Arab nations around Israel attacked. The Palestinians became refugees. (There is some dispute whether they left by choice or were driven out by the Israelis) Israel won Arab nations and Egypt attacked again in 1967 and lost again! Israel took control of all of Palestine In 1973 they attacked one more time… And lost again.

Two Palestines Palestinians are now either living as refugees in other countries or in two areas: The West Bank and the Gaza Strip. They are ruled by different political parties Hamas is more radical, sponsors terrorism and Missile attacks on Israel It controls the Gaza Strip Fatah is less radical. It fights for Palestinian rights in politcal ways, such as fight for recognition by the UN as an inderpendent state. It controls the West Bank

A Shrinking Palestine Walls have been built that cut them off from their farms and jobs In 2005 Israel withdrew Jewish settlements from Gaza However it continues to build settlements in the West Bank Shrinking the amount of land that the Palestinians control.

A Problem for the US The US has backed Israel in this dispute This has alienated many Muslims and has inspired terrorist attacks on Israel, Britain and the United States