The Historical and Legal Foundations of Jewish Sovereignty in Israel: Debunking the Palestinian Claim

For over 3,000 years, the Jewish people have maintained an unbroken historical, religious, and cultural connection to the land of Israel. Despite political narratives suggesting otherwise, biblical records, historical evidence, and international law affirm that Israel is the rightful homeland of the Jewish people. In contrast, the modern Palestinian identity emerged only in the 20th century, with no historical precedent for a sovereign Palestinian state. Furthermore, Arab states have deliberately rejected the integration of Palestinian refugees to perpetuate conflict with Israel, rather than resolving the refugee issue.

This article examines the Jewish historical claim to Israel, the lack of Palestinian national sovereignty before the 20th century, and the role of Arab states in obstructing a resolution to the Palestinian issue.

1. The Jewish People: An Indigenous Nation with an Ancient Covenant

The Jewish connection to Israel begins with the biblical covenant between God and Abraham, later reaffirmed to his descendants Isaac and Jacob (Genesis 15:18-21, Genesis 17:7-8). This promise was fulfilled when Joshua led the Israelites to conquer and settle the land (Joshua 1:2-6, Joshua 11:23).

By the 10th century BCE, King David established Jerusalem as the capital of Israel, and King Solomon built the First Temple (2 Samuel 5:6-7, 2 Chronicles 3:1). Even after the Babylonian destruction (586 BCE) and the Roman exile (70 CE), the Jewish people maintained a continuous presence in Israel.

This historical and biblical claim is further reinforced by international law:

• Balfour Declaration (1917): Britain recognized the Jewish right to a homeland in Palestine.

• San Remo Conference (1920): The international community ratified the Balfour Declaration.

• UN Partition Plan (1947): The UN proposed Jewish and Arab states; Jews accepted, Arabs rejected.

The establishment of Israel in 1948 was not the creation of a new nation but the restoration of an ancient homeland.

2. No Historical Palestinian Sovereignty Before the 20th Century

The Roman Origin of "Palestine"

The term "Palestine" did not originate from the Arab population but was imposed by the Romans in 135 CE after the Bar Kokhba Revolt. The Romans renamed Judea as "Syria Palaestina" to erase Jewish identity.

• The original "Palestinians" were the Philistines, an Aegean sea people who settled in Gaza (Genesis 21:32, 26:1).

• The Philistines disappeared after the Babylonian conquest (6th century BCE), meaning modern Palestinians have no connection to them.

Palestinian Identity: A 20th Century Invention

Unlike the Jewish people, who have a continuous national identity, there was never an independent Palestinian nation, kingdom, or empire in history. The land of Israel was under:

• Babylonian Rule (586–539 BCE)

• Persian Rule (539–332 BCE)

• Greek Rule (332–167 BCE)

• Jewish Hasmonean Rule (167–63 BCE)

• Roman Rule (63 BCE–313 CE)

• Islamic Caliphates (636–1517 CE)

• Ottoman Rule (1517–1917 CE)

Throughout these periods, there was no Palestinian rule or national identity. Even Arab leaders admitted this:

• Arab historian Philip Hitti (1946): "There is no such thing as Palestine in history, absolutely not."

• PLO Founder Ahmad Shukeiri (1956): "Palestine is nothing but southern Syria."

The modern Palestinian identity only emerged in the mid-20th century, particularly after the formation of Israel in 1948.

3. Arab States’ Role in Perpetuating the Palestinian Crisis

Despite shared language, religion, and culture, Arab states refuse to integrate Palestinian refugees. Instead, they use them as a political weapon against Israel.

• Jordan is the only country that granted full citizenship to Palestinians. However, in 1970 (Black September), Jordan expelled the PLO after it attempted to overthrow King Hussein.

• Lebanon prohibits Palestinians from owning land, working in professional fields, or gaining citizenship.

• Egypt controlled Gaza from 1948 to 1967 but never granted Palestinians citizenship.

Arab Leaders Acknowledging Their Political Motives

• Syrian President Hafez al-Assad (1974): "We reject a Palestinian state... this is part of a broader Arab struggle against Israel."

• Kuwaiti Diplomat Faisal Al-Qasim (2020): "The Arab world has never cared about Palestinians. The issue is only a tool to fight Israel."

The Palestinian refugee crisis is not Israel’s doing, but the result of Arab states refusing to resettle Palestinians.

4. Palestinian Leadership's Repeated Rejection of Statehood

Palestinian leaders have repeatedly refused statehood offers because their primary goal is not independence but the destruction of Israel.

Each time, Palestinian leaders chose war and terrorism over statehood.

5. Conclusion: Israel’s Right to the Land is Biblical, Historical, and Legal

✅ The Jewish people have maintained an unbroken presence in Israel for over 3,000 years.
✅ The name "Palestine" was imposed by the Romans to erase Jewish identity, not as a reflection of Arab history.
✅ There was never a Palestinian nation before the 20th century.
✅ Arab states have deliberately rejected the resettlement of Palestinian refugees to perpetuate hostility toward Israel.
✅ Palestinian leadership has consistently rejected peace offers because their true objective is Israel’s destruction, not statehood.

Israel is not an occupier. It is the rightful heir to its ancient homeland. The claim that Palestinians have exclusive rights to the land is not supported by history, archaeology, or international law. Rather than demanding concessions from Israel, the international community should hold Palestinian leadership and Arab states accountable for refusing peace and perpetuating the conflict.