For those interested in understanding the historical background of the establishment of the modern state of Israel and her existing relationship with her Arab neighbors. A special thank you to Guest Writer for this research.
MINI-HISTORY OF ISRAEL / PALESTINE
BY GUEST WRITER
Since it has been around 50 years since I studied world history, I did a little research on Israel and Palestine. Of course, it’s extremely abbreviated, but I found the following to be the relevant points to today:
Ancient Times. The United Kingdom of Israel, under kings Saul, David and Solomon existed from 1020 to 922 BC. In 922 BC the northern kingdom of Israel was established but was destroyed in 720 BC when it was conquered by the Neo-Assyrian Empire. From 63 BC to 313 AD, this area was ruled by the Romans. (In Jesus’ time, ancient Palestine was part of the Canaan region, which encompassed the kingdoms of Israel and Judah, ruled by the Romans.) In 138 AD, whatever remained of the kingdom of Israel ceased to exist when the Roman emperor Hadrian crushed the Bar Kochba revolt (revolt of the Jews against the Romans) and banned all Jews from Palestine. Over the years, the area once inhabited by the Jews/Israelis was under the rule of various conquerors – Byzantine (313-636), Arab (636-1099), Crusaders, Mamluk, and Ottoman (1099-1917).
Solomon’s temple was constructed in 957 BC, destroyed in 586 BC, rebuilt in 516 BC and destroyed again in 70 AD. Many Jews believe that this temple must be rebuilt before the Messiah can come. However, in the 7th century, the Al Aqsa Mosque was built on this site and is considered one of the holiest sites in Islam – Muslims believe that this is where Mohammed ascended into heaven.
Modern Times
British Rule. In the 1840s, the Jews (who were referred to as Zionists, indicating more of a political than religious orientation) garnered the support of the British crown and in 1897 declared their intent to recreate the state of Israel and established the First Zionist Congress. Zionists claimed to be non-religious, but they were mostly Ashkenazy Jews. In modern times, Zionists are those who support the state and rights of Israel and are not only comprised of Jews, but also many Christians.
In 1917, the region was ruled by the British under British Mandate for Palestine, which supported establishing areas for both Palestinians and Jews in the region of Palestine. In the same year, under the British government’s Balfour Declaration – which established British support for the establishment in Palestine of a national home for the Jewish People – British groups seized control of Palestine on behalf of the Zionists.
From 1920 to 1948, the whole region of Palestine was under British rule under this British Mandate (whereby the British also ruled Iraq and Syria). Prior to 1948, there was no Palestinian state established – the related territories had been administered by Jordan and Egypt. During this time, the area of Palestine was populated by Jews, Christians, and Arabs. In 1948, the Jewish State of Israel was proclaimed, whose territory was part of the ancient land of Israel.
League of Nations/UN. In 1922, the League of Nations adopted the Balfour Declaration. In 1947, the UN adopted Resolution 181, known as the Partition Plan, which sought to divide the British Mandate of Palestine into Arab and Jewish States. This granted parts of Palestine to the Zionists. In May 1948, the State of Israel was created.
1948 Arab Israeli War. The creation of Israel sparked the first Arab Israeli War. The Arabs invaded the Israeli area to block this Partition, but the Israeli ultimately prevailed. As a result, from 1947-1949, Palestinians were made refugees and expelled from the homes of their ancestors. Villages were destroyed and thousands of Palestinians were murdered.
1967 Six Day War. Arabs attacked Israel; Israel defeated the Arab armies and gained territory four times its original size and became the military power in the region. Note that the temple mount on which the Al Aqsa Mosque stands has been occupied by Israel ever since the 1967 War. Recall that Zionists believe that the Temple of Solomon must be rebuilt on this temple mount (in order for the Messiah to come).
1973 Arab Israeli/Yom Kippur War. Egyptian and Syrian forces attacked Israeli forces in an effort to regain territory lost during the 1967 War. Israel prevailed with the help of US. Note that the Soviet Union was on the side of Egypt.
(RECOMMENDED) ALSO SEE:
Video – An Excellent Biblical Analysis of the Israel-Hamas End-Time Mystery By Jonathan Cahn (Christian minister and Messianic Jew) – MaryRefugeOfSouls
https://maryrefugeofsouls.com/2023/10/21/video-an-excellent-biblical-analysis-of-the-israel-hamas-end-time-mystery-by-jonathan-cahn-christian-minister-and-messianic-jew-maryrefugeofsouls/
Mary Refuge Of Souls 