Earlier this month I was asked to write a guest blog-post regarding the Israel-Hamas Conflict that erupted (again) inside Palestine Oct. 7, 2023. I was very happy to do this for a good blogging friend and offer a less than popular viewpoint about the “recent” history of Israel inside Palestine since 1947-48. For the sake of brevity and at the expense of detailed historical facts since 1945, I was also restricted only to the “biblical-theological” justification or evidence for Israel being inside Palestine, if there was any. This position is impossible to defend on principles as well as biblical texts. Therefore, this was a major challenge for me, especially knowing beforehand that my personal viewpoint is NOT well received inside a generally Conservative, (hyper?) religious United States and typically pro-Israel primarily on religious evangelical and very narrow political reasons only.
During the blog-post I was heavily challenged by one or two commenters about my position on the conflict. Unfortunately, those ‘challenges’ were heavily moderated and not allowed for me to answer or rebut said challenges when I was perfectly prepared to do so. I also was debating the issue of what should be done over at Gary’s Escaping Christian Fundamentalism, primarily about history’s time-periods. But my counter-rebuttals on the first blog-post, before they were even allowed, were viewed as excessive, bordering on primate fighting, and feeding an irate lion attacking me. I completely and unequivocally disagree with this hasty, premature assumption. Hence, this post. I wish to show my civility and deep knowledge on this highly controversial topic inside the U.S.
Two primary points or challenges were asserted to me based upon false pretenses:
- “Ancient” history cannot be corrected or rectified in the 21st century.
- Invaded, conquered, and occupied land cannot be returned to the previous owners.
Both of these pretenses cannot be adequately defended and this is why they cannot.
On #1, this weak defense is ultimately irrelevant. Of course we cannot change things for the better today that took place well over 500–2000 years ago. This is a no brainer. I have never advocated for this to take place today, particularly inside Palestine. Anyone who throws this up at me is either NOT fully reading or comprehending my thorough, deeply researched “recent” history on the conflict, or they just want to ignore it all together. Period.
On #2, actually within “recent” history, this has been done on numerous occasions. When invading, conquering, occupying nations accept in remorse and see their wrong-doing, atrocious methods of land-grabbing by annexation, violence, massacring, and/or war, there has been plenty of cases where they returned the conquered land or the international community (the U.N.) made them give back the illegally seized land.
Before I give those examples, let me define what is the difference between “ancient” history, “modern” history, and “recent” history.
Ancient history is considered by most historical scholars today as the time-period before 1500 CE, or prior to the Middle/Medieval Age. This is a period where today it is near or completely impossible to forensically investigate and/or challenge “traditional” transgenerational oral or written narrations. Victors almost always write their own version of ancient events—today we have little to go on to verify their objective accounts of events. These attempts to use ancient history to justify current 21st century facts, is usually an exercise in foolishness. It’s a can of worms for sure.
Modern history is considered by many/most scholars today as the time from 1500 CE to 1945. I agree with this decision. Even verifying factually events between 1500–1799 can be extremely difficult. It takes years to plausibly draw definitive conclusions about world events, much less 100% certainty.
However, Recent history is a whole other ballgame. The time after 1945–present day is much, MUCH easier to forensically or evidentially, via multiple sources, verify and reverify. This absolutely applies to Zionist Israel from 1897–present. It also applies to Israel’s major ally, the United States, and how the U.S. was an evil bed-partner militarily and economically in accessorizing and aiding Israel’s illegal creation in a foreign land in 1946-47 inside an already occupied territory for several millenia.
Yes, the land that Israel illegally stole from Palestine with the major help of the United States absolutely CAN be returned to Palestine with the help of the General Assembly of the U.N. Why? Because reparations or returned land has been done numerous times in the past:
- In 1988 Congress voted to extend an apology and pay $20,000 to each Japanese-American survivor of the internment. More than $1.6 billion was paid to 82,219 eligible Japanese-American claimants.
- African-American survivors of police abuses in Chicago; victims of forced sterilization; and black residents of a Florida town that was burned by a murderous white mob, have been given reparations.
- Many reparations have been made by the U.S. government to Native American Indians and the many injustices done by the U.S. government and its military in the 19th-century.
- After World War II, Japan returned the territories it had invaded and occupied in China, Korea and Southeast Asia.
- In 1956, Israel returned the Sinai Peninsula to Egypt as part of the Suez Crisis agreement.
- In 1975, Spain returned the Western Sahara to Morocco and Mauritania.
- In 1999, the United Kingdom returned Hong Kong to China.
- In 2002, The United States returned control of the Panama Canal to Panama.
Therefore, I stand by my position on Israel-Palestine sternly, earnestly, and unwaveringly. Israel must give back what they have stolen from Palestine and the U.S., the U.K., and France must be the primary movers in making this happen pronto! Otherwise, there will never be lasting peace in Gaza-Palestine until Israel and the U.S. admit their horrible judgement and evil doing in 1946-47. Period.
Is that a realistic possibility? Odds are less than 2% to 0% because both Israel and the U.S. are highly arrogant, hyper proud, and consider themselves hyper-self-righteous and they’ve never done anything wrong to other peoples, ever in the history of humanity. Admitting wrong-doing and rectifying it is just not in the DNA of Israel or the U.S. Period.
Fair Warning for any Commenters — any incivility or personal attacks will not be tolerated. Please review my Professor’s Netiquette page for details. Thank you. 🙂
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