How are you going to convince the Palestinian Arabs in the West Bank of this when they believe that it is their land? What do you propose the Palestinian Arabs who live there should do?
"This is our land," indeed, but then also include the 3 million non-Jewish residents of Judea and Samaria. Israel must become as much of a "normal" country as possible. Taxpaying residents in other countries are not left without rights—that shouldn't happen to the "others" in Israel either. Right now, it's too much about material annexation and too little about the rights (and obligations) that the "others" can acquire as residents or possibly citizens of Greater Israel. Emphasize that—also for PR purposes.
I believe that the author specifically mentioned it. In 1993 Israel signed the Oslo Accords with these residents only to receive the longest terror campaigns since then.
Those who fund and initiate wars of aggression or terror campaigns against their neighbors should be ready to pay for the consequences.
Often, when someone on social media refers to Judea/Samaria as "occupied," I ask them, "Occupied from whom?" I then review the history of that territory over the last 400 years or so, and point out that Art. 24 of the 1964 PLO Charter specifically EXCLUDED Judea/Samaria as part of "Palestine." Unfortunately many people have been brainwashed into believing that Israel invaded a mythical Arab country of "Palestine," which now must be "freed."
So many fabulous articles I’ve read here over the past two years. This one is indeed a clarifying gem- which the world should be forced to read instead of the nauseating antisemitic sludge which is the main reading diet of the Western world.
Important point. Thanks. Remember the map of the League of Nations Mandate of Palestine and what Churchill did in cutting off ~70% to create the Kingdom of Jordan.
Its obvious they dont want a two state or three state solution. Their only solution is one in which Israel ceases to exist and all its Jewish citizens are dead or exiled.
There’s no excuse for Israel’s hasbara and public relations to be this neglected and ineffective. A terrorist like Yahya Sinwar managed to dominate the narrative, while Israel was relentlessly attacked in the media with barely a response. Jews helped shape and communicate ideas that became foundational to Christianity—belief in one God, redemption, moral law, and the salvation through Jesus Christ—a narrative that spread across the world and has endured for centuries. Don’t tell me they lack the ability to articulate a compelling case for their own sovereignty. Ever heard of Irving Berlin?
Hamas could not ask for better friends than those in the media. Far more than its terror tunnels, small arms, or rockets, the press has been its strongest weapon against Israel.
Anyone relying on mainstream media alone won’t get a fair picture of Israel defending itself against Gazan terrorists. What’s worse is seeing those distortions accepted—not just by critics and willing anti semites, but by Jews who never bothered to learn Israel’s case or be ready to defend it
Sono d'accordo, la storia è l'archeologia. confermano quanto esposto.
Ma,come garantire che la popolazione arabo/ mussulma in forte espansione ,entro i confini dell''Israele storica ( comprendente Giudea e Samaria) non diventi una " comunità/ tribù, distaccata dal resto della popolazione?
Se si trattasse di integrare cristiani europei o mediorientali sono convinto non esserci problemi . ma, gli arabi e i mussulmani ( cultura,società modi di vita) non possono coesistere in una società COESA ,e, ( per quanto mi riguarda) progressista.
"Israel’s decision to ease land purchase registration in Judea and Samaria has produced . . ." international cries of outrage at "Violation of international law," and "Illegal annexation."
This raises a very interesting question. Can the Catholics annex the Vatican? Can Sadia Arabia annex Mecca?
Google answer to the question: “If an indigenous peoples reincorporate ancestral land taken by a foreign state and retaken by them, is it annexation?”
ANS: "In legal and political terms, if an Indigenous people retake their ancestral land that was previously taken by a foreign state, it is generally not considered annexation.
Instead, it is usually categorized as land restitution, repatriation, repossession, or decolonization.
Here is a breakdown of why, based on legal concepts:
1. Annexation vs. Retaking
• Annexation is the forcible acquisition of a territory by one state at the expense of another state (usually illegal in modern international law). It implies taking something that did not belong to you to expand your sovereignty.
• Retaking/Restitution is the act of repossessing land that is considered to have been stolen or unjustly taken, restoring it to its original rightful owners."
Therefore when accused of annexing land viz. Judea and Samaria (and politically rebranded in 1950 by Jordan as the West Bank and now commonly referred to as The Occupied West Bank), our reply should be, "We are not annexing any land. We retook our land which another state —Jordan — stole from us through a war they started. Now, it is being restored to its rightful place among its rightful people.
The proposed antidote of a “We are the light” narrative with "a simple narrative that can unite Israelis and Jews, speak to the international community, have the virtue of truth, and be simple. Here it is: It is our land" sounds good, but too many Jews as well as non-Jews will hear it as typical child squabbling: "This belongs to me." "No it belongs to me." Ad nauseam.
What removes it from the "He said - She" said merry-go-round is providing an immediately relatable context.
Calmly delivered assertions: "Just as France belongs to the French and China belongs to the Chinese, Israel belongs to the Jews." will make them stop and think.
Quick Question:
Since when are Jews alien, colonial– settler – apartheid, genocidal conquerors of territory that has always been their ancient, historic, ancestral homeland?
I agree with everything you say. And if justice meant anything the Palestinians would have been removed many years ago because they cannot co-exist with Israelis. (Or anyone else). But this is not reality. Reality is that there are several million Palestinian Arabs living in Judea and Samaria. This population as a whole cannot live peacefully in a Jewish state. That is a non starter. They also cannot realistically be subjugated by Israel on a permanent basis. Then Israel really would be an apartheid state. And finally though they should be expelled by rights, having forfeited any reasonable right to self determination by their behavior, the modern world including the United States simply will not allow that to happen. So what is to be done? Its a very tricky problem.
Wonderful essay !!!!!!!!...thank you so much for telling the truth about Israel, with simplicity and clarity.....and yes, Judea and Samaria and Gaza, are part of Israel......Our history is there, it's our land !!!!!!....... Am Israel Chai......
"It is our land" is succinct and tells the story without semantic folderol. To explain it to the rest of the world governments in private can be used to elaborate but the public use of this expression is perfect in my mind. Israel, tell the tale without reservation and use "It is our land" to hammer the idea home.
Israel belongs to the Jews. Full stop.
Finally! I have been shouting this for years, Israel’ s PR is terrible. You have managed to provide us with the foundation of a great PR platform
"This is our land",,,"we're done explaining"... That's it!!!! Great essay.
How are you going to convince the Palestinian Arabs in the West Bank of this when they believe that it is their land? What do you propose the Palestinian Arabs who live there should do?
Well-thought-out, highest quality of writing , and most of all, true!
“It is Our Land” - enuf said.
That is excellent advice.
Let's see how many people read your suggestions let alone preach it to the children and grandchildren.
"This is our land," indeed, but then also include the 3 million non-Jewish residents of Judea and Samaria. Israel must become as much of a "normal" country as possible. Taxpaying residents in other countries are not left without rights—that shouldn't happen to the "others" in Israel either. Right now, it's too much about material annexation and too little about the rights (and obligations) that the "others" can acquire as residents or possibly citizens of Greater Israel. Emphasize that—also for PR purposes.
I believe that the author specifically mentioned it. In 1993 Israel signed the Oslo Accords with these residents only to receive the longest terror campaigns since then.
Those who fund and initiate wars of aggression or terror campaigns against their neighbors should be ready to pay for the consequences.
Agreed and life isn't easy for Palestinians, indeed.
What you sow is what you reap.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Palestinian_political_violence
Often, when someone on social media refers to Judea/Samaria as "occupied," I ask them, "Occupied from whom?" I then review the history of that territory over the last 400 years or so, and point out that Art. 24 of the 1964 PLO Charter specifically EXCLUDED Judea/Samaria as part of "Palestine." Unfortunately many people have been brainwashed into believing that Israel invaded a mythical Arab country of "Palestine," which now must be "freed."
So many fabulous articles I’ve read here over the past two years. This one is indeed a clarifying gem- which the world should be forced to read instead of the nauseating antisemitic sludge which is the main reading diet of the Western world.
Thank you, Nachum Kaplan!! I will be printing this excellent summary and giving copies to my grandchildren and their friends.
Important point. Thanks. Remember the map of the League of Nations Mandate of Palestine and what Churchill did in cutting off ~70% to create the Kingdom of Jordan.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_East_Bank_of_the_Jordan_(song)
Shtei Gadot La'Yarden | שתי גדות לירדן | Two Banks to the Jordan
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fl0dVOa5NBw
So it would seem they already have a two-state solution! And they're still not satisfied. When will Britain learn that you can't trust a Muslim Arab?
Its obvious they dont want a two state or three state solution. Their only solution is one in which Israel ceases to exist and all its Jewish citizens are dead or exiled.
Yes, I know. It just shows their hypocrisy and the West's stupidity.
There’s no excuse for Israel’s hasbara and public relations to be this neglected and ineffective. A terrorist like Yahya Sinwar managed to dominate the narrative, while Israel was relentlessly attacked in the media with barely a response. Jews helped shape and communicate ideas that became foundational to Christianity—belief in one God, redemption, moral law, and the salvation through Jesus Christ—a narrative that spread across the world and has endured for centuries. Don’t tell me they lack the ability to articulate a compelling case for their own sovereignty. Ever heard of Irving Berlin?
To be fair he had a little help. Major media from the BBC to the NY Times has been virulently anti Israel for decades.
Hamas could not ask for better friends than those in the media. Far more than its terror tunnels, small arms, or rockets, the press has been its strongest weapon against Israel.
Anyone relying on mainstream media alone won’t get a fair picture of Israel defending itself against Gazan terrorists. What’s worse is seeing those distortions accepted—not just by critics and willing anti semites, but by Jews who never bothered to learn Israel’s case or be ready to defend it
Sono d'accordo, la storia è l'archeologia. confermano quanto esposto.
Ma,come garantire che la popolazione arabo/ mussulma in forte espansione ,entro i confini dell''Israele storica ( comprendente Giudea e Samaria) non diventi una " comunità/ tribù, distaccata dal resto della popolazione?
Se si trattasse di integrare cristiani europei o mediorientali sono convinto non esserci problemi . ma, gli arabi e i mussulmani ( cultura,società modi di vita) non possono coesistere in una società COESA ,e, ( per quanto mi riguarda) progressista.
Un'amico , dell'Italia
"Israel’s decision to ease land purchase registration in Judea and Samaria has produced . . ." international cries of outrage at "Violation of international law," and "Illegal annexation."
This raises a very interesting question. Can the Catholics annex the Vatican? Can Sadia Arabia annex Mecca?
Google answer to the question: “If an indigenous peoples reincorporate ancestral land taken by a foreign state and retaken by them, is it annexation?”
ANS: "In legal and political terms, if an Indigenous people retake their ancestral land that was previously taken by a foreign state, it is generally not considered annexation.
Instead, it is usually categorized as land restitution, repatriation, repossession, or decolonization.
Here is a breakdown of why, based on legal concepts:
1. Annexation vs. Retaking
• Annexation is the forcible acquisition of a territory by one state at the expense of another state (usually illegal in modern international law). It implies taking something that did not belong to you to expand your sovereignty.
• Retaking/Restitution is the act of repossessing land that is considered to have been stolen or unjustly taken, restoring it to its original rightful owners."
Therefore when accused of annexing land viz. Judea and Samaria (and politically rebranded in 1950 by Jordan as the West Bank and now commonly referred to as The Occupied West Bank), our reply should be, "We are not annexing any land. We retook our land which another state —Jordan — stole from us through a war they started. Now, it is being restored to its rightful place among its rightful people.
The proposed antidote of a “We are the light” narrative with "a simple narrative that can unite Israelis and Jews, speak to the international community, have the virtue of truth, and be simple. Here it is: It is our land" sounds good, but too many Jews as well as non-Jews will hear it as typical child squabbling: "This belongs to me." "No it belongs to me." Ad nauseam.
What removes it from the "He said - She" said merry-go-round is providing an immediately relatable context.
Calmly delivered assertions: "Just as France belongs to the French and China belongs to the Chinese, Israel belongs to the Jews." will make them stop and think.
Quick Question:
Since when are Jews alien, colonial– settler – apartheid, genocidal conquerors of territory that has always been their ancient, historic, ancestral homeland?
I agree with everything you say. And if justice meant anything the Palestinians would have been removed many years ago because they cannot co-exist with Israelis. (Or anyone else). But this is not reality. Reality is that there are several million Palestinian Arabs living in Judea and Samaria. This population as a whole cannot live peacefully in a Jewish state. That is a non starter. They also cannot realistically be subjugated by Israel on a permanent basis. Then Israel really would be an apartheid state. And finally though they should be expelled by rights, having forfeited any reasonable right to self determination by their behavior, the modern world including the United States simply will not allow that to happen. So what is to be done? Its a very tricky problem.
Wonderful essay !!!!!!!!...thank you so much for telling the truth about Israel, with simplicity and clarity.....and yes, Judea and Samaria and Gaza, are part of Israel......Our history is there, it's our land !!!!!!....... Am Israel Chai......
"It is our land" is succinct and tells the story without semantic folderol. To explain it to the rest of the world governments in private can be used to elaborate but the public use of this expression is perfect in my mind. Israel, tell the tale without reservation and use "It is our land" to hammer the idea home.