The Land of Israel belongs to the nation of Israel

An odious narrative regarding Israel and its place in the Middle East has taken hold over much of the Western world. It is a narrative primarily adopted and promoted by a pernicious alliance of the progressive left and radical Islam. It has grown and worsened, in part, due to the moral failure of many Western political, academic and religious leaders.

Although this alliance has existed for quite some time, its malevolence has become exceedingly evident since the horrific events of Oct. 7. The woke left brings to this ignoble union an intellectually shallow and morally offensive ideology, driven by unhinged emotions. Islamists bring their genocidal obsession to kill the Jews and to conquer the West.

It is a narrative that we all know. Israel is a colonialist, apartheid state, driven to commit ethnic cleansing and genocide against the “Palestinian” people whose land it has stolen. The intent of this vile and slanderous narrative is to portray Israel and the Jewish people as the evil oppressor persecuting the innocent and helpless Palestinian victims who only want what is right and just. Ultimately, its goal is to demonize, delegitimize and destroy Israel and ethnically cleanse the land of Jews: “From the river to the sea Palestine will be free.”

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This narrative is not only morally repugnant, but also lacks historical authenticity, factual accuracy and intellectual honesty.

For thousands of years, Israel has been known by the world as the Land of Israel — Eretz Yisrael, the Holy Land and the Promised Land. Each of these names conveys the very special Jewish relationship with the land.

The Jewish story is a compelling chronicle of almost 4000 years. It is a story that broke through the barrier of paganism and idol worship and brought G-d to the world. It brought holiness and moral accountability to the world. And it is a story that defines the vital and inseparable connection of the Land of Israel to the Jewish people. Eretz Yisrael is an absolutely fundamental and inextricable part of our history and our existence. It permeates every facet of Judaism. Beginning in the book of Genesis, G-d promises Abraham to give the land to his descendants as an everlasting possession. The promise of Eretz Yisrael continues throughout every book of the Torah, culminating in Deuteronomy, where, in his final address to the Jewish people, Moses prepares the Jews to enter the Promised Land.

The Prophets, Writings, Talmud, Midrash, Kabbala, Jewish law and prayer, all testify to the fundamental importance that Eretz Yisrael and Jerusalem hold for the Jewish people. Dozens of the 613 mitzvot (commandments) apply only in the Holy Land. The daily prayers are filled with references to Eretz Yisrael and Jerusalem. We pray three times daily for our permanent return to the Promised Land. At every traditional Jewish wedding, a glass is broken in commemoration of our longing for Jerusalem and Eretz Israel. Every Jewish holiday is steeped in meaning connected to the Land of Israel.

In addition to our religious, traditional and cultural connection, there is ample historical and archaeological evidence supporting the Jewish right to the land.

A multitude of archaeological treasures attest to the long presence of the Jews in the Land of Israel: the Dead Sea Scrolls, Masada, the Western Wall, remains from the times of the first and second Holy Temples, the biblical City of David, and a myriad of other discoveries throughout Israel. Every year additional archaeological finds confirm the historical Jewish presence in the land.

The Jews lived as an independent nation in the Holy Land for over 1000 years before being exiled by the Romans. Even after the destruction of the Second Temple and forced exile, there has always been a Jewish presence in Eretz Yisrael. Since that exile and until the establishment of the state of Israel, there had never been another independent nation living on that land. It was always controlled by conquering empires.

After World War I, the British and French, pursuing their colonial interests, carved up the former Ottoman Empire into previously non-existing countries with no national identities. No nation of Iraq, Jordan, Syria, Lebanon or Palestine had ever existed. Their formation reflected French and British strategic interests, not national identities. These countries were the product of colonialism. The Jewish people fought against the colonialist British to restore its national presence in Eretz Yisrael.

Yet with all of the evidence of the intrinsic connection of Eretz Yisrael to the Jewish people, the absurd “Palestinian” narrative persists.

One way to eliminate this dark narrative is through the light of Jewish education. When we, as Jews, truly understand and appreciate that Eretz Yisrael belongs to us, we can then proudly and convincingly state the case to others. If we do not respect our own heritage, we cannot expect others to respect it. We need to educate ourselves and our children with authentic Jewish teachings.

We can take an example from Chabad. We just concluded celebrating the holiday of Chanukah which commemorates the miracle that took place in the Holy Temple in Jerusalem. Every year, with pride and determination, Chabad conducts an estimated 15,000 public menorah lightings in thousands of cities around the world. Not only are the menorah lightings held with the permission of government authorities but with their active assistance and participation. This is an outstanding example of what Jewish pride and determination, based on uncompromising Jewish education, can accomplish.

Ours is a story that brought G-d to the world. The same G-d that brought the Jews out of Egypt brought them into the Land of Israel. The same G-d that gave the Jews the Ten Commandments on Mt. Sinai gave them Eretz Yisrael. The same G-d that declared “Justice, justice shall you pursue”, continued “in order that you may live and possess the land the Lord, your G-d, is giving you.” (Deuteronomy 16:20).

We have miraculously survived as a people for thousands of years because of the holy teachings of our forefathers, prophets and great sages, who attained exceptional levels of G-dly consciousness and transmitted this G-dly potential to each of us. As long as we have remained faithful to that heritage — through the study of Torah and adherence to mitzvot — we have survived. Part of that faith is the belief that the Land of Israel was given by the G-d of Israel to the nation of Israel. Let us take a lesson from Chabad and, with pride and determination, bring that message to the world. Then, perhaps, those Western leaders who have failed so miserably, will regain a sense of moral clarity and justice. PJC

Reuven Hoch, J.D., is a legal editor living in Pittsburgh.