(April 17, 2010) The New York Times reports that President Obama is initiating a “far-reaching shift in how the United States views the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, and how aggressively it might push for a peace agreement.” (Obama Phrase Highlights Shift on Middle East) The article states, “Mr. Obama said conflicts like the one in the Middle East ended up “costing us significantly in terms of both blood and treasure” — drawing an explicit link between the Israeli-Palestinian strife and the safety of American soldiers as they battle Islamic extremism and terrorism in Iraq, Afghanistan and elsewhere.” It also notes that both General Petraeus and Condoleezza Rice shared a similar position on the Middle East conflict with the Obama administration. The article does point out that Israelis themselves question the efficacy of any peace agreement with the Palestinians, “The sense of urgency in Washington comes just as many Israelis have become disillusioned with the whole idea of resolving the conflict. Mr. Netanyahu’s right-wing coalition government has long been skeptical about the benefits of a peace deal with the Palestinians. But skepticism has taken root in the Israeli public as well, particularly after Israel saw little benefit from its traumatic withdrawal from Gaza in 2005.”
The issue that stands out to me is that every U.S. administration looks for a political solution to solve this dilemma. The problem is that the basis for the Arab-Israeli conflict is not political but religious in nature. What is the truth about the Arab-Israeli conflict?
Religious Jews
The Jews’ sole claim to the land comes from the Bible where God promised them the land of Israel forever. He did help the Jews conquer the land from the Canaanites and they lived there for the next eleven centuries. The United Nations, a political organization, did authorize their return to the land but only because their biblical history claims this as their land. The modern Zionist movement and its founder Theodor Herzl suggested Madagascar, Uganda, Cyprus, or Argentina as possible future homelands for the Jews. Yet they had no significant historical connection to any of these countries. The religious Jews declared that only the biblical land of Canaan/Israel would suffice as a homeland for the Jews. In the eyes of religious Jews the legitimacy of the Jews’ claim to the land of Israel does not come from the United Nations authority but from God’s promises in the Tanakh or Old Testament.
Religious Muslims
The Muslim prophet Muhammad was born in the 6th Century A.D. The Islamic religion began with him and in the following centuries the Muslims conquered many lands including the land of Israel. They continued ruling the land of Israel (with a few exceptions) until 1948 when the modern nation of Israel was created. Since then they have battled the Israelis for control of the land. Just like the religious Jews believe God gave them the land, so too the fundamentalist Muslims believe that Allah gave them the land. There are two religious concepts in Islam that have a tremendous if not the sole impact on the Arab side of this modern conflict. They are Dar al-Harb and Dar al-Islam. I discussed these two concepts in my article Why There will never be peace in Israel until the Messiah returns:
“There are two concepts in Islam that will never allow Israel to have peace until the Messiah returns. The first is Dar al-Islam which means House of Islam or House of Submission. Its adherents are made up of Muslim extremists. Dar al-Islam refers to countries where the law of Islam prevails and an Islamic government rules. Non-Muslims may live there under subjugation. Dar al-Harb means House of War and refers to those countries that are not under Islamic rule. It also refers to those lands which were once Islamic but were conquered by non-Muslims. The lands that are not Muslim are not legitimate because they are not under the authority of Allah. In the case of Israel those Muslims who subscribe to Dar al-Harb believe that the Jews are living on land that Allah gave to Islam. Therefore it is a disgrace to Islam and can only be rectified by Israel returning to Islamic rule. The Muslims riot over cartoons depicting their prophet Muhammad because it is a dishonor to him. How much more will they fight to regain Israel since it is a dishonor to Allah. No matter how many moderate Muslims may want peace with Israel the Islamic hardliners can never allow Israel to exist. Under Dar al-Harb treaties and truces may be made but only with the goal of eventually retaking the land that once was under Islamic rule. Since Israeli soldiers swear an oath declaring “Never again” will they be brought under the power of another government, they will never stop fighting to keep Israel.”
The Political Solution
There is a belief among a lot of world leaders that if the Israelis give up enough land they can achieve peace with the Palestinians. Some of these leaders think the Israelis should withdraw to the pre-1967 borders that were politically drawn up after the 1949 armistice to end Israel’s War of Independence against the Arab armies. This means that Israel would give up the Golan Heights to Syria, the West Bank, and East Jerusalem including the Temple Mount and the Western Wall. The Jews waited more than 1800 years to return to Jerusalem. Every one of those 1800 years they ended the Passover seder with the words “Next year in Jerusalem”. In 1967 they finally realized that dream and to expect them to give it up now is ludicrous.
From the Arab point of view the return of the “occupied” territories would not suffice to meet their religious requirements. They believe Allah gave them the entire land of Israel and therefore will accept nothing less: “As long as Hezbollah exists, it will never recognise Israel.” – leader of Lebanon’s Islamist Hezbollah movement, Hassan Nasrallah March 14, 2009.” (http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/7943357.stm) Under Dar al-Harb they have no choice but to acquire all of the land of Israel in order to restore honor to Allah. The history of the Palestinian Authority (PA) will prove this to be the case.
The Palestinian Authority was formed after the Oslo Peace agreement of 1993. Previously it had been known as Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) which was created in 1964. Why is this of the utmost significance? Because in 1964 the Arabs occupied the West Bank, the Golan Heights, the Gaza Strip, and East Jerusalem. They didn’t lose these lands until three years later during the 1967 Six Day War. This then begs the question: “What lands were they trying to liberate in 1964?” The obvious answer is they were eventually hoping to liberate all the land of Israel from the Jews. This of course falls in line with the religious concept of Dar al-Harb.
Political leaders who try to force a peace agreement on Israel with the Palestinians by causing them to give up more land are engaging in a futile endeavor. The Israelis unilaterally withdrew from parts of Gaza in 2005. The terrorist organization Hamas moved in and began firing rockets into Israel. There is no political solution to the Arab-Israeli conflict.
The Religious Solution
There is no temporal religious solution because both the Jews and Muslims claim the land of Israel was given to them by Jehovah and Allah respectively. In 1993, on the White House lawn, both Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin and PLO leader Yasser Arafat proclaimed Jerusalem as the eternal capital of their people. I told my wife that day this meant the Oslo Peace Accord was a sham because the status of Jerusalem would not be solved by this agreement. However, at some point in the future a global leader will arise and seemingly solve the Arab-Israeli conflict in general and the Jerusalem situation in particular. How he accomplishes this feat is not entirely clear. The Bible indicates that this man will be a great orator and have some kind of supernatural powers or at least the appearance of them. He will deceive the world with a false agenda of peace and the world will follow after him. Once he reveals his true nature global chaos will ensue. The chaos will end with the second coming of Jesus and at that time He will solve the Arab-Israeli conflict by setting up His kingdom in Jerusalem and ruling the world from there. Both Arabs and Jews will then know that He is the Messiah and follow Him. Until that time though, American presidents will continue to try and force peace on Israel and they will fail.
