Arguments that Israel “stole” land from Palestinians often ignore deep historical, legal, and democratic contexts. The Jewish people have ancient ties to the land, while Israel today functions as a democratic state where Arab citizens thrive. Hamas’s militarization of civilian spaces and its attacks further complicate narratives. Here’s a clear overview.
Ancient and Biblical Ties to the Land
- Biblical heritage: Jews trace their connection to the area back thousands of years, constructing the First and Second Temples in Jerusalem.
- Roman renaming: After crushing the Bar Kokhba revolt in 135 CE, the Romans renamed Judea “Syria Palaestina” to diminish Jewish identification—but the Greek/Latin term “Palestine” dates back to 450 BCE Herodotus and earlier Egyptian inscriptions referencing the Philistines en.wikipedia.org+11hudson.org+11scriptureanalysis.com+11.
- No sovereign ancient “Palestine”: Prior to 20th century mandates, the land was ruled by empires—Roman, Byzantine, Islamic, Ottoman—not a separate Palestinian state .
🇮🇱 Modern Israel: A Pluralistic Democracy
- Demographic makeup: Approximately 7 million Jews and 2 million Arab Israelis (Muslims, Christians, Baháʼís) hold full civic rights—voting, running for parliament, serving in government, and holding judicial office.
- Arab inclusion: Arab MPs and judges (e.g., Salim Joubran, Mansour Abbas) participate in key institutions; Arab society actively contributes to public life nypost.com.
- Democratic standing: Israel is recognized by organizations like Freedom House as a multiparty democracy with legal protections for minorities.
🚧 Hamas Contradictions: Militarizing Civilian Life
- Extensive tunnel network: Hamas built over 350 miles of tunnels under Gaza—beneath hospitals (e.g., Al Shifa, European Hospital), mosques, schools, and daycare centers—used to store weapons and coordinate attacks reuters.com+5reuters.com+5washingtonpost.com+5theaustralian.com.au+5reuters.com+5reuters.com+5.
- Weapons in civilian sites: Israeli forces uncovered weapons, command posts, and even the body of Hamas military leader Sinwar beneath a hospital in Khan Younis reuters.com.
- Rocket attacks on civilians: Hamas has launched thousands of rockets toward Israeli civilian populations, including the October 7 massacre killing ~1,200 civilians and capturing ~250 hostages reuters.com+1hrw.org+1.
🏛️ Reframing the Narrative
- Historical rights vs. theft: Jewish historical claims and continuous presence challenge simplistic accusations of “land theft.” Labeling modern Israel as having “stolen” land ignores both Jewish continuity and complex land purchase and legal frameworks of the 20th century.
- Democracy not apartheid: With full political inclusion—and rising Arab pride in citizenship—Israel’s system stands in contrast to the authoritarian models of Hamas governance reuters.com+3hrw.org+3nypost.com+3.
- Civilian harm from both sides: While civilian casualties are devastating, they stem in part from Hamas’s embedding of military operations within civilian infrastructure.
Bottom Line:
- The connection of Jews to the Land of Israel is ancient, affirmed by archaeological and scholarly records.
- No independent Palestinian state historically existed before the modern era; “Palestine” was an administrative and geographic term used by empires.
- Today, Israel remains a democracy with significant Arab representation, even as Hamas actively militarizes civilian spaces and targets civilians.
