Palestinians

The people we now call Palestinians are the indigenous people of the Holy land plus a few more mixed in. Most are not Arabs. When I worked in Jordan there was a big difference between the Arabs and the Palestinians. Both groups would let you know about it.

The base group for the indigenous people in the Holy Land is the Canaanites who were residents in the Holy Land long before Abraham arrived about 2000 BC. They were not one nation but many city states that fought each other. When out numbered their plan was to join up with the attacking nation. They did this with the Hebrews, Philistines, Assyrians, Babylonians, Persians Greeks, Romans and Arabs. They intermarried with everyone, Jews included. Doing this they became a melting pot in the Holy Land.

It is correct to say that they have never ruled themselves after their city states fell but they stayed in the land. They did not care who ruled them as long as they could live in peace. They have had a continued presence in the Holy Land for over five thousand years and never gave up their claim to the land.

The Hebrews did have a kingdom for almost five hundred years before they were hauled off to Babylon for seventy years. When they came back they were ruled by Persia and then the Greeks. Around 135 BC they rebelled against the Greeks but were taken over by the Romans. They rebelled against Rome in 68 AD and were destroyed by Rome in 70 AD. Some Jews returned to Judea around 130 and rebelled again. This time the Romans rooted our every Jew in the area and would not let them return. They renamed the place Palestine. The Arabs invaded around 800 AD when all of the Palestinians were Christian and many Palestinians are still Christian. As you know the Jews began sneaking into the Holy Land after WWI when the British took control of the Holy Land from the Ottomans. After world war two they swarmed into Palestine and at first purchased land from locals who were willing to sell. After 1948 they just took what they wanted. Is it any wonder the Palestinians are upset?

There is enough blame on both sides. I pray for a just peace between the two nations of peoples. It is not an easy thing to do because there are those on both sides who a hate the other and want them destroyed. Neither side can do that to the other. When I worked on a dig in Israel I discovered that 90 percent of people on both side want a just peace with two states it is that ten percent on each side that stirs up hate and discontent. SAD! I pray for peace in the Holy Land every day.