Jerusalem, Israel and a US Embassy

Several of my more liberal friends are posting questions about the Palestinians and the Israelis. Many are condemning the IDF for protecting themselves against the Arabs;  the US media is portraying the Israelis as evil—where does it stop? Maybe if we take an honest look at the history of Israel; and maybe if we stop BLINDLY stating the Palestinian Arabs who hate Israel aren’t causing trouble; maybe we need to actually look at Israel as a NATION that has existed for more than 5000 years…and stop over simplifying the troubles there!

Over 5000 years ago, God gave the Hebrew Children the land that has now become Israel—yes, it was Canaan. However, God handed it over to the Hebrews; and it has become Israel; and has belonged to the Jews for over 5000 years. 

It was only in 636 AD that the Muslims have lived in Jerusalem. In April 637, Caliph Umar traveled to Jerusalem in person to receive the submission of the city. The Patriarch thus surrendered to him. The Muslim conquest of the city solidified the Arab control over Palestine, control which would not again be threatened until the First Crusade in the late 11th century.

Matter of fact, let’s just look at the history of Jerusalem: 

Chalcolithic Period (4500-3200 BCE)

• 3500 BCE - First Settlement of Jerusalem

• 2500 BCE - First Houses Built in Area

• 1800 BCE - Construction of First City Wall

• 1400 BCE - First Mention of Jerusalem in Cuneiform Amarna Letters

• 1200 BCE - Jerusalem is conquered by Canaanites (Jebusites)

• 1000 BCE - King David Conquers Jerusalem; Declares City Capital of Jewish Kingdom

• 960 BCE - David's Son, King Solomon, Builds First Jewish Temple

• 721 BCE - Assyrians Conquer Samaria; Refugees Flee to Jerusalem and City Expands onto Western Hill

• 701 BCE - Assyrian Ruler Sennacherib Lays Seige to Jerusalem

• 586 BCE - Babylonian Forces Destroy Jerusalem and Demolish First Temple

• 539 BCE - Persian Ruler Cyrus the Great Conquers Babylonian Empire, Including Jerusalem

• 516 BCE - Cyrus Permits Jews in Bablyonian Exile to Return to Jerusalem; Second Temple Built

• 445-425 BCE - Nehemiah the Prophet Rebuilds the Walls of Jerusalem; City Confined to Eastern Hill

• 332 BCE - Greek Leader Alexander the Great Conquers Judea and Jerusalem

• 332-141 BCE - Ptolemaic and Seleucid Rule in Jerusalem

• 141 BCE - Hasmonean Dynasty Begins; Jerusalem Again Expands Limits to Western Hill

• 63 BCE - Roman General Pompey captures Jerusalem

• 37 BCE - King Herod Restructures Second Temple, Adds Retaining Walls

• 30 CE - Jesus Crucified by Romans in Jerusalem

• 70 CE - Roman Forces Destroy Jerusalem and Demolish Second Temple

• 135 CE - Jerusalem Rebuilt as a Roman City

• 335 CE - Church of the Holy Sepulchre Built

• 614 CE - Persians Capture Jerusalem

• 629 CE - Byzantine Christians Recapture Jerusalem from Persians

• 638 CE - Caliph Omar Enters Jerusalem

• 661-750 CE - Jerusalem Ruled Under Umayyad Dynasty

• 691 CE - Dome of the Rock Built on Site of Destroyed Jewish Temples

• 750-974 CE - Jerusalem Ruled Under Abassid Dynasty

• 1099 CE - First Crusaders Capture Jerusalem

• 1187 CE - Saladin Captures Jerusalem from Crusaders

• 1229-1244 CE - Crusaders Briefly Recapture Jerusalem Two Times

• 1250 - Muslim Caliph Dismantles Walls of Jerusalem; Population Rapidly Declines

• 1517 - Ottoman Empire Captures Jerusalem

• 1538-1541 - Suleiman the Magnificent Rebuilds the Walls of Jerusalem

• 1917 - British Capture Jerusalem in World War I

• 1948 - State of Israel Established; Jerusalem Divided By Armistice Lines Between Israel & Jordan

• 1967 - Israel Captures Jerusalem's Old City and Eastern Half; Reunites City

• 2017 - Donald Trump, President of the United States Recognizes Jerusalem as the Capital of Israel

• 2018 - US Embassy opens in Jerusalem

So is it fair that a few Arabs who are being controlled by Hamas are getting killed? Of course, not; but these people have a choice. Their choice is to deny their false god, and embrace Israel as a nation with the right to exist. As Joshua Block said in USA Today: The timing of the decision — and the reaction to it, especially from the Arab world — have revealed some remarkable truths about the New Middle East. 

First, while most of the Arab world objected to the announcement of the Trump administration, they made a tactical decision not to back up their condemnation by any meaningful actions to support the Palestinians. Why? Because solving the Israeli-Palestinian peace process is no longer important enough for them to sacrifice more pressing security concerns.

The Arab Spring revolts have shred into pieces the myth that the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is the epicenter of war in the region. The stability of the region has nothing to do with checkpoints between Gaza and its neighbors. Making peace between Jerusalem and Ramallah cannot rebuild the broken cities of Syria, nor can it end sectarian strife in Iraq or the civil war in Yemen. 

The Arab world’s backing of the Palestinian cause has always been motivated by pragmatism rather than passion. Yet, now it is the exact same pragmatism over Iran’s illicit nuclear and malign non-nuclear activities which brings Israel and its Arab neighbors closer together than ever before.  

Against these changes, the U.S. recognition of Jerusalem could inject new life into the stalled peace process, for it drives home to the Palestinians that unilateralism no longer is an attractive option — and genuine peace negotiations the only viable solution.