At the dawn of the twentieth century, the Zionist movement was gaining steam. In the face nearly worldwide antisemitism many saw a need to segregate the Jews into separate state. Of course the Jews wanted to return to their “God given” homeland in Palestine. To them, this was the land given to Abraham to establish a nation of God’s people.
At the close of World War I, the Middle East became a blank slate to be divided into nations by Great Britain. This is why countries like Iraq have portions of several people groups still battling for control of various regions that only link by geography but not by culture or history. At the eastern end of the Mediterranean Sea, a large block of land was designated as Transjordan with the intent that it would become a natural migration point for Jews seeking to establish a new Israel.
The Balfour Declaration was seen as a mandate for this partitioning of the area. Antisemitic attitudes and actions caused the Jews in Europe and western Asia to begin to pour into this region and establish residences and communities. Suddenly, Jews from everywhere on earth began to see a hope for the realization of their centuries-long prayer at the Passover: “Next year in Jerusalem.”
The Arab states surrounding this real estate withstood the establishment of a Jewish state until the end of the World War II. Because of the Holocaust in Germany, sentiment for a Jewish state was at an all time high. The land that had been controlled by one nation after another since the overthrow of Israel in 70 AD was heading back into Jewish control.
This action was viewed as a catastrophe for the Muslim control nations in the Middle East. In 1947, agreements were reached to establish Israel as a sovereign nation. A flag branded with the Star of David was prepared. In May of 1948, on the final day of the agreement, the Israeli flag was raised and Transjordan became Israel.
Surrounding nations immediately poured armies across the border. They were rebuffed and Israel stood firm. After a little more than 30 years, the Balfour Declaration had resulted in the establishment of a Jewish state. This began a period of hostility and unrest that has continued until today.
In 1967, the nations surrounding Israel once again invaded her territory. While all of the world watched in anticipation of Armageddon because of the forces being built during the Cold War, Israel repelled the invaders and recovered the land of the Gaza Strip, the Sinai Peninsula , the Golan Heights, and created a united Jerusalem. Portions of this property like the Sinai were returned eventually. Most of it was kept. The justification was security, and the fact that it also was part of their national heritage from Abraham.
The taking of the Golan Heights and Gaza Strip have created additional tensions in the region. This is especially true of the Palestinians in Gaza who claim a national right to the land. The Golan Heights provide Israel with the strategic high ground in the possibility of future attacks by her neighbors.
The Balfour Declaration has essentially become the basis for one nation to exist and her neighbors to resent her presence in the world. In reality, we continue to see a modern day sibling conflict between the sons of Abraham, Isaac and Ishmael. Both claim a God-given right to this land.
For the first twenty centuries after the deliverance from Egypt, the descendants of Isaac held this land. For the nearly twenty more centuries after the birth of Christ, the descendants of Ishmael flourished there. Now, in our day, Isaacs offspring once again claim it as their right.
