Well, if that is the criteria, maybe we should give it to the Turks. Before the most recent incarnation of the Israeli nation, the land of Palestine was controlled by the British, as part of the League of Nations Mandate for Palestine. This was put in place after World War I which saw the defeat of, among others, the Ottoman Empire...the Turks. This land had been part of the Ottoman Empire since about 1517. So, I would say that if anyone has claim to Israel, it would be the Turks, wouldn't you?
The vast majority of the land under the Mandate, as well as that under French control, were given to Arab peoples. Only a very small portion was given to the Jews...only about 1/6th of one percent of the land in the Middle East.
Before this, though, it was the Turks who controlled and owned this region. Of course, before that, it was the Mamluks, the Arabs, the Persians and the Byzantines who controlled the land. Oh, then before that there were the Romans...who gave the region the name of Palestine after the biblical enemies of the Jews, the Philistines...who were not Arab. And, if you go back a little further, it was the land of...the Jews.
And, who really are the Palestinians? There was historically never a country, tribe or people known as the Palestinians. These, really were just Arabs who lived in the region who were not welcomed into the other Arab lands. Some refer to them as the rabble or outcasts of the Arab world. From a control or ownership standpoint, they really have no strong claim on the land.
So, where does this leave us? Who should get Israel? The current occupants, the so-called Palestinians? Should we give it back to the Turks maybe? Well, in my opinion, it is the current occupants who own it. Look, I am no Zionist. While I am a christian, I do not believe that the Jews have some kind of divine right to the land. I believe that God gave it to them once, but then, through disobedience, they lost it. I am, however, a supporter of Israel in the same way as I am a supporter of Great Britain, or Germany, or Japan. They are friends and allies. Every country and region in the world has been shaped over the centuries by wars, conquerors and political agreements of all sorts. At one time most of Europe was controlled by the Roman Empire...then came the Normans, Vandals, Saxons, etc., etc. How far do we have to go back in time to redress the perceived wrongs of the past? Hopefully we can become more and more "civilized" in our dealings among nations as time passes, but I'm not holding out a lot of hope. But, until then, we need to face the facts. We all are a product of our history, good or bad. We are where we are today, and we must align with our friends in good times and bad for all of our mutual safety. If we abandon friends due to international peer pressure or growing internal political struggles, we will be left with no friends because we will not be a trustworthy ally.
Israel is our only true and stable friend in a region filled with our sworn enemies. We must support them.
