Whose Land Is Palestine

The claims to Palestine have a long history, which is often forgotten in the mass media communication of our time. News reports of the moments tend to look at the conflict in terms of isolated events, such as the June War of 1967, Palestinian commando raids, or even the 1969 raid on the Beirut international airport. These events, however, cannot be understood or properly interpreted without reference to the long history of claims to Palestine. In this volume, the author examines all these claims. Beginning with the indigenous populations and ancient empires, he traces the claims to Palestine of Judaism, Islam, Christianity, Zionism, the British, the Palestinian Arabs and the Arab states, the United Nations, the state of Israel, and the Palestinian refugees. -- Back cover.

Traces the historical background to the present Middle East situation and offers answers to the perplexing question.

Because events in the Middle East continue to escalate in tragic complexity, Christians still struggle with making sense of it all. In this updated version of "Whose Land? Whose Promise?," Gary Burge further explores the personal emotions and opinions, and sharpens his theological argument in the context of the new developments surrounding the crisis in the Middle East. "Whose Land? Whose Promise?" offers insight for the thoughtful reader on an explosive topic and challenges personal truths on peace.

The conflict between Israel and the Palestinians has profoundly affected the Middle East for almost seventy years, and shows no sign of ending. With two peoples claiming the same piece of land for different reasons, it remains a huge political and humanitarian problem. Can it ever be resolved? If so, how? These are the basic questions addressed in a new and substantially revised fifth edition of this highly acclaimed book. Having lived and worked in the Middle East at various times since 1968, Colin Chapman explains the roots of the problem and outlines the arguments of the main parties involved. He also explores the theme of land in the Old and New Testaments, discussing legitimate and illegitimate ways of using the Bible in relation to the conflict. This new and fully updated edition covers developments since 9/11, including the building of the security wall, the increased importance of Hamas and the Islamic dimension of the conflict, and the attacks on Lebanon and Gaza.

This book explains the historical roots of the conflict between Jews and Arabs, which has lost none of its explosiveness to the present day, in a comprehensive and easy-to-understand manner. The question of who owns the Holy Land is more relevant today than ever. The debates on this topic are often characterized by ignorance and strong emotions, while partiality and power interests still obscure the view on the political situation in the Middle East. Shaking up old myths and prejudices, this book presents an overall historical as well as political analysis of the Jewish, Christian, and Muslim structures, actors, and actions from the very beginning to this very day, as well as a topical analysis. It combines history with theology and political science. Thus, the book is a must-read for scholars and students of political science, history, and international relations, as well as policy-makers, interested in a better understanding of the historical background and current political situation in the Middle East.

Describes first-century Jewish and Christian beliefs about the land of Israel and examines present-day tensions, helping readers develop a Christian theology of the land.