By Brig BL Poonia
Yes, it does, and it does since 1500 years Before Christ (BC), for which the Old Testament is an indisputable piece of evidence, as is Ramayan for the Hindus, to prove that Ayodhya was the kingdom of Lord Ram. But just because the Mughals conquered the province, and Mir Baki, one of the generals of Babur, had the Babri Masjid constructed at the birth place of Lord Ram in 1528, the Hindus were told that Ayodhya belonged to the Mughals, and they should forget that it ever belonged to them. QED.
So was the case with Kashmir, after Akbar annexed it in 1586. Since then, the Hindus were forceably converted, and finally the ethnic cleansing of the Kashmiri Pandits was brutally executed in Jan 1990. And now, not only Pakistan, but a majority of the Muslim countries around the world, including the Palestinians, support their cause, who claim it to be an exclusive land of the Kashmiri Muslims. But what about the Kashmiri Hindus, Sikhs and Christians, the original inhabitants of the land ? Where do they go ? No one speaks for them.
Israelis share the same fate, as that of Kashmiri Hindus, and the Arab nations have tried their level best to brutally execute the ethnic cleansing of Jews, during the last 75 years, in spite of the fact that the Jews, Christians and Mohammadans share a common ancestry. They all are the descendants of Abraham.
United by a common ancestry, they are bitterly divided by different religious ideologies. Unfortunately the Jews, surrounded by Muslim countries, which are supported by the rest of the Muslim majority nations of the world, are fighting a war of survival. Their only fault is that they are a miniscule minority of non-Muslims, and the the Arabs want to apply the age-old adage, "जिसकी लाठी उसकी भैंस". The Arabs have the advantage of using oil as a weapon to arm-twist other nations. Had it not been for the US support, every time it was attacked by a coalition of Arab nations, Israel would have ceased to exist by now. However, now India has also openly come out in support of Israel for the first time since the last 75 years, she too being a victim of the Muslim terrorism. No country, or a political party with a strong moral fiber is justified in supporting terrorism for narrow political gains, under the garb of Palestinian cause. Hence, this puts India on a moral high ground.
To understand the true picture, let's go through the brief history of Israel ; straight from the Old Testament.
Abraham came to Palestine in around 1900 BC. Issac was born to Abraham, and Jacob was born to Issac. Jacob was given the name Israel (Genesis - Chapter 35 refers). When he returned from Mesopotamia, God appeared to bless him, saying, "Your name is Jacob, but from now on it will be Israel. I am Almighty God. Have many children. Nations will be descended from you, and you will be the ancestor of kings."
He had 12 sons, who became the ancestors of the 12 tribes of Israel. The most prominent of these sons was Joseph, who became advisor to the king of Egypt. However, the descendants of Jacob (Israel) were enslaved in Egypt during the period 1700 to 1250 BC.
Moses led the Israelites out of Egypt in 1250 BC, but they wandered in wilderness. During this time Moses received the Law of Mount Sinai (1250 - 1210 BC). Israel remained a loose confederation of tribes, and leadership was excercised by heroic figures known as the Judges.
However later, the United Israelite Kingdom was ruled by Saul, followed by David and then Solomon, from 970 to 931BC.
In 931 BC, the the following two Israeli kingdoms were formed :
a. Judah (Southern Kingdom).
b. Israel (Northern Kingdom).
Jerusalem fell to the Mesopotamian invasion in 587 BC and Jews were taken into exile in Babylonia. The Edict of Cyrus allowed Jews to return to Israel in 538 BC and the foundation of new temple was laid in 537 BC. The restoration of the walls of Jerusalem was carried out during the period 445 to 443 BC.
Alexander the Great established Greek rule in Palestine in 333 BC. Jewish revolt under Judas Maccabeus re-established Jewish independence and Palestine was ruled by Judas' family and descendants, ie the Hasmorneans, for 104 years from 166 to 63 BC. Going by the logic of the present day Arab nations, Israel has every right to ask the Arabs to vacate Palestine, since their ancestors had ruled the state.
The Roman general Pompey took Jerusalem in 63 BC. Palestine since then, was ruled by puppet kings appointed by Rome, one of whom was Herald the Great, who ruled from 37 BC to 04 BC.
This was followed by the birth of Lord Jesus Christ, and commencement of the Christian era. Jesus was crucified by the Jews in 30 AD.
And then came Prophet Mohammad in the 7th century AD. The rapidity of the spread of Islam and the dramatic suddenness with which the adherents of his creed rose to a position of dominant sovereignty constitute one of the marvels, or it might be said the miracles of history. No cut and dry explanations that can be offered are felt enough to account adequately for the astounding facts. But history records not a few other unexplained marvels, and we must be content to acknowledge that many things in the past, as in the present, pass man's understanding.
In 637 Jerusalem surrendered to Caliph Umar, the second successor to Prophet Mohammad, after Abu Bakr. This marked the end of 500-year long Roman rule. Now this is being used as the basis of claim by the present day Arabs to expel Jews from Israel. However, since WW I, the present day Israel and Palestine were under the British occupation.
Wars lead to a change of boundaries from time to time and the latest ruler reserves the right to decide the inheritance of the captured territories. After WW II, the Jews who survived the Nazi holocaust had to be settled somewhere, and there could not have been be a better place for them than the hallowed land of their ancestors, where a large number of Jews were already residing. And thus, once again, Israel came into existence, and was given a membership of the UNO too. Finally, they had been provided with an opportunity to lead a peaceful life.
But then who was the villain ? Unfortunately, the coalition of Arabs nations was the one which immediately attacked Israel in 1948, then again in 1967, and once again in 1973, and now again in 2023. Surprise was the main ingredient of their offensive.
But all these wars are excluding many other bloody conflicts from time to time. Israel has been bleeding profusely, fighting a war of survival for the last 75 years, but it never initiated a war against the Palestinians or any other Arab nation ; the onus of which squarely lies with the coalition of Arab nations. Israel is only excercising its Right to Self Defence. The bitter truth is, that the Arabs do not want a non-Muslim nation to exist among them. It is like a thorn in their chest, which they want to remove, and remove at all costs. The Arabs, since 1948, have made all possible efforts to inflict upon the Jews of Israel, an injury, aimed at death by a thousand cuts. They have no mercy for the hapless Jews ; their only crime being - they are not Muslims.
The Arabs were conquers, and they have no right to ask the native inhabitants of a nation to move out of the once-upon-a-time conquered territory. That is history, and it is akin to the present day Hindus being asked by the Muslims, to vacate India, just because their predecessors had ruled it for six and a half centuries (500 years of Moghul rule, plus 150 years of transition period). The Arabs must learn to co-exist with Israelis.
Moreover, an average Christian's dislike for the Jews stems from the fact that Jews were responsible for the crucification of Jesus Christ. But it is like hating the present day Muslims, because Aurangzeb was a cruel king. That is not being really fair.
Hence, the million dollar question that needs to be answered is : "Is the demand of the Arab nations, asking Jews to vacate Israel, morally, legally, historically or ethically justified ?"
Well, now you be the judge; and your time starts now.
Comments