The Ownership of Land

Summary

So who owns the land, in modern day terms? Jews, Christians and Muslims each have their own reasons and rationales, be they based on a religious, historical or emotional basis. To make the ownership issue even more complex, among each religion there are tectonic plates of differing viewpoints and beliefs that rub against one another, bringing about outbursts as disastrous as any earthquakes. In this twenty-first century, we have witnessed the polarization between religions and the polarization within religions. This polarization has impacted the ongoing discussions of ownership of land in Israel/Palestine. For who can speak on behalf of any one religion? Who will listen or follow any representative of any one faction or subgroup within a given religion? There may be dominant voices, but no unity of thinking or believing. The ownership of a given religion is becoming a key factor in the struggle for ownership of the land.

For Jewish people, the rebuilding of the Jewish temple in Jerusalem and the restoration of the land to the Jewish people are two separate issues. This presumption of ‘restoration of the land’ relies on a Jewish understanding that the land was theirs to begin with. This understanding is in contrast to the belief of the Palestinians that the land was, and still should be, theirs.