Jerusalem Walks with Leon Gork Tour Guide

Shalom Ray,

 

Thank you very much for your comments. I didn't mean to concentrate on the philosophy of Christianity in its relation to the Jewish People and the Land of Israel. I mentioned it because of the philosophy of my Dutch friend and tour leader Jo le Poole. I love his idea that helping the Jewish People to establish themselves is and important part of the Christian world view.

 

My main point was really that the impossibility of giving up territory stems out of Jewish History, not Jewish Religion. History doesn't allow us, not the Jewish religion. 

 

The Jewish religion as practiced by the ultra orthodox group actually doesn't have  much to do with the land of Israel. After the exile and the dispersion Judaism worked very hard at making it clear that it was a collection of rituals which can be performed anywhere in the world. They're only connected to the land in an abstract, although Godly way. 

 

Their idea is that only God can bring the Jewish People back to their land. They certainly disapprove of going to war to save the land in the name of God. 

 

I've mentioned that Judaism doesn't have the idea of fighting in the name of God on a few occasions. Orthodox Judaism would not dream of going to war in the name of God. 

 

On the other hand there are both religious and non religious Jews who are sharply aware of historic events having formed the Jewish People as a nation. They, and I'm one of them believe in Jewish History. Historical events formed us into the Jewish People. Today, since the establishment of Israel Jews can say this openly. Historically we are inseparable from the Land of Israel. 

 

In fact there is no nation on earth that has a stronger claim to a piece of land than the claim that the Jews have to Israel. This claim isn't only based on the religious idea the God promised this land. For a non religious Jew like myself that is the least of the bases of our claim.

 

The claim is based on about 1000 years of living an independent existence on this land. Evidence is not only Biblical history, there's evidence now in Egyptian and Babylonian history and in the thousands of archaeological discoveries in Israel. Most important, however is the historic fact of Jews seeing this land as belonging to them, as one can see in wedding customs for example. So, theoretically, even if it wasn't true that this is the land of the Jews the constant expression that this is our land is enough claim. we've been claiming this since long before the Arabs even came into existence.

 

The Arabs can try as hard as they may to alter historic facts and there are many academics who've written books to prove the Jews were never here or that the Jews living today aren't descended from the Jews of Israel of thousands of years ago. They're not successful, in my opinion. Denying Jewish History is not going to promote peace, on the contrary it is creating war by stubbornly maintaining a lie. The only thing which is true is that the Arabs have been living here since about the 7th century and we must consider a solution to establishing a homeland for them. Although I personally feel it would be wise for them to admit Jewish claims to Israel. They would achieve a much higher acceptability and respect than they have now with the never ending wars and terrorist attacks.

 

We cannot undo what has been done. We cannot undo the thousands even millions of times that Jews have said "If I forget thee o Jerusalem...." at wedding celebrations. 

 

What do we do with our history. If we deny that then there isn't a Jewish nation, only a Jewish Religion. The consequences of this may seem dire but the consequences of denying our history are more fraught with dangers.

 

The Arabs will always stay Arabs even if they admit that they came here as conquerors of a land that didn't belong to them in the 7th century. The Jews cannot deny their historic claim to the land of Israel without disappearing as Jews. The Moslems know this and so do some Christians and wish to encourage it in happening.

Wishing you a great day

Yours truly