For too long has the history of the region been an absent topic in the discussion of peace between Israel and the Palestinian leadership. As George Santayana eloquently said “Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it”. This section will look back on kingdoms and nations that ruled and conquered the disputed territories of Judea and Samaria, so that as advocates and leaders for change we can understand and develop rational ideas based off of facts.

Who Ruled in the Land?

Jewish kingdoms reigned in the land, off and on, for more than 1,000 years beginning with King Saul and followed by King David and his son King Solomon. After King Solomon’s death, his kingdom split into two Jewish kingdoms, one lasting more than 200 years and the other lasting more than 400 years until the Babylonian exile. The Jews ruled with full sovereignty and established Jerusalem as their capital, thus setting a precedent for the city to serve as the center for Jewish thought, practice, and leadership.Years later came the Maccabees and Hasmoneans, whose Jewish kingdom was finally conquered by Rome, who ultimately changed the name of the Land to Palestine following two hard fought Jewish revolts. The Romans named the land Palestine because of its Latin root of “Philistinia”, the biblical rival nation of the Jewish people during the time of King David. It is from here that the term Palestinian is first introduced into the post-biblical history of the conflict. Later followed the Byzantines, the Muslim Umayyad’s, Crusaders, Mamluks, the Ottomans, and Britain, until the land returned to its aboriginal residents, the Jews and the democratic Jewish state of Israel. Despite foreign rulers conquering the currently disputed territories of Judea and Samaria, Jewish presence persisted and no other nation established Jerusalem as their capital nor the land of Israel as a seat of government, rather it was only used as a western outpost with access to a river and sea. The  Byzantines ruled from Istanbul, the Umayyads from Damascus, Crusaders from Rome, Mamluks in Iraq, Ottoman’s again from Istanbul, the British from London, but only the Jews consistently kept their capitol as Jerusalem.

As one can see above, there has never been a Palestinian government in power in the land of Israel, in fact, Palestine isn’t even an Arab word but rather a Latin word imposed by actual occupiers; the Roman Empire. Then, how is Israel occupying the Palestinian people? This is not a political statement in any way, even though some from the far left will choose to interpret it in such a way. This is merely a statement based on facts. Political affiliation is irrelevant in this website, as we are trying to simply change the brand of the debate into positive ones based on realities.

Acceptance of a Modern Phenomenon

In modern times, especially since the end of the 1967 Six Day War and the defeat of Jordanian occupying forces in the territories of Judea and Samaria, there has been a strong identity of a Palestinian people. We recognize the nationalist phenomenon of the Arab people in the disputed territories and their right to self-determination so long as it is based on legitimate claims and a desire to reach peace, not a policy that wages war on Israel and continuously singles Israel out on the International stage.

Change the Brand

Once this understanding has been reached we can then analyze the term ‘disputed’. Two nations are currently debating who should rule Judea and Samaria. Two nations are currently ruling in parts of these territories (Areas A and C), and there are even areas in which we see cooperation and team-work (Area B) between the two sides. There is no doubt that all these truths point to a dispute, thus calling Judea and Samaria disputed territories. Change the brand to one based on truths and realities.

Once we change the brand to disputed territories, we imply no negative connotation to either side but rather places blame equally on those disputing it. Attempting to call Israel an occupier nation is just as wrong as attempting to call a future Palestinian state an occupier (on merits that they are ruling in the land of former Jewish kingdoms). Both claims are wrong.  In order to end the conflict and therefore the dispute, both sides (not only the ‘occupier’ whoever that is) must come together and sacrifice an equal amount. Israel has already given up lands for peace and these efforts have failed. It is time the PA begins to take peace more seriously.

Israel has not annexed these territories since it recaptured them in 1967. Thus, Judea and Samaria are not part of Israel even though the military and government enforce law and protect the respective borders. Nevertheless, the most important issue at stake is the Palestinian leadership’s denial to recognize the existence of a Jewish state. Until a peace solution is reached in which secure borders, peace, mutual recognition of national identity, and an agreement that a Palestinian state in part of the West Bank will be the end of the conflict, Judea and Samaria will continue to be disputed. Change the brand.

Written by Joshua Ferenczi