[fporretto]

This is a good exercise with an important point, and I don't mean to denigrate it. However:

Aside from the fact that all of the land of Israel was promised to the Jewish people by the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob,...

...the above is a counterproductive thing to do in political argument. One cannot establish a temporal claim by recourse to a religious authority. God does not speak to all persons or peoples in the same voice, or much misery we have endured these past few millennia would have been averted.

Like it or not, disputes over temporal matters, such as the right to occupy or govern a piece of land, must be settled by temporal means.

Freedom, Wealth, and Peace,
Francis W. Porretto
Visit The Palace Of Reason: http://palaceofreason.com

[wideawake]

Good point. When a Jew says "we must possess Ramallah because it was promised to Abraham in the Torah, even though no Jews live there" then a Muslim feels equally justified in saying "if you want Ramallah then we must kill any Jew we find because in the Koran we are not permitted to surrender territory to the infidel".

Both parties, by definition, cannot agree on a theologically acceptable solution. The Jews would be wiser to say "morally, Ramallah is ours. However, it is currently occupied by bloodthirsty savages. We have waited 2000 years. We can wait some more."

[ppaul]

One cannot establish a temporal claim by recourse to a religious authority.....

Right.
I guess we'll just have to ignore

"All men are created equal and endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights....."

[Jim Noble]

>>One cannot establish a temporal claim by recourse to a religious authority<<

Not only that-

If YHWH means for the people of Israel to inhabit the Land, nothing we do or don't do will matter.

Likewise, if He does not, or if He's changed His mind.

[tet68]

One cannot establish a temporal claim by recourse to a religious authority.

How true!