In his Nov. 21 commentary, “Israel has right to its ancient land,” Cal Thomas supports the Trump administration’s position that Israeli settlements in the West Bank do not violate international law.
He supports their claim that the West Bank can be annexed by Israel because it was their ancient land.
Following this line of logic, then all lands in North and South America can be annexed by Native Americans because these are their ancient lands.
The Hebrews conquered what they call Judea and Samaria sometime around 1300 BCE.
They took over land owned by others such as the Canaanites and Philistines.
The Assyrians and Babylonians controlled the land for short periods.
Then Rome conquered Israel in 63 BCE.
Samaria became a Roman province in 6 AD.
Islamic Arab conquest of Palestine, which includes Israel, was effectively completed in 635 AD and they controlled it until the Islamic Ottoman Empire conquered it in 1517.
During World War 1, in 1917, it came under British control.
The United Nations created a Jewish Israel and Arab Palestine in 1948.
So, in more than 3,300 years, Jews and Muslims have controlled Judea and Samaria for roughly the same amount of time.
Israeli occupation of and settlements in the West Bank violate the Fourth Geneva Convention, as well as UN resolutions 338 and 446.
So, who has the better claim to the West Bank?
By virtue of the most recent period of control, and international law, the Palestinians have the better claim.
Karen Samuelson
Port Townsend