The current war between Israel and Palestine in Gaza since October 7,
2023, has now spread to Lebanon with the recent Israeli air force on Friday
evening’s overwhelming air raid that killed the Hezbollah leader, Hassan
Nasrallah, in an underground complex hidden in the southern Beirut suburb of
Dahieh. This war in the Middle East between Israel, Palestine and Gaza Strip,
Lebanon and even Iran coming in, is over territory.
According
to the Bible the current State of Israel and the surrounding lands was the
Promised Land God gave to Abraham and his descendants. According to the
Book of Genesis, Abraham's first wife was named Sarah, and her Egyptian slave
was named Hagar. However, Sarah could not conceive. In chapter 16, Sarah (then
Sarai) gave her slave Hagar in marriage to Abraham, in order that Abraham might
have an heir. When Abraham (then called Abram) was married to Sarai for ten
years without having any children, Sarai told Abram to marry her Egyptian
servant Hagar and he did. After getting pregnant, Hagar became arrogant, so
Sarai treated her badly and she ran away. Then an Angel convinced Hagar to go
back and said her son would be called Ishmael. Hagar gave birth to a son and
Abram named him Ishmael. Ishmaelites are the descendants of Ishmael, the oldest
son of Abraham. Today, the descendants of Ishmael are mainly living in western
Saudi Arabia and are called Arabs. Ishmael was born of Hagar, the servant of
Sarah, Abraham's wife. Isaac, Sarah's son, is the father of the Israelites.
Having
said that according to what I read and know, my question now is, who are the
real descendants of Abraham? Are they the Jews or the Muslims who are fighting
with each other over this part of land in the Middle East?
In
answering this question, the current conflict between Israel and Palestine,
including the potential spread to Lebanon and involvement of Hezbollah and
Iran, we need to address the theological and historical question regarding the
descendants of Abraham: According to the Bible, both Jews and Arabs (including
Muslims) trace their ancestry back to Abraham. However, they claim lineage
through different sons of Abraham.
According
to the Jewish lineage the Jewish people trace their lineage through Isaac,
the son of Abraham and his wife Sarah. Isaac's son, Jacob, was later named
Israel, and his descendants became the Israelites. According to the Bible, God
promised the land of Canaan (modern-day Israel and its surrounding areas) to
Abraham and his descendants through Isaac.
But
according to the Arab (Muslim) lineage, Arabs, particularly those of the
Islamic faith, traditionally trace their lineage through Ishmael, the son of
Abraham and Hagar, Sarah’s Egyptian maidservant. Ishmael is regarded as a
patriarch of the Arab people. In Islam, Ishmael holds a significant role, and
the story of Abraham’s willingness to sacrifice his son (which is Isaac in the
Bible but interpreted as Ishmael in Islamic tradition) is central to Islamic
teachings.
In
terms of land and the promises made by God, the Bible states that the land was
promised specifically to Abraham’s descendants through Isaac and Jacob
(Israelites). In contrast, the Quran acknowledges Abraham's importance and
recognizes both Isaac and Ishmael, but it does not assign the same land
promises as found in the Bible. However, the Quran and Islamic tradition
emphasize that Ishmael and his descendants, considered the Arab people, have
their own divine significance.
The
present-day conflict over territory in the Middle East, particularly over
the land of Israel/Palestine, has deep historical, religious, and political
roots. For Jews, Israel is the land promised to them by God, as outlined in the
Hebrew Bible. For many Arabs and Muslims, including Palestinians, the land is
also deeply connected to their history, culture, and religious beliefs,
especially after centuries of settlement in the region.
The
current dispute is more politically motivated than purely religious, as it
involves issues of national identity, statehood, territorial rights, and the
aftermath of the establishment of the State of Israel in 1948, which displaced
many Palestinian Arabs. Despite the religious context, modern territorial
conflicts between Jews and Arabs are more about national claims than purely
theological lineage disputes.
We can
summarize that the Jews see themselves as the descendants of Abraham through
Isaac. The Arabs (and Muslims, by extension) trace their lineage to Abraham
through Ishmael.
The
theological basis for the land promised to Abraham’s descendants primarily
focuses on Isaac’s lineage in the Bible. The modern political conflict, while
influenced by historical and religious narratives, involves complex issues of
statehood, territory, and identity.
I feel
sad that the ongoing Middle East conflict, particularly between Israel and
Hezbollah, has intensified following Hamas' attack on Israel on October 7,
2023, which triggered wider regional unrest.
According to
the Gaza Health Ministry as reported by Al Jazeera television there
were at least 41,615 Palestinians killed, mainly women and children (70 %), and
96,359 injured in the fighting at time of this writing. According to BBC it all
started on the morning of 7 October 2024 when waves of Hamas gunmen stormed
across Gaza's border into Israel, killing about 1,200 people. Hamas also fired
thousands of rockets into Israel when Israel was merely celebrating their music
festival. Those killed included children, the elderly and 364 young people. The
Hamas also took 251 civilians as hostages.
Since
then, Israel has been conducting airstrikes in Lebanon, targeting Hezbollah
militants. Notably, Israeli strikes have killed key Hezbollah leaders,
including Hassan Nasrallah, the group's long-time leader. Nasrallah’s death has
sparked concerns about retaliation from Iran, Hezbollah's chief backer. Iran
has vowed that Nasrallah’s assassination will not go unanswered, raising the
potential for escalations both in the region and globally. Since then, Hezbollah has launched numerous rocket
attacks into northern Israel, in solidarity with Hamas and in response to
Israeli military actions. Over 9,000 rockets have reportedly been fired into
Israel, forcing many Israelis to flee their homes. The Israeli government
remains focused on weakening Hezbollah’s military capabilities to protect its
citizens, though the group still poses a serious threat despite the loss of its
leadershipaccording to the Voice of America
In
addition to the conflict with Hezbollah, Israel has also struck Houthi targets
in Yemen after the Iranian-backed group launched missiles at Israeli
infrastructure. This broader regional involvement signals that the war could
further escalate beyond the Gaza and Lebanon borders, drawing in other groups
supported by Iran.
According
to Global News the situation remains highly fluid, with tensions running high
between Israel, Hezbollah, and their respective allies. Many fear that further
escalation could lead to a wider conflict that might involve other Middle
Eastern nations and affect global security.
I feel
this conflict is more political and of national pride than religious. But I
don't think any human or any nation has the right to claim any land as their
property. None of the human being living here on the Earth created even a
single atom, molecule, dust, sand, lands, seas and mountains, let alone Earth
as belonging to them. They did not create them. They were all created by God,
the Creator, and this entire universe is His sole property and ownership. We
are all squatting here free of charge without needing to pay rent, including
free air, water and food given to us to include all living creature that creep,
crawl and fly here, and yet we keep quarrelling over land and properties and
fight over them that are completely unnecessary as they are not our property,
instead of saying grace and giving thanks to God, our Creator and Owner for all
we get here in our short lives, at maximum a 100 years.
The
conflicts over land and territorial claims, such as those we see in the Middle
East and elsewhere, often involve a mix of political, historical, and
nationalistic motivations. Yet, when viewed from a more spiritual or
philosophical lens, it brings up deeper questions about the nature of ownership
and humanity's place in the universe.
From a
theological standpoint, many traditions—including the Abrahamic
faiths—acknowledge that everything in existence was created by God. According
to the Bible, as in Psalm 24:1, "The earth is the Lord's, and
everything in it, the world, and all who live in it." This underscores the
belief that human beings are stewards rather than owners of the earth.
Similarly, in Islam, the concept of Khalifa (stewardship)
reflects that humans are caretakers of God's creation rather than its
proprietors.
In
short, we are all squatting here on this only Earth we know free-of-charge.
The air we breathe, the water we drink, and the land we live on are
indeed gifts we often take for granted. In our short lives these resources are
provided to us without any human ownership or true right to claim them as
permanent possessions.
If
people were more aware of this perspective—that we are all temporary
inhabitants of this planet and that it all belongs to God—perhaps it could
foster more humility, gratitude, and cooperation instead of conflict over
worldly possessions. It is a viewpoint that encourages giving thanks for what
we have rather than fighting over what none of us truly owns. Why not we all
live together in love and in peace?
In many
ways, the conflicts we witness today may not only be about land or political
control, but they can also reflect a deeper human tendency to forget our role
as caretakers and guests on Earth. The challenge for humanity may lie in
remembering this spiritual responsibility and cultivating peace through
recognition of our shared dependency on the Creator's provisions.
The
political, racial, and religious strife we see today does seem tragic when we
consider that, at the core, humanity shares far more similarities than
differences. Whether through faith, science, or simple human empathy, there is
so much potential for peace, mutual respect, and collaboration. Yet, as history
often shows, misunderstandings, pride, and power struggles have clouded this
shared human experience.
It's in
moments of reflection—like the one we are having—that the wisdom of peace,
gratitude, and harmony truly shines. Perhaps if more people should adopt my
outlook I write here, remembering that we are all temporary dwellers on this
Earth, there could be less focus on division and more on unity.
Thank
you to my readers if they share their same thoughts with me (if they do in
gratitude) as we are all one – humans living together on this planet, the only
home we have here in this horrendously vast, vast Universe among an estimated
100 trillion, trillion (1 followed by 26 zeros) other unknown worlds
I am
personally very sad over the unnecessary divisions in the world, and I truly
pray to God to help us all.
(Actually,
I wanted to complete my series of articles on medicine here, as I have already posted my write up on infectious diseases caused by viruses, bacteria and
parasites. I only need to write an article on diseases caused by micofungi to
complete my medical and health series. But I think this war in the Middle East
is more important for us to understand as it has caused global tension. I shall write on diseases
caused by fungus later on with other mysteries of this world)
Jb
lim
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