FROM WHERE I STAND – June 1, 2002

When Abraham and Sarah decided to “help” G-d and bring about the promise of a son, Ishmael came into the world.  That did not change G-d’s covenant plan.

G-d specifically told Abraham that He would still give them the covenant son, who was to be Isaac, but he would still bless Ishmael and make of him a great nation:

“And Abraham said unto G-d, O that Ishmael might live before thee! And G-d said, Sarah thy wife shall bear thee a son indeed; and thou shalt call his name Isaac: and I will establish my covenant with him for an everlasting covenant, and with his seed after him. And as for Ishmael, I have heard thee: Behold, I have blessed him, and will make him fruitful, and will multiply him exceedingly; twelve princes shall he beget, and I will make him a great nation. But my covenant will I establish with Isaac, which Sarah shall bear unto thee at this set time in the next year.”  Gen 17:18-21
Today Yasser Arafat has stated he is a descendent of Ishmael, so because of that he has a right to claim the land of Israel for his nation of Palestine.

Obviously from a biblical standpoint Arafat’s claim is unreasonable and unfounded, but the problem of rightful claim continues to be an issue.

The name Palestine was originally Phillistia.  It was then anglicized from Palestinia to Palestine, a name given by the Roman Emperor Hadrian as a derogatory slur to the Jews - renaming their country after their avowed enemies of Phillistia.
Which brings us to the second geographical problem for Arafat - he claims to be a Palestinian when he was actually born in Egypt.

Yet Muslim apologists have stated and written the case for the Phillistines - claiming that they came to the land of Canaan within fifty years of the Hebrew arrival from Egypt.

If Arafat traces his lineage through the Philistines he develops still another problem.  Because the Philistines came from the Islands of the Aegean Sea, therefore they are by biblical definition, uncircumcised Gentiles – and not of the Semitic bloodline of Abraham’s descendents, Ishmael or Isaac.

If Arafat is a descendent of Ishmael, then the Scriptures have a piece of land and covenant promises to him that are separate from G-d’s covenant established with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.

Also the Palestinian’s claim to Israel’s promises are irrelevant since they would not be part of any aspects of the Abrahamic covenant.

Unfortunately, Arafat has done a masterful job selling the world on his “right” to inhabit the land, but scripturally he is speaking out of both sides of his mouth. II Peter 2:14

Yet it must be stated that as Arafat claims both sides of the “genetic coin”, this puts the claims of the Arab / Muslim nations into the same category - with his lies and deception.

The descendents of the Philistines would no more be their “brothers” than the Aboriginal tribes of the world, so Arafat and the bloc of nations who claim to be inspired to follow Allah and the Koran must decide which side of that “genetic coin” they wish to be on – they can’t have it both ways.

Do we embrace Arafat as a Palestinian, or do we claim him as an Arab brother?  In either case, these people have no legitimate claim to the disputed land now inhabited by the Jews - and they never will.

With that being stated, there is only one true legitimate stance for the people to take when it comes to Israel and the Arab/Muslim nations of the world.

Let Ishmael’s seed have their 5 million square miles of oil-rich land, and let the Jews have the tiny nation of Israel.  Let all of the “brothers” of Arafat share their land mass and oil wealth, leaving G-d’s covenant land to the Jewish people.

If the Palestinians had a true heritage then we would have documented proof of kings, presidents and national heritages.  There would be temples, cities, and all sorts of archaeological proof such as the Mayans, Aztecs, Incas, and Chinese have left for the entire world to see.

Yet today the Palestinians eat Arab food, speak Arabic and practice either Christianity or Islam and dress in Arabic clothing.
Nowhere do you find the name Palestine as the name of a nation, nor is it used to identify a particular group of people.

In Acts 1:8, Jesus told his disciples they would be witnesses in Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, and the uttermost parts of the earth.  Certainly not the “occupied territories of the West Bank…”

Arafat and his crowd are being held accountable to the word of G-d.  “The issue of Palestine” is not up for debate, it was settled long ago.  Israel was established in and by the word of G-d, and up to this point in time, the nations of the world do not understand that.