In this session, Pastor Paul Blair presents a historical, biblical, and political overview arguing that modern narratives about “occupied Palestine,” “Palestinian people,” and a “two-state solution” are built on myths rather than fact.

1. Biblical Foundations

• God unconditionally gave the land—from the river of Egypt to the Euphrates—to Abraham, Isaac (not Ishmael), and Jacob (Israel).
• Israel’s claim is biblical, covenantal, and everlasting, repeatedly affirmed throughout Genesis, Joshua, and Israel’s early national history.
• Israel was intended to be a “light to the Gentiles”—a truth that will be fully realized in the Millennium.

2. Historical Control of the Land

The land has changed hands many times:

• Ancient Israel → Assyria → Babylon → Persia → Greece → Rome → Byzantine → Islamic Caliphates → Ottoman Empire → British Mandate.
• Key point: The last sovereign nation to claim Jerusalem as its capital before modern Israel was ancient Israel itself, 2,000+ years ago.
• There has never been a sovereign nation called “Palestine.”

3. Origin of the Term “Palestine”

• In 135 AD, after crushing a Jewish revolt, Roman Emperor Hadrian renamed Judea and Jerusalem “Syria Palaestina” to erase Jewish identity.
• Arabs historically referred to the region as “Syria”—not Palestine.
• “Palestinian” in the early 20th century most often referred to Jews (e.g., The Palestinian Post).

4. What the Land Was Really Like (1800s–early 1900s)

• Mark Twain’s 1867 travel writings describe Palestine as a desolate, empty wasteland—malaria-filled, with few inhabitants, few trees, and virtually no agriculture.
• Ottoman census (1880s): only ~250,000 people lived across the entire region; Jerusalem was majority Jewish.

Jewish settlers began returning in the late 1800s, draining swamps, planting crops, and transforming the land—while Arab immigration increased after Jews made the area livable.

5. Birth of Modern Zionism & the British Mandate

• The Balfour Declaration (1917) supported creating a Jewish homeland.
• Initially, Britain promised all the territory between the Jordan River and the Mediterranean to the Jews.
• Arab riots pushed Britain to revoke most of the promise, creating Transjordan (now Jordan)—the first attempted “two-state solution.”

6. The Refugee Question

• In 1948, Arab leaders told Arabs living inside Israel to leave temporarily so invading armies could “drive the Jews into the sea.”
• After Israel won, Arab nations refused to absorb these migrants and placed them in permanent refugee camps as political pawns.
• The PLO (est. 1964) originally did not claim the West Bank or Gaza—they acknowledged they belonged to Jordan and Egypt.

7. Wars Against Israel

Pastor Blair walks through:

• 1948 War of Independence
• 1967 Six-Day War
• 1973 Yom Kippur War
• Repeated Arab statements openly declaring the goal: not peace, but the destruction of Israel.

8. Modern “Land for Peace” Failures

Israel has repeatedly given up land:

• 1956 (Sinai)
• 1967 (Sinai again)
• 1982 (Lebanon withdrawals)
• 2005 (Gaza disengagement)

Each time, Israel received terrorism instead of peace. After withdrawing from Gaza in 2005, residents immediately elected Hamas, whose charter calls not merely for Israel’s destruction but for killing Jews worldwide.

9. Myths Addressed

Myth: Israel occupies Palestinian land.
Fact: The land was promised by God, affirmed by the League of Nations (1922), and never belonged to a nation called Palestine.

Myth: Palestinians are an ancient people displaced by Israel.
Fact: The identity was politically created post-1967; most “refugees” came from Arab immigration during the Jewish return.

Myth: A two-state solution will bring peace.
Fact: Every attempt has been met with war, terrorism, and rejection by Arab leaders.

10. Prophetic Perspective

Pastor Blair concludes by tying modern events to biblical prophecy:

• Ezekiel 37—Israel returns to the land physically but without spiritual revival.
• Joel 3—judgment for dividing the land.
• Zechariah 12—Jerusalem becomes an international flashpoint.
• Isaiah—Israel’s return signals the soon appearance of Messiah.

He argues that Israel’s modern restoration, global hostility toward Jerusalem, and rising Islamic aggression reveal we are approaching the end of the church age.

Conclusion

Now more than ever, Christians must recognize that the battle over Israel is not merely political—it is profoundly spiritual. The lies spewed by Hamas, Hezbollah, the Houthis, the Assad regime, and other jihadist movements—and repeated uncritically by the legacy media—are nothing less than satanic assaults on truth. We cannot remain silent while terrorists call evil good and good evil, and while a deceived culture eagerly echoes their propaganda.

God Himself gave this land to the descendants of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob “for an everlasting possession” (Gen. 17:8). He calls Israel “the apple of His eye” (Zech. 2:8). He warns the nations not to divide His land (Joel 3:2). And He commands His people to pray for—and stand with—Jerusalem (Ps. 122:6).

Standing with Israel does not mean endorsing every action of Israel’s human leaders. Like every nation, Israel’s government can act unwisely, unjustly, or in ways inconsistent with God’s righteousness. We stand with Israel not because its politicians are flawless, but because God’s sovereignty will not be thwarted. His purposes unchanging, and His Word true from generation to generation.

As those who have been grafted into Israel’s covenant blessings (Rom. 11:11–24; Eph. 2:11–22), we must rise with clarity and courage. Let us reject every narrative crafted to demonize Israel and excuse terrorism. Let us expose darkness with truth, refuse to bow to cultural pressure, and stand unapologetically on the side of God’s revealed will. We stand with Israel because God stands with Israel—because His covenant is unbreakable, His promises are sure, and His purposes cannot be overturned.

This is the moment for believers to speak boldly, pray fervently, and stand unashamedly with our Jewish neighbors. And as we do, let us also obey the Gospel mandate: to love the Jewish people, pray for their peace, and proclaim salvation through Jesus the Messiah—“to the Jew first, and also to the Greek” (Rom. 1:16), that many may come to faith and be saved (1 Cor. 1:18–24; 15:3–4).