Get a Clear Understanding of the History of Palestine and Israel

At Odds Since Isaac and Ishmael

No peace for these two nations in sight. Palestine and Israel have been at war since before either officially existed. And the rest of us have to sit and watch, and hope this small dispute isn't the match that lights a fire that consumes the world.

The conflict between Palestine and Israel goes back far in history, and even farther if you believe the Bible. Jews, the people of Israel, are known as the Sons of Isaac. Arabs, the people of Palestine, are known as the Sons of Ishmael. Isaac and Ishmael had the same father, Abraham, and there is no hatred like the hatred of siblings.

So if you want to learn about Palestine and Ishmael, it's best to start with the story of Isaac and Ishmael.

Isaac and Ishmael were biblical brothers, both sons of Abraham, biblical father of both Israel (Isaac) and Palestine (Ishmael). Abraham's beloved wife, Sarah, had been unable to bear him a son, and had urged Abraham to take her maidservant Hagar as wife as well, so that he could sire a son through her.

That he did, and the son was named Ishmael. As the first born, Ishmael should have been Abraham's heir, the heir to greatness and wealth and the chosen of God. However, God had different plans, telling Abraham "my covenant I shall make with Isaac."

At that, God made Sarah no longer barren and she soon was pregnant with child. This child was to be named Isaac, who would go on to become the father of the Jewish tribe. Thirteen years younger than Ishmael, Isaac was, according to the Old Testament, ordained to continue Abraham's chosen relationship with God, while Ishmael became a biblical afterthought.

So you can see, there's some bad blood there that goes back a long, long way. Though there have been some forward strides - most notably the Camp David Accords of 1979 in which Palestine and Israel acknowledged each other's right to exist - there is still an ancient animosity that is unlikely to disappear within one generation or ten.

There's simply too much water under the bridge, and the whole thing has devolved into a Mexican standoff with both sides poised on the brink of annihilation.

The Palestinians don't believe that Israel is serious about forming a meaningful partnership in order to build two sovereign states.

The Israelis don't believe that the bulk of Palestinians actually want peace, and that those in command couldn't ensure peace anyway. This is backed up by the fact that the Palestinians elected Hamas as the ruling party, and Hamas runs on an anti-Israel platform.

It seems unlikely that we will ever see a peaceful compromise between the two nations in the future. All we can do is pray for them as the fulfillment of the Bible continues.

News about the 10 Commandments - The 10 Commandments are alive and well and this writing will give you some insight about these great words that have caused so much controversy.