PALESTINE: CHARTING A PEACEFUL COURSE In Light of Quranic Guidance

ISSUE OF PALESTINE: A BACKGROUND T he present history of Palestine begins in 1948 in the days of the British Empire when Palestine was divided under the terms of the Balfour Declaration. According to this division, less than half of the land of Palestine was given for settlement to the Jews of the Diaspora, and more than half was given to the Arabs who inhabited that land. The Jews were given this right between the First and Second World Wars under the limited quota system. The expansion of Israel, which took place later on, was not the result of the Balfour Declaration but was the outcome of the wrong policy followed by the Arabs. For instance, the unilateral termination of the lease of the Suez Company in 1956, which in any case was going to expire in 1968, according to the pact, naturally had grave consequences. The selling of land to the Jews by the Palestinian Arabs at high prices had similar results. Who are the Jews or Israelis? They are the descendants of the Israelites, the progeny of Prophet Jacob, and the grandsons of Prophet Abraham. More specifically, today’s