The Islamic Perspective

THE ISLAMIC PERSPECTIVE T his anti-Jewish policy followed by the Arab and nonArab Muslims went against Islamic teachings. Under the Balfour Declaration, the division of Palestine was intended to facilitate the return of the Jews in the Diaspora to their homeland, which is clearly in accordance with the teachings of the Quran. According to the Quran, the Jews in the time of Prophet Moses were directed by God: ‘O my people! Enter the holy land which God has assigned to you.’ (5:21) Who were the Jews of those times? They were those who were living in the Sinai desert in the Diaspora. The ‘Holy Land’ in this verse refers to Palestine. This verse was addressed to Prophet Moses’ contemporaries, the Jews living outside Palestine. The words of the Quran, ‘which God has assigned to you,’ mean that this return to Palestine was to be precisely by the law of nature. According to this law, any individual or group living in exile has the right to return to their original homeland. Abraham had settled one branch of his family in Palestine. Joseph, Jacob’s son, was also born into this family. Destined