| Publication |
2013.
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| Summary/Abstract |
T he J ewish claim to the L and of I srael (E retz I srael) is a very large topic with a historical pedigree thousands of years old. These claims were long rooted in a Jewish peoplehood as defined in a religious culture until the growing secularization of Jews during the 19th century shifted claims from an exclusively religious basis to one that incorporated increasing reliance on secular concepts, particularly nationalism with its demand for a polity. This was just as well since in the contemporary world, religiously-based claims are viewed as parochial. Secular claims are more generally considered universal and therefore appropriate for public debate. In other words, claims rooted in a religious tradition may be effective when directed to fellow-believers; claims expressed in secular terms are more acceptable in extra-communal discourse. Thus, claims to Eretz Israel or Palestine that rely solely on the Covenant between God and the Jews or on the status of Palestine as a Waqf may persuade Jews and Muslims respectively, but have lesser effect when brought to courts of public opinion and the academy.
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