"What are the long-term Jewish and Palestinian claims to the land of Israel?"

The first 200 words of this essay...

"What are the long-term Jewish and Palestinian claims to the land of Israel?"

One of the main reasons why the conflict in the Middle East between the Jews and the Palestinian Arabs is so bad is to do with the long term claims to the land. Both the Arabs and the Jews believe that the land is rightfully theirs because of the long term settling which both sides have taken part in. The Jews believe that they own the land because they think that in c.1200 BC Moses led God put them into the area of Palestine and so according to the Old Testament Jews in Palestine. It was not only religion that made them think that they deserved the land; they also feel that they needed it. The Romans had conquered Palestine after a periodic resistance by the Jews around 63 BC. But after revolt the Jews were forced to leave Palestine and were dispersed (this was called Diaspora) throughout the Roman Empire around 135AD. Ever since the Jews were forced out of Palestine they had always longed to return, every year at Passover they would hope that the next year they would be in Palestine. The Palestinian