Susan Abulhawa, a Palestinian activist and writer, describes herself on X as the daughter of a Jerusalem native who possesses a receipt, highlighting a personal connection to the land. Recently, she posted a message suggesting that Hollywood is spreading misleading narratives. She referred to a new Prime series titled “House of David,” labeling it as a product of a 70-year-old Jewish Zionist agenda, and accused those tied to it of being “parasites” as they claim their connection to the land.
This notion that contemporary Jews lack historical ties to Israel—and that Zionists are merely colonizers of Palestine—is gaining traction, despite significant archaeological and historical evidence supporting the existence of ancient Israel. For instance, the Arch of Titus in Rome commemorates the Roman defeat of the Jews in 70 AD, a fact noted by Jewish historian Flavius Josephus among others. Ancient texts, including the Old Testament, speak of the twelve tribes of Israel and their lineage in the region. The New Testament mentions Jesus, a Jew from Nazareth who lived in areas like Galilee, Judea, and Jerusalem. Various inscriptions from ancient empires like Assyria and Egypt further attest to Israel’s historical presence. One notable artifact, the Merneptah stele, which dates back to 1208 BC, mentions a Pharaoh’s victory over the Israelites and is housed in Cairo. There’s also the Tel Dan inscription, dating from the 9th century BC, found in northern Israel that refers to the “King of the House of David.” Numerous Hebrew inscriptions confirm that modern Israel was established on land recognized as ancient Israel.
Moreover, there’s considerable evidence of Jews residing in the region throughout the Christian era, apart from a significant gap from 135 to 638 AD when Roman Emperor Hadrian expelled them from Jerusalem due to uprisings. When Muslims took the city in 638, Caliph Umar welcomed Jews back for prayers at the Temple Mount. By the 9th century, there’s documentation of 200 to 500 Jewish families in Jerusalem’s Jewish quarter.
During the First Crusade in 1099, Jews in Jerusalem faced massacre and were barred from re-entry, but when Saladin recaptured the city in 1187, he invited them back. Despite a continued Jewish presence throughout the Middle Ages, they faced increasing restrictions. The Ottoman Empire’s resurgence and conquest in 1517 granted Jews more freedom, leading to waves of immigration, especially in the 19th century. By 1800, about 2,000 Jews constituted roughly 25% of Jerusalem’s populace; by 1900, this number had soared to approximately 35,000, representing 65% of the city’s population. The Mount of Olives is home to around 150,000 Jewish tombstones from the Ottoman era, and by 1914, Jerusalem housed about 45,000 Jews.
Thus, aside from the 135 to 638 AD gap, there’s robust evidence supporting a persistent Jewish presence in the Holy Land. Much of this evidence originates from Muslim historical records. The case for ancient Israel’s existence as well as Jews remaining in the region—especially in the lead-up to Israel’s statehood in 1948—is compelling.
Another argument disputing Israel’s legitimacy hinges on the claim that today’s Jews are unrelated to ancient Israelites. Some suggest Ashkenazi Jews, historically from Eastern Europe, descend from the Khazars, who converted to Judaism for political reasons. However, genetic research has discredited this idea, revealing that Ashkenazi genomes show a 50-60% continuity with DNA from Bronze and Iron Age Israeli remains. The remaining 30-40% indicates intermarriage in the Middle Ages, following the Khazar era. Sephardic and Mizrahi Jews demonstrate even stronger genetic connections to ancient Israelites.
Ultimately, facts tend to challenge ideological beliefs, particularly in the context of anti-Semitic narratives. There’s ample evidence substantiating the ancient kingdoms of Israel and Judah, as well as a continuous Jewish presence in the Holy Land. However, archaeological findings show no signs of Arabs in that region before the Islamic conquest during the 7th century.
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