In the modern era, the claim of Jewish indigeneity to the Land of Israel has been central to the establishment of the State of Israel in 1948. The movement for Jewish self-determination, spearheaded by figures like Theodor Herzl and Chaim Weizmann, was motivated by both a desire to escape centuries of persecution and the belief in the right of Jews to return to their ancestral homeland.
The legitimacy of Jewish claims to the Land of Israel was internationally recognized by the Balfour Declaration in 1917 and later by the United Nations’ Partition Plan of 1947, which recommended the establishment of a Jewish state in part of Palestine. The founding of Israel in 1948, following the end of the British mandate, affirmed the historical and cultural ties Jews have to the land.
Critics who question Jewish indigeneity to the land often ignore this millennia-long history. While the region saw a variety of empires, including Roman, Byzantine, and Ottoman, the Jewish people maintained an enduring presence through religious, cultural, and political forms. After the destruction of the Second Temple in 70 CE, Jews continued to live in the area, albeit as a minority, throughout history, especially in Jerusalem.
The modern return to Israel has not been merely a political endeavor but a cultural and spiritual revival. Hebrew, a language with deep roots in the Land of Israel, was revived as the official language of the state, symbolizing a reconnection to the land’s heritage.