Proposal for a Single Greater Israeli State Solution.

​

1: The Jewish identity is defined by the Southern Kingdom Jewish returnees from the Persian Kingdom captivity, under Artaxerxes I, which presumed to include Northern Kingdom returnees from the earlier Assyrian captivity. This presumption is questionable, as the Assyrian captivity of the 10 Northern tribes happened before the Babylonian/Persian captivity of the Southern Kingdom tribes of Judah, Benjamin and (probably) Simeon (and landless Priestly Levi).

 

2: The Northern Kingdom tribes, under Rehoboam's leadership, broke allegiance with Jerusalem's 1st Temple sanctuary, after the exploitative building programme of Solomon, the tribes falling into paganism, before the time of Elijah's Mount Carmel correction, 300 years before the Southern Kingdom's 70 year captivity, 400 years before the re-dedication of the Temple under Ezra, and 900 years before the Herodian 2nd temple. The majority Northern Kingdom Israelites over millennia seemingly re-converted to either Christianity and Islam, essentially reconnecting with monotheist roots. There seems no record of mass re-affirmation of Northern tribal allegiance to the Jerusalem sanctuary, other than via 2nd Temple Gentile status. Ezra 6.17 does mention the dedication of 12 male goats, representing the 12 Israelite tribes, in the returnee Jerusalem Temple, but this seems more ritualistically symbolic than the actual tribal participation documented in Ezra 10:9. As Jerusalem is near the border of the tribal lands on Judah and Benjamin, ease of these tribal associations would have prevailed in Jerusalem.

 

3: Because the Persian Empire absorbed the Assyrian and Babylonian Empires,The assumption of Persian Jewish returnees was that all 12 tribal lands of ancient Israel were legitimate for re-occupation, while centring on Jerusalem, and the ancient lands of Judah, Benjamin and Simeon. This is the same assumption of the modern Israeli State. It is fair to assume that the 12 ancient Israelitic tribal lands operated as a Commonwealth.

​

4: The modern Israeli State has developed on mostly ancient Northern Kingdom lands, while a significant amount of Judah and Benjamin lands are situated on the West Bank, a cause of conflict, with Israeli settlers claiming biblical ancestral ownership.

 

5: To ameliorate this situation, I suggest the following: Jewish people be allowed preferential buyer status of the ancient lands of Judah, Benjamin and Simeon, which includes Jerusalem. The Israeli State allows full citizenship rights for all present and exiled Palestinians, with willing buyer/seller status in the remaining Israeli State jurisdiction, including Gaza and the West Bank. 

​

6: The entire West Bank and Gaza should be incorporated into Greater Israel, with equal rights for all citizens, other than the preferential purchaser status of Jews in the ancient Southern Kingdom lands of Judah, Benjamin and Simeon.

​

7: As the Jewish people and Israeli State have invested immense infrastructure in the ancient Northern Kingdom lands, from Ashkelon, Tel Aviv to Haifa, Nazareth and Tiberias, and this cannot be adjusted, so willing buyer/seller status should be shared by Israeli and Palestinian people, subject to market forces. Full compensation for expropriated Palestinian property and land needs to be honoured, probably resolved by developing cities in Southern Israel. Receiving Israeli citizenship is a great privilege. The secular coexistence of Jewish and Palestinian people will likely take generations to achieve social harmony under the Law.

​

8: The Jewish right to Aliyah (like the right of Palestinian return) remains enshrined even if the percentage of Jewish Israelis dips below the national majority. 

 

9: In this way, all Palestinian and Israelis share the majority of the land in legal equity, and the Israeli State continues to protect all the faiths of Greater Israel, as it does today. This protects the balance of hard and soft power between the Israeli State and the Jerusalem Temple, as in the time of Kings David and Solomon.

 

10: The Jewish Priesthood is acknowledged as the central definer of monotheism, due to ancient continuation from Mount Sinai, sharing their wisdom with those who request access to Moriah, where the ancient rituals of Judaism are performed in perpetuity. Islam and Christianity continue to worship in and around Jerusalem and Greater Israel. In this way, the Jewish faith harmonises and balances the energies of Christianity and Islam, as we share the conduit to and from the Divine under Jewish religious/ethical authority, with non-procreative eunuch and Tzadik elders overview. This is the purpose of this temple.