Why is the land of Israel important to the Jewish people?

The Land of Israel is the Jewish national homeland: the history, faith, culture, and identity of the Jewish people have always been tied to this land.

The ancient Jewish presence in the land of Israel is confirmed by archaeological research and clearly reveals the historical ties between the Jewish people, the Bible, and the Land of Israel. These visible cultural remains, buried in the soil, constitute the physical link between the past, the present, and the future of the Jewish people in their country.

For example, take the discoveries found in the ancient city of Megiddo, located in present-day northern Israel. Another example is various sites around and in Jerusalem, the holiest city of the Jewish people since the tenth century BC.

Almost every year, archaeologists announce stunning discoveries, giving credence to specific biblical chronology and biblical accounts through written inscriptions (Bullae) mentioning biblical names, the remains of buildings, and other daily-use items, all dating from the tenth century BC to 586 BC, the date of the Babylonian destruction of Jerusalem. Or consider the excavations at Hebron, a location that plays a central role in many biblical stories. It was a prominent city in the Judean highlands, with large fortifications in the Early Bronze, Middle Bronze, and Iron Ages.

The most recent excavations at Hebron by the Israel Antiquities Authority have uncovered a mikvah (Jewish ritual bath) and homes belonging to Jewish residents during the Second Temple Era. The unbroken chain of history can be observed at sites all over the country.

Three times each year, on Passover, on Shavuot, and on Sukkot, the Jews made pilgrimage to Jerusalem. Exciting new excavations in the City of David in Jerusalem have recently uncovered the very road by which the Israelites would ascend to the Temple. At Jewish weddings, the couple breaks a glass, showing they place Jerusalem above their highest joy. 

There has been a continuous Jewish presence in Israel from ancient times to today. Over the centuries, many conquerors tried to consume Israel, however, a significant number of Jews managed to remain in the Land after Rome’s brutal ethnic cleansing, after Byzantine rule, and even after conquest and rule by various Muslim and Crusader regimes. 

Jews never give up their yearning for Zion. Through all these upheavals, there were always trickles of Jewish pilgrims and immigrants to the Land, who increasingly grew in number during the nineteenth and twentieth centuries.

The international community granted political sovereignty in Palestine to the Jewish people. Israel was admitted to the United Nations as a full member on May 11, 1949. It has been a fully democratic country with equal rights for all its citizens from its inception until today. While the Jews accepted the UN’s decision to divide their homeland in 1947 between the Jewish population and the Arab population, the Arabs rejected the plan. As a result, Israel formed a state, but the nation of Palestine never was formed officially.

For millennia, the Land of Israel, or Eretz Yisrael, has held an unparalleled and deeply interwoven significance within the tapestry of Jewish identity, faith, and collective memory. It is more than just a geographical location; it is the ancestral homeland, the cradle of their civilization, the focal point of their spiritual aspirations, and, in modern times, a vital sanctuary and a symbol of self-determination. Understanding why Israel is so profoundly important to Jewish people requires delving into the historical, spiritual, cultural, and existential threads that bind them to this ancient land.

In the 20th century, the importance of Israel took on a new and urgent dimension with the rise of antisemitism and the Holocaust. The establishment of the State of Israel in 1948 provided a crucial refuge for Holocaust survivors and for Jewish communities facing persecution around the world. It became a symbol of Jewish resilience and self-determination, a place where Jews could take control of their own destiny and ensure their safety and security.

The fundamental importance of Israel to the vast majority of Jewish people remains unwavering. It is a cornerstone of their collective identity, a link to their past, a vibrant center of their present, and a source of hope for their future.

Today, Israel is a well-established country with an economy that is growing faster than many of the largest nations in the world. The miracle of modern Israel includes the fact that at the beginning of the twentieth century, the land of Israel was a backwater, impoverished territory in the Ottoman Empire. The Jews who arrived in the land during this period to escape increasing anti-Semitism in Europe and Russia encountered many difficulties, including difficult weather, disease, and crippling Turkish taxes. However, because of a growing devoted and hardworking Jewish presence over the last 120 years, Israel went from a largely uninhabited wasteland filled with malarial swamps to a thriving high-tech society.

Since the founding of the modern State of Israel, Israel has built a country that protects the rights of its citizens and freedom of religion. Israel ensures that all religions have access to their religious sites - something that was not allowed when Israel was not governing Jerusalem. Israel protects a free press, minority rights, and women's rights in a part of the world where such rights and protections are alien.

Minorities participate in all areas of civic life, serving as professionals in all fields, as justices, and as diplomats and protected by Law fare far better than any other country in the Middle East.

Israel continued to provide a homeland fo Jews from around the world, such as Jews from the former Soviet Union, Europe, as well as, Jews from Ethiopia and other countries. Israel continues to provide a welcoming country for Jews who are fleeing the often violent anti-Semitism that they encounter today around the world.

Israel is a vibrant country of tremendous innovation. Whether in the area of technology, environment, energy, or medicine, Israel works to share her contributions throughout the world. 

Israel is among the first responders worldwide when natural disasters or emergencies occur, as was seen at the time of the tsunami in Southeast Asia, the earthquake in Haiti, the earthquake and tsunami in Japan, and the earthquake in Turkey. It is a Jewish ethic to safeguard and improve the human condition; Israel, as the Jewish state, lives by that guiding principle.

In conclusion, Israel's importance for Jewish people is a multifaceted truth rooted in millennia of history, profound religious significance, a vibrant cultural connection, and its crucial role as a sanctuary and symbol of self-determination. It is a land that embodies their heritage, nurtures their identity, and represents the enduring dream of a people connected to their ancestral home. The embrace between the Jewish people and the Land of Israel remains a powerful and unbreakable bond, shaping their past, defining their present, and illuminating their path forward.

What do you know about Israel? Do you have a Jewish friends there? Did you visited Israel or planning in the future? Do you want to learn more about Israel past, present and future?