Whose Land? (documentary)
Whose Land is a documentary which examines the claims to the Land of Israel, through the eyes of historians and international lawyers. It is produced and directed by Hugh Kitson and narrated by Colonel Richard Kemp. It is shown as a series of bite-sized documentaries on Youtube (links below), generally 10-15 minutes in length each, and gives a very good historical background to the issues going on today and the disputes over the land.
The Bible says God is restoring the nation of Israel, the Jewish people, back to the land He originally gave to the descendants of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. It is through Israel and the Jewish people that we have the written Word of God, the Bible and the Gospel, and indeed the Saviour. Jesus Himself was (and is) Jewish. This is why the Jewish people in general, and Israel in particular, have been persecuted throughout history, and why the nation and their land is so contested today.
Behold, I will gather them out of all countries where I have driven them in My anger, in My fury, and in great wrath; I will bring them back to this place, and I will cause them to dwell safely. 38 They shall be My people, and I will be their God; 39 then I will give them one heart and one way, that they may fear Me forever, for the good of them and their children after them. 40 And I will make an everlasting covenant with them, that I will not turn away from doing them good; but I will put My fear in their hearts so that they will not depart from Me. 41 Yes, I will rejoice over them to do them good, and I will assuredly plant them in this land, with all My heart and with all My soul.’ Jeremiah 32:37-41
Episode 1 looks at the Jewish Presence in Jerusalem and the Land of Israel from Antiquity, with references to Jewish historical records, such as the Cyrus Cylinder and coins from the time of the Bar Kokhba uprising.
Chapter 2 explores the Ottoman Turkish rule over Palestine.
Episode 3 is about The Zionist Movement and the Balfour Declaration. In the 1880s the balance of Palestine’s sparse population began to change with a significant influx of Jews fleeing from the pogroms in Russia. Increasing anti-Semitism in Europe saw the birth of the Zionist movement led by Theodor Herzl whose aim was to bring about the formation of a Jewish State in Palestine. Although Herzl never lived to see his dream fulfilled, the First World War brought the beginning of its realisation. At the same time an Arab nationalist movement within the Ottoman Empire was beginning to emerge.
Episode 4 covers the Paris Peace Conference and the League of Nations. The Paris Peace Conference of 1919 dealt with not only the European theatre, but also with the territories that had been ruled by the former Ottoman Empire. The Supreme Council of the Principal Allied Powers invited both Arab and Jewish representatives to present their territorial claims. The opening sessions of the Paris Peace Conference of 1919 took place in Le Salon de L’Horloge, at the French Foreign Ministry in Quai d’Orsay. Later sessions took place at the Palace of Versailles, which later resulted in the Treaty of Versailles. That settlement, or treaty, became legally binding for the nations in Europe who had taken part in the First World War.
Episode 5 considers the San Remo Resolution. Legal rights were granted to both the Jewish people and the Arab people at the San Remo Conference in April 1920.
Episode 6 covers the role of Winston Churchill in the Mandates, who played a prominent role in the Mandate. In 1921 he was appointed Colonial Secretary, which gave him the responsibility of implementing the Mandates in the former Ottoman Empire. The 1922 White Paper, which was attributed to Churchill, was in fact largely drafted by Colonial Office official John Shuckburgh, together with the first High Commissioner to Palestine, Sir Herbert Samuel. It contained a phrase that was central to Churchill’s belief that the Jews were in Palestine “as of right and not by sufferance.”
Episode 7 deals with the Legal Obligations of the Mandate for Palestine. “The whole idea of the Mandate was for the Jews to be given the right to immigrate so that the population could increase, so that while the Trust is on-going they would be stronger, more numerous, and then could declare the independence of their country. That was the whole strategy.” Dr Jacques Gauthier.
Episode 8 covers the 1939 White Paper and its Tragic Consequences. Early on, the British Mandate over Palestine had started to run into serious trouble with a series of Muslim-Arab uprisings – under the leadership of Haj Amin Al-Husseini. The British had appointed this radical Islamist as Grand Mufti of Jerusalem. His appointment was an act of appeasement – a policy that the British authorities thought would restore calm. A pattern had been set that would haunt the rest of British rule over Palestine.
Episode 9 covers the Rights of the Jewish People in the United Nations Charter. Article 80 of the UN Charter assumes the powers given to the League of Nations, so that anything that was decided under the League of Nations such as the San Remo Resolution, such as the Mandate of Palestine, are still legally binding under the UN Charter.
Episode 10 is entitled “Britain’s betrayal of the Mandate exposed.”
Episode 11 deals with the legal ramifications of the War of Independence.
Episode 12 The Status of Jerusalem, the 1949 Armistice Lines and Refugees
Episode 13 The Six Day War of 1967
Episode 14 This episode explores UN Security Council Resolution 242, adopted after the June 1967 Six Day War. It was a non-binding recommendation for settling the Arab-Israel conflict. Israel and the Arab States agreed to accept the recommendations.
Episode 15 looks at the Oslo Accords of 1993
Episode 16 is about the 2004 Advisory Opinion of the International Court of Justice on Israel’s Security Barrier.
Further information is available here:
Scartho Celebration Church 