War against the Covenant: A Biblical Answer to the UN Controversy over Zion

I recently finished reading former US Ambassador David Friedman’s new book One Jewish State, a must-read for those seeking a better understanding of Middle Eastern geopolitics and a solution to the long-standing quagmire that is the Palestinian issue.

Friedman explores the complexities of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict while carefully presenting a bold and innovative blueprint for peace and unity in the region. In the end, he presents a compelling case for Israeli sovereignty as the best outcome for all the inhabitants.

As Freidman skillfully led me through the myriads of facts and reasons to support his thesis, I was struck by one foundational remark: “Should any of us be surprised that God’s plan for the land of Israel is also the best path forward for all the land’s inhabitants?”

Then I remembered why. It was a time when Providence fulfilled a two-thousand-year-old promise to a people. And the efforts of Israel’s first ever accredited United Nations Press Corp correspondent, his plea to the parliament of world representatives to consider the land grant given by none other than the Divine, and then, his warning after the UN decision.

Beginning in January of 1945 United Nations Press Corps correspondent David Horowitz exchanged correspondence with the King of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, Abdullah Ibn al-Hussein. Central to their dialogue was the Palestine question and the notion of whether the ancient texts of the Bible and Koran could play a role in the resolution of key issues.

The history of the geopolitical entity created in Palestine under the British administration was known as the “British Mandate of Palestine,” and was first carved out of Ottoman Southern Syria after World War I. Trans-Jordan was formed on April 21, 1921, when the British created a protectorate with Abdullah as Emir. Independence was gained on May 25, 1946, as the Hashemite Kingdom of Transjordan (renamed simply as Jordan in 1949), with Abdullah as king.

In his first letter, Horowitz suggested to the Emir that the “Palestine Question” be approached based on the decrees of a higher power. Horowitz stated: “Could it not be solved between brethren if we begin with the premise that Abraham was our common father and that his God was the one true God for all of us? Should we not then take the words and the works of the prophets of the Bible, including the wisdom of the Koran which upholds the Bible, and base all solutions on what these works promised.”

Thus began a nearly two-year long exchange between the two citing detailed passages from the Koran and the Torah regarding the laws of Moses. After all, it was Moses who had first set the historic boundaries of Israel as constituting an eternal heritage of the children of Israel.

October 1946 brought the final exchange between the two with Horowitz expressing “Would not the All-Wise and Just, the One God of all, be mocked unless the definitive statements and plans which He gave in the Bible were given careful study and consideration in the light of all available facts.” In a later letter King Abdullah remarked: “Personally, I know you and your faith” and expressed his understanding that David was a man “to do according to his faith and national prestige.” He closed with the words: “Please accept my friendship.”

This was the last written message from the King to Horowitz however it was far from his final response.

Later in February 1947, the British, succumbing to the problems and pressures from Palestine and at home, announced they were referring the Palestine Mandate question to the United Nations. This spurred a beehive of activity at the UN and Horowitz, sensing that the timing was right, was about to take the case directly to the world organization.

As a prelude, he spent considerable time discussing and interviewing several Arab and Muslim delegates including Dr. Charles Malik of Lebanon, Dr. Fadhil Jamali of Iraq, and M. Asif Ali, a Muslim delegate from India. He posed the same question to all delegates: “Do you think the Bible and the Koran could be used as the basis in solving the Palestine Problem?” Responses were mixed, however, several contended that the impasse included a deeper religious element that the ultimate solution might have to face.

Following these encouraging responses, Horowitz sent a letter to the Chairman of the UN’s Political and Security Committee, Lester B. Pearson, suggesting the World Organization consider using the Bible and Koran to help settle the Arab-Israeli dispute over Palestine.

On April 28, 1947, fifty-five nations of the world, representing the greater part of mankind, took seats in the New York City Building at Flushing Meadows, Long Island. They had been summoned in special session to begin deliberations over the vexing and seemingly unsolvable issue of Palestine.

In the May-June 1947 edition of the United Israel World Union Bulletin, David Horowitz authored an article entitled: “Controversy over Zion comes to United Nations.”

In his letter to Pearson, Horowitz stated both the purpose and reason for the appeal:
“As an international Anglo-Hebrew Organization, chartered under the laws of the State of New York, we have a deep interest in the fate of Palestine. We wish, therefore, to submit the following for the consideration of the Fact-Finding Commission, which it is the duty of your committee to elect for the study of the seemingly unsolvable Palestine Question.”

He then recommended that the Commission give serious and careful consideration to the two historic documents that constitute the life-pattern of the Jewish and Arabic peoples, namely, the Bible and the Koran. After a gentle reminder to the Commission that all other previous approaches to the solution to the problem of Palestine have failed, he stated: “We recommend that your committee include these world-recognized documents as evidence to be considered in the study.” It seemed incumbent on the cousins, the Arabs and the Jews, to recognize fully what is inherent in the Palestine question.

The proposal included three main points: 1) that these documents are honored by both peoples and are also recognized by world courts; 2) they establish these peoples statehood status, and 3) they indicate the extent of their historic domain in the Middle East.

On June 2, 1947, United Israel World Union received a reply from the Commission. It expressed thanks for the submission promising “that the Committee would give the fullest consideration to every relevant opinion” and then asking the organization to submit its views regarding Palestine on or before June 26.

Throughout the deliberations, the eleven-nation Special UN Committee had before it a memorandum which was submitted by United Israel World Union, and which was duly acknowledged both by the Chairman of the Special Committee and by Secretary-General Trygve Lie himself. It gave the members of the Committee the full opportunity to know what the Bible had to say on this issue.

The four-page memorandum pointed out that legislative bodies and courts already recognize the Bible to the extent of having all oaths of fealty and honor sworn by it, giving indisputable logic that this ancient document be given foremost consideration by members of the Special Committee. Also, that its recorded history be examined in the light of genealogy and that the rights, claims, and deeds it has attributed to the peoples linked to the Holy Land should be properly evaluated.

Carefully laid out and emphasized in the memorandum were the facts that the Holy Koran, religiously observed by all true Moslems, never invalidated the Bible and upholds the Bible as the highest authority portraying Hebrew leaders such as Noah, Abraham, Isaac, Moses, David and a host of others, as holy prophets whose declarations were accepted as inspired word. Each year all true Moslems honor Moses by commemorating the festival Nebi Musa and that it was this same Moses who originally set the biblical borders of the Holy Land for all the tribes of Israel as an everlasting statute.

Definitive statements from the Koran were then set forth that confirmed the Hebrew Scriptures, thus making the biblical injunctions equally as binding upon all true believers to obey. Scriptural references were given that pertained to the issues of the biblical boundaries of Palestine, land-deeds and inheritances, as well as the covenant blessings given to Ishmael with the Arabian territory defined.

Evidence was submitted that served to prove that the original Mandate looked upon Transjordan as an integral part of Palestine proper. Article 7 of the “Convention between the United States and Britain” regarding “Rights in Palestine” was signed in London on December 3, 1924, and ratified by the President of the United States on March 2, 1925.

The case was duly presented, the evidence carefully laid out for consideration, and it was time for the closing statement. Horowitz made his impassioned closing argument to the committee representatives of the nations:
“All of the above facts are self-explanatory and need no further comment. The picture is clear, and brave men, truthful men, God-fearing men, should know what to do in the sight of an all-seeing God who is known to all mankind from the Bible as The God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, the Holy One of Israel. He it is who swore to give this land to Israel. For nearly two thousand years the wandering Jew has never once ceased hearing the eternal threat: Go back to Jerusalem from whence you came. Well, the Jews are back and Jerusalem too, has become forbidden ground. The cry of the ancient prophet still rings: Let My People Go!”

Following an intensive investigation of the many-sided Palestine problem, the Special UN Committee succeeded in completing its arduous tasks and a decision was rendered. On September 1, 1947, Secretary-General Trygve Lie had the Committee’s recommendations on his desk. It was indeed recommended that Palestine be partitioned into a Jewish state and an Arab state. But not according to the ancient blueprint. The efforts of United Israel World Union had failed to influence the Pearson Committee.

On that faithful November 29, 1947, the vote on Israel’s future was held at the UN. The UN vote, 33 to 13, favoring the establishment of a Hebrew State in Palestine came between 5:30 and 5:45 PM on Sabbath evening, the 16th day of Kislev, 5708. The Zionists accepted the partition plan with some reluctance, and the Arab countries, along with the Arabs of Palestine, flatly rejected the plan.

At United Israel’s 5th meeting held on April 18, 1948, David Horowitz reported on the results of the UN Assembly Special Committee’s decision. He stated: “As long as the UN fails to follow God’s blueprint for Palestine, it will fail to solve the problem. It will always remain in our official records that we brought to the attention of the United Nations the plan of the Bible for Palestine.”

One man, however, dared to act. In 1949 King Abdullah of Jordan entered secret peace talks with Israel, including at least five with Moshe Dayan. News of the negotiations provoked a strong reaction from other Arab states.

On July 20, 1951, King Abdullah traveled to Jerusalem for his regular Friday prayers along with his young grandson, Prince Hussein. A lone gunman on the steps of the Al-Aqsa Mosque assassinated the King. The conspiracy-backed execution was motivated by fears that the old king would make a separate peace with Israel. Miraculously, a bullet also meant for Hussein, deflected off a medal he was wearing given to him by his grandfather, thus sparing his life.

The young Prince Hussein later became King Hussein I of Jordan and entered into a peace agreement with his Israeli neighbors. And David Horowitz lived to file the breaking story.

David Friedman’s new book deserves wide readership and careful consideration. His is not an entirely new idea. It’s as old as an ancient promise to bring an exiled people home and to restore their property rights.

After seventy-six years of failed attempts maybe it’s time to revisit the old blueprint.