Many citizens of Western European nations, Britain and to some extent even the United States feel that the claims of Israel and the counterclaims of Palestinians to ownership of Jerusalem are virtually equal in nature.
A few even argue that Israel has no legitimate claim to this ancient city at all.
Author and columnist Melanie Phillips replies: "Such people would doubtless be amazed to learn that, some 10 centuries before the birth of Christ and 17 centuries before the birth of Mohammed, the city of Jerusalem was created by King David as the capital of a United kingdom of Israel and Judea. The Jews were in fact the only people for whom the land of Israel was ever actually their national home" ("Promise and Redemption," Standpoint, March 10, 2011).
In 1899 Yusuf Khalidi, the Muslim mayor of Jerusalem, declared to the chief rabbi of France: "Who can contest the rights of the Jews to Palestine? God knows historically it is indeed your country" (ibid.).
Phillips went on to say, "Today, there are repeated Arab attempts to erase the copious, growing archaeological evidence of David's city and the ancient kingdom of Israel and Judea, which establishes the Jews' indisputable claim to Israel and to Jerusalem." (Source: Standpoint magazine.)
