Palestine
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Palestine is a territory on the Eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea. In early Biblical times it was known as Canaan. The name Palestine is from the Roman name Palestina, "the home of the Philistines". In Arabic, it is known as Filistina. Its coastline stretches along a north-south axis, in something resembling a straight line. The only significant feature otherwise is the western end of the ridge of Mount Carmel, which juts out into the sea for a short distance. Where it becomes more mountainous, it begins to be identified as Lebanon or Syria at the northern end. In the south, the coast turns to a clear east-west direction, and is categorised as Egypt. Going inland from its coast, Palestine has usually referred to the land up to the River Jordan.
For various geographical and demographic reasons, Palestine has never been the heart of any Empire or extensive kingdom. As the lands to the east of the Jordan are largely desert, Palestine has been the natural north-south route for conquerors, whether Babylonian, Assyrian, Egyptian, Arab or Turkish. Only during the reigns of David and Solomon has Jerusalem been the centre of a significant kingdom. Through much of its more recent history, Palestine has been subject to the rule of Damascus, a much more powerful population centre.
At the time of Bahá'u'lláh[edit]
When Bahá'u'lláh was exiled to Akká, Palestine was part of Syria, and Bahá'u'lláh uses that name for the area. He does, however, distinguish between the previous place of revelation, Jerusalem, and the present area of revelation, (Haifa, Akká, Carmel), identifying the one as the land of the sycamore (fig) tree, and the present area as the land of the cedar.
Bahá'u'lláh prophesied that Jews would return to this land, and build a state which would be the envy of its enemies. Of course, there was no Bahá'í involvement with that process, and Bahá'u'lláh even forbade the Bahá'ís from teaching the Faith in Palestine. (This did not, of course, prevent local people spontaneously recognising Bahá'u'lláh's station and thereby becoming Bahá'ís.)
During the Ministry of 'Abdu'l-Bahá[edit]
'Abdu'l-Bahá was freed as a religious prisoner in 1908, after the Young Turk Revolution. He lived at that time in Haifa. In 1918, during the First World War, a British army was trying to take Palestine from the Turks. The Turkish general in command had threatened that if he had to surrender Haifa, his last act would be the crucifixion of 'Abdu'l-Bahá. The fighting in the southern half of the province took some time, but eventually the British forces broke through Turkish lines. General Allenby had been given special instructions to ensure the safety of The Master, although he may well not have known Who this person might actually be. A force of Indian lancers was given special instructions to reach Haifa and protect 'Abdu'l-Bahá. It is believed that the arrival of this light cavalry may represent the only case of cavalry taking a fortified town at the gallop! They quickly established where 'Abdu'l-Bahá lived, and threw a cordon around his house.
When General Allenby himself reached Haifa, he sought out this person he had been detailed to protect, and was much impressed! During his discussion with the Master, he revealed that he had covered so much ground so fast that he had outrun his supply lines, and had no food for his men. 'Abdu'l-Bahá replied that He had enough food for the army! For some years, 'Abdu'l-Bahá had been instructing Bahá'í farmers who had settled in Galilee, and also Druze farmers in the region, to grow extra food which He had put into storage. From these stores He had been feeding the population of Akká during the war years, and still had enough for the British army!!
See the book The Servant, the General and Armageddon
Since the time of 'Abdu'l-Bahá[edit]
After the First World War, Palestine became a British Protectorate. For some time, small groups of Jews had been coming to this land, and the seeds of a conflict were being laid. During World War II, it was a German army which was threatening to take Palestine. It is believed that a minor part of General Rommel's orders was that he should destroy the Bahá'í holy places when he reached the Haifa area. In practice, this German army was turned back in Egypt, and never really threatened Palestine at all!
As the number of Jews in Palestine increased, and the hostility of the resident population grew greater, the British government was left with a problem. The United Nations suggested the partition of Palestine into two states, but there was never any agreement. Eventually, in 1947, British forces withdrew, and Jews and Arabs fought over the territory. By 1948, the general pattern as to which areas each side controlled had been established, and the state of Israel was declared to exist, within the armistice lines. By now, the Jews had control of the whole of the Haifa and Akká area, which henceforth comprised part of Israel. Two areas of Palestine are under the control of Palestinian authorities, as differentiated from the Israeli government. A permanent settlement has still not been reached. Bahá'u'lláh is supposed to have said that, "The children of Abraham will inherit the land of Palestine". This, of course, includes both the Arabs and the Jews.
Bahá'u'lláh's own injunction upon His followers not to proclaim His Faith in Palestine remains a significant factor in Bahá'í life there. Although there is a presence of perhaps six hundred Bahá'ís working at the World Centre, there is no local community as such, there are no Local Spiritual Assemblies, and there is no National Spiritual Assembly. In a fraught and complex ethnic and religious mix, the Bahá'ís are not seen as participants or as rivals to anyone. It is tacitly assumed that the Universal House of Justice will announce when the time comes to change this policy.
