Is Gaza in ‘the Land of Israel’?

Rabbi Lance J. Sussman

Parshat Matot-Masei

Israel’s ground war against Hamas, its primary response to the Oct. 7 pogrom, has been long, bloody and complicated.

One of the most important questions surrounding the war involves planning for “the day after” the war. Who will govern Gaza? Who will provide for security both inside and outside it, and who will rebuild it are just a few of the questions at hand.

In recent weeks, a further dimension to the day after debate has come into focus involving Israelis returning to live in Gaza. In 2005, Prime Minister Ariel Sharon disengaged more than 8,000 highly resistant Jewish settlers from “The Strip,” who started living there in the wake of the 1967 war. Significantly, Benjamin Netanyahu quit the Sharon government in protest of the removal of Jewish civilians from government.

The rationale for resettling Jews in Gaza is largely based on two factors. The first is strategic and claims that the presence of Jews in Gaza is necessary for the defense of the state of Israel. The second argument is that Gaza is in Eretz Yisrael or “The Land of Israel,” a religious and historical construct central to Zionism and rooted in the Hebrew Bible.

An extended version of this view emphasizes that at various times in history starting with the second century BCE Hasmoneans, Gaza has been home to thriving Jewish communities. Today, Medinat Yisrael and its territories rest on only part of Eretz Yisrael. Ironically, both Jews and Arabs were expelled from Gaza during World War I for strategic purposes by the Ottomans.

The question of whether Gaza is part of the Land of Israel is rooted in this week’s double Torah portion, Matot-Masei.

In Deuteronomy 34, we read that the Land of Israel extends to the “Brook of Egypt” south of the current-day Egyptian city of El Arish. A similar claim is made in Ezekiel 47. On the other hand, both texts exclude the lower Negev from the Land of Israel and include most of the country of Lebanon, as well as territory to the east of the Jordan River.

In pre-state Palestine, the Revisionist branch of the Zionist movement, now represented by Likkud and other right-of-center groups, advocated for a Greater Israel on both sides of the Jordan. It should be noted that with respect to biblical views of the scope of the Land of Israel, in ancient days, Gaza was inhabited by Philistines who originated in Turkey. The name Philistine is the historical source of the Roman and modern name, Palestine.

Concerning halachic boundaries of the Land of Israel, several religious scholars place the line just below Ashkelon, which is just to the north of Gaza. Consequently, in the eyes of these authorities, food harvested in Gaza during shemita, or the sabbatical year, can be sold to Jews in the state of Israel.

Indeed, in the run-up to the 2005 disengagement, this possibility led to considerable confusion and overplanting by Arab farmers in Gaza. Other scholars, however, view Gaza as well within the borders of the Land of Israel and, in essence, no different than Tel Aviv or even Jerusalem.

For the Orthodox Jewish community, the question of the borders of the Land of Israel will be significant in determining the future of Gaza the day after the war.

Secular (and some religious) opposition to Jews settling in Gaza will be based on security, demographics and a continuing belief in the two-state solution. Security matters will include the complicating factor of protecting a Jewish presence in Gaza as well as the general issue of security in a post-Hamas Gaza.

Demographics also would be important as the inclusion of another 2 million Palestinians under Israeli control (in addition to East Jerusalem and the West Bank) might result in an equal number of Jews and Arabs under Israeli control. In this regard, it is important to note that several weeks ago, the Knesset voted by a two-seat majority against allowing the formation of any Palestinian state to the west of the Jordan River.

Unfortunately, we seem to be a long way from questions involving the day after the war, the release of the hostages and humanitarian aid to Gazans being paramount. At the same time, the situation both in the West Bank and the North continues to deteriorate. Sadly, since biblical times not only the borders of Israel but peace for Israel remain elusive. Meanwhile, we are called upon to continue to support Israel and empower its people and security forces to defend her.

In Hamas, Hezbollah and their supporters, we are facing massive, unending and existential threats. May we prove to be strong and courageous as Jews in this dark time. We have no choice. The survival of Israel and the Jewish people is at stake.

Rabbi Lance J. Sussman is an active rabbi emeritus of Reform Congregation Keneseth Israel and continues to write, publish, teach and serve the community at large. He is a past chair of the Board of Governors of Gratz College and a vice president of the Board of Rabbis of Greater Philadelphia. The Board of Rabbis of Greater Philadelphia is proud to provide diverse perspectives on Torah commentary for the Jewish Exponent. The opinions expressed in this column are the author’s own and do not necessarily reflect the view of the Board of Rabbis.