FAQ: Was Israel Created Because of the Holocaust?

In a word -- no.

Okay, you probably want a little more detail, so here goes. The president of Iran says the Holocaust-- if it really happened; he's not sure -- caused guilt-ridden Europeans to steal Arab land and give it to the Jews. Other "experts" concur, saying the only reason Israel was created is because of the Holocaust. But the truth is that Jews trace thousands of years of history to Israel. When you're there, you'll see the Western Wall, which is what remains of the Jewish Temple that was destroyed nearly 2,000 years ago. You'll see archeological sites that document thousands of years of Jewish ties to the land. When you visit the Herzl Museum in Jerusalem, you'll learn about the "Father of Modern Zionism" -- including the fact that he died decades before Hitler began killing Jews. Herzl galvanized Jews around the world to support a Jewish homeland in the Middle East. In 1917, the British Foreign Secretary issued the Balfour Declaration which supported the creation of such a homeland. In 1922 the League of Nations also endorsed the idea.

We'll never know with certainty what would have happened if the Holocaust had not decimated European Jewry -- we can only wish -- but the facts prove that the quest for a Jewish national home was in full swing and the world was on record supporting Israel's creation long before any Jews were sent to Auschwitz.