الأساطير اليهودية المؤسسة للمشروع الصهيوني: أسطورة الأرض الموعودة أنموذجًا [Foundational Jewish Myths of the Zionist Project: The Myth of the Promised Land as a Case Study]

Abstract

This study examines the myths of the “Promised Land” and the “Temple” as ideological pillars of the Zionist project through a critical comparison of Tanakh passages, Qur’anic discourse, and historical/archaeological considerations. It first deconstructs the notion of “covenant” in ancient religions and the Hebrew Bible, showing how Judaism racialized the promise by confining it to a particular lineage, whereas the Qur’an conditions God’s covenant on righteousness rather than descent—“My covenant does not extend to the unjust.” The paper highlights internal biblical contradictions regarding the borders of the “land,” the historically episodic presence of Israelites in Palestine, and the implications of exile and intermarriage for claims of ethnic purity. In the Qur’anic perspective, the land’s sanctity is universal, and inheritance is granted to God’s righteous servants. Concerning the “Temple,” scriptural mentions are scarce and conflicting, while the Qur’an and Prophetic tradition speak of the “mosque,” not a temple. The study concludes that Zionism is a modern political movement that instrumentalizes religious narratives to legitimize settler colonialism, with the “Third Temple” functioning as a metaphor to sanctify the current state.