The introduction by Israel of a Welcome to Country ceremony – similar to that existing in Australia since 1973 – could be the perfect response by Israel to:
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Israel is unique among the 193 UN member states: The only state that has reappeared on world maps after being erased for 3000 years.
Israel's amazing rebirth began after World War 1 ended - when the 1922 League of Nations Mandate for Palestine authorised the Jewish people to "reconstitute the Jewish National Home" in the 22% of Palestine located west of the Jordan River provided nothing was done "which might prejudice the civil and religious rights of existing non-Jewish communities in Palestine or the rights and political status enjoyed by Jews in any other country".
These rights are preserved in article 80 of the 1945 UN Charter.
I first proposed introducing a Welcome to Country ceremony in Israel on 14 September 2023 to bring Israelis together to help end political differences of opinion tearing the country apart:
Such a ceremony would serve to bring the Jewish people together to publicly honour, recognise and acknowledge their forefathers as the traditional owners of the land on which the State of Israel has been established and to which Israel is entitled to lay claim in Judea and Samaria under articles 6 and 25 of the League of Nations Mandate for Palestine and article 80 of the United Nations Charter.
It would also unite Israelis in their fight against attempts by the UN and UNESCO to create political facts on the ground by erasing Jewish ownership of historic Jewish archaeological sites.
Their latest despicable effort is Jericho – containing Jewish heritage sites including the Hasmonean Winter Palaces, King Herod's Third Palace, a Byzantine-era synagogue dating back to the 6th Century CE, ritual baths, and nearby burial caves used by priests of the Second Temple.
The need for such a ceremony has increased exponentially since 7 October 2023 as Israel has become increasingly isolated internationally.
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Encyclopaedia Britannica faithfully records the history of the Twelve Tribes of Israel arriving in Canaan and settling on both sides of the Jordan River as detailed in the Jewish Bible and designated on this map:
The Welcome to Country ceremony would pay respects to the 10 tribes who settled on the land located west of the Jordan River – now Israel, Gaza and Judea and Samaria (West Bank).
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