The right of the people of Israel to the land of Israel

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"We have not seized any foreign land,what we took is not the property 

of others,but our  ancestral heritage which for a time had been unjustly

held by our enemies.now that we have the opportunity.we are holding on to the heritage of our ancestors.As for Joppa and Gazara,which you demand,the men of these cities were doing great harm to our people and laying waste our country , however,we are willing to pay you  a hundred talents for these cities.

The answer of Simon the Hasmonean to Athenobius the messenger of Antiochus vii ,who came to demand the return of territories liberated by Simon the Hasmonean. 

(book of maccabees 1, 

chapter 15)

David weissberg 28/6/2022