Blog: Are the Jews Still Israelites?

I recently got some comments on a short video from some Muslims who argued that Israel doesn’t belong to the Jews because most of them came from Europe, which somehow means that they are no longer the Israelites or Hebrews of the Bible. Unfortunately, this isn’t a new belief, so let’s debunk this.

To start with, we should define who the Hebrews, Israelites, and Jews are. In the Bible, the terms are often used interchangeably. These are names that were used during different eras in Jewish history, and all refer to the same ethnic group. By that standard, the Jews, by defintion, are technically still Israelites.

But besides that, we need to address if modern-day Jews are still the Israelites culturally when there is so much ethnic mixing. The Jews have been dispersed throughout the Middle East, Northern Africa, and Europe for thousands of years, starting with the Assyrian conquest of Israel in 722 BC. However, despite their dispersion and intermingling with other people groups, Jewish communities still recognized Israel as their ancestral homeland, and preserved their religious practices, texts, and traditions through generations.

Additionally, if we look at other examples of mixed people groups, we see a similar thing play out. For example, look at Native American tribes. Today, it is incredibly rare to meet a Native American who is 100% a member of their specific tribe. Many of them intermarry with other tribes or have married people of other races entirely. Despite this, too, they may still try to keep some of their tribal customs, beliefs, and practices.

Imagine if you tried to say that Native Americans no longer have a connection or right to their territories because very few of them are 100% members of a specific tribe, even if they try to keep the culture of the tribe they identify with alive. You would immediately be called racist and bigoted. So, how come that logic doesn’t apply to Jews?

Further, to say that Jews aren’t actual Israelites because many of them are Ashkenazi (from Eastern Europe) is also stupid on a genetic level. Just because you look a certain way doesn’t nullify your genetics. Your DNA contains thousands of variations, many of which are more common in certain ethnic or racial groups than others. Those variations, when compared to the DNA of other groups, is what allows geneticists to figure out where your ancestors might have been from going back several generations. Even if your great-times-10-grandma was Jewish, your DNA still carries those markers indicating that someone in your family was Jewish. Thus, if we go off of genetics, the Jews still carry those genetic markers and are genetically Jewish, even if they aren’t 100% Jewish.

For an example, in my case, my genetics are very mixed. I may not identify with the Navajo community or look Navajo, but genetically, I am Navajo. To say otherwise denies reality.

Thus, the entire argument that the Jews are no longer the Israelites is absurd both on a genetic and cultural level. But, to make it even worse for Muslims is the fact that this ties into the Islamic Dilemma. If the Bible is correct, then Israel belongs to the Jews. However, if the Bible is corrupted, then the Quran is not only wrong, but history shows that the Jews have a better claim to Israel than the Palestinian Arabs.

Until next time,

M.J.