This article presents Sheikh Yusuf Qaradawi´s view on the historical and religious background for the Israeli-Palestinian struggle. As the spiritual leader of the Hamas, he believes that the current struggle is a continuation of an historical struggle that began with the sibling rivalry between Ishmael and Isaac over the right to be Abraham’s heir. Qaradawi analyzes today’s events through a religious prism and uses the Quran to re-explain the Bible in a way that fits his political agenda. From a theological point of view, Qaradawi does not say anything new. According to him, Ishmael was Abraham’s real spiritual heir and for that reason today’s muslims, who are Ishmael’s descendants, have the right to inherit Palestine. the jews, the descendants of Isaac, lost their rights to the land as a result of their unfaithfulness to the covenant between god and Abraham, as the Bible itself shows. thus, today’s Israeli-Palestinian conflict stems from an ancient struggle over the birthright and choice. that, atleast, is how Qaradawi and his followers perceive the roots of the conflict.
His sentiments may be deeply felt both by him and his followers. But neither the Bible nor the Quran—historical, religious, and political books of the highest magnitude—is a real estate deed. In the end, the issue at hand is the present, and building a road to a better future for both Israeli and Palestinian inhabitants ofthe land. ultimately, the answer to this conflict does not lie in the distant past.