As the Canaanites (Arabian ancestors) used to live in Palestine before the foundation of Judaism... Isn't Palestine for Arabs?
2 Answers
It's not that simple. See below.
Explanation:
The Canaanites were a mixture of peoples who occupied the land which is now Israel and parts of Syria, Lebanon, and Jordan.
There were Phoenicians, Philistines, Kenites, Amorites, Hittites, Hivites, and many more. The Israelites came on the scene approximately 1500 BC. They did not replace the native Canaanites, but lived among them.
The area was also fought over by many different empires: Hittite, Egyptian, Babylonian, and Persian. Each new conqueror brought their own new settlers, who remained. \
Gradually the Israelites came to dominate the area, even setting up several kingdoms over the centuries. Eventually the Romans conquered the area around 63 BC, and held onto power there until the Muslim (Arab) invasions of 634 AD took it away from them.
By the time of the creation of the State of Israel the people of the area were the product of a very, very long process of migration, conquest, and trade over centuries. The European Jews were only the latest of many waves of people.
Although there may still be some Canaanite descendants living in the region, there is no direct link between them and the Arabs who came many centuries later.
No There is no genetic link between the Canaanites ( the various people groups that lived in Canaan and the Arabs
Explanation:
The Arabs actually trace their genetic ancestry to Abraham same as the Jewish people. The Arabs did not arrive in mass until their conquest of Canaan ( now called Israel) until 634.
The various people groups that occupied Canaan intermingled with the various conquering groups, including the Jews, and Arabs ( As well as the philistines, Hitties, Egyptians, Greeks, and Romans. ) There is undoubably some Canaanite genetic influence in the Arab population but the early Canaanites can hardly be considered to be the ancestors of the Arabs. (Note the Hitties were considered a reason to not believe in the historical accuracy of the Hebrew records until their capital and writings were discovered. in the early 1900s)
