AFRIKAANS : Waar die meeste nasies in die wêreld hul aanspraak op `n eie land baseer op besetting of verowering deur hul voorgeslagte, baseer die Jode hulle aanspraak op die land Israel op godsdienstige, historiese en politieke gronde. Hierin speel die Hebreeuse Bybel (TeNaK) `n sentrale rol. Twee Ou Testamentiese verbonde, die Abrahamitiese verbond en die Deuteronomiese (Land-van-Israel/Palestina) verbond, vorm die basis hiervan. Die aanname dat die Jode van vandag `n voortsetting van Bybelse Israel is en gevolglik aanspraak op hierdie verbondsbeloftes kan maak, asook God se doel met die insluiting van die land Israel in Sy verbond met Abraham en die rol van die land in die verhouding tussen Hom en Sy uitverkore volk, ondersteun Jode se godsdienstige aansprake. Vanuit `n historiese perspektief word aangevoer dat die Jode `n teenwoordigheid in die land behou het sedert die Israeliete se inname van die land Kanaän tot en met vandag, ten spyte daarvan dat die land deur die geskiedenis heen deur verskeie wêreldryke beheer is. In aansprake op politieke gronde word verwys na die aanbevelings van die Verenigde Nasies wat die gebied met die Partisieplan amptelik verdeel het in `n Joodse en Arabiese gedeelte; waarna Israel in 1948 die Joodse staat afkondig het. Hoewel Christene nie aanspraak maak op die land Israel nie, het hulle wel bepaalde sienings oor Israel, die Jode en Joodse aansprake op die land. In `n Christelik-teologiese evaluering van hierdie aansprake, blyk dit dat verskille met die Joodse beskouinge in hoofsaak te doen het met die godsdienstige aansprake omdat die betekenis van die term Bybel vir Jode en Christene verskil. Onder Christene is daar ook nie eenstemmigheid oor wát die Bybel is en hoe dit vertolk behoort te word nie. Twee breë denkrigtings binne die Christelike geloof, Vervangingsteologie en Christen-Sionisme, bied verskillende sieninge in dié verband. Die konflik in die Midde-Ooste raak elke persoon, afgesien van sy godsdienstige affiliasie of afwesigheid daaraan. Vanuit `n bepaalde Christelik-teologiese perspektief is `n alternatiewe beskouing aangebied om die spirituele, eerder as die oënskynlike sekulêre en politieke aard daarvan, te beklemtoon. Israel se oorspronklike roeping om verlossing aan die wêreld te bring is ondersoek, terwyl die werkbaarheid van `n Twee-party-staat as oplossing vir vrede in die streek in die lig hiervan, bespreek is. Die aktualiteit en doel van die studie is daarin geleë dat inligting aan Christenlesers gebied word sodat `n ingeligte standpunt oor die aangeleentheid geformuleer kan word. ENGLISH : While most of the nations of the world claim the right to their own country as a result of occupation or conquest, the Jews claim the right to the land of Israel on religious, historical and political grounds. In this regard the Hebrew Bible (TaNaK) plays a central role. Two Old Testament covenants, the Abrahamic covenant and the Deuteronomic (Land of Israel/Palestine) covenant, form the basis of this claim. The assumption that the Jews of today are a continuance of the Biblical Israelites and consequently can lay claim to these covenants, God’s purpose for the inclusion of the land in His covenant with Abraham, as well as the role of the land in His relationship between Him and His chosen people, support these Jewish religious claims. From a historical perspective it is put forward that the Jews have maintained a presence in the land since the Israelites captured the land of Canaan up to and including the present, despitethe fact that the country has been ruled throughout history by various other powers of the world. In claims on political grounds one is referred to the recommendations of the United Nations which, according to the Partition Plan, divided the country into Jewish and Arab parts. Israel then, in 1948, declared the State of Israel. Although Christians do not lay claim to the land of Israel, they have indeed distinct views concerning Israel, the Jews and Jewish claims to the land. In a Christian-theological evaluation of these claims it appears that the differences with the Jewish views have mainly to do with religious claims because the meaning of the term Bible differs for Jews and Christians. Among Christians too there is also no unanimity about what the Bible is and how it should be interpreted. Two broad schools of thought within Christians beliefs, Replacement Theology and Christians-Zionism, present different views in this regard. The conflict in the Middle East affects every person, irrespective of his religious affiliation or absence of it. From a specific Christian-theological perspective, an alternative opinion is given to emphasise the spiritual, rather than the apparent secular and political nature. Israel’s original mission to bring redemption to the world is examined and the feasibility of a Two-party-state as a solution for peace in the land is discussed in this respect. The actuality and purpose of the study is to give the relevant information to Christian readers so that an informed opinion concerning the subject can be made. / Dissertation (MA(Theology))--University of Pretoria, 2009. / Science of Religion and Missiology / unrestricted