Palestine was the place of the first Hijrah, the Hijrah of Nabi Ibrahim. Allah chose this land to be the haven of tawhid. It was the first place to have Islamic government, rule according to Prophethood, under Nabi Dawud and Nabi Suleyman.
Allah Subhanahu wa Ta’ala sent prophet after prophet to this land, with guidance and miracles, and He inflicted devastating punishments here to ensure that none would be worshiped but Him.
Palestine is not significant to us only because of al-Aqsa, and not only because of the Israa wal Mir’aj. The islamic history of Palestine does not begin with Prophet Muhammad. It begins as soon as Allah chose it as the Abode of Iman, when He directed the Father of the Prophets to establish tawhid in this land.
It was never the land of the jews, it has always been the land of the Believers, when Bani Israel were Believers, it was their place…not because they were jews but because they were Muslims.