Well, they would be right to a point but the children of Israel are made up of more than just the Jewish people. Seeing that it was God's idea for the children of Israel and the nation of Israel, there is no better place to find information on their beginning than the Bible. The first thing we need to know about the children of Israel is that Israel is the name of a man. God changes Jacob's name to Israel. This is the first time that the word Israel is used in the Bible.
Lets get some more information on Jacob.
And God appeared unto Jacob again, when he came out of Padan-aram, and blessed him. The El at the end of Israel is one of the names of God . Israel means God rules. What most people call modern day Israel just does not fit all that description. God scattered the children of Israel and today most of the children of Israel do not even live in the nation of Israel.