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169-418: Sections of the party included: This article about an Iraqi political party or organization is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . This article about a Jordanian political party is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . This article about a Lebanese political party is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . This article about a Palestinian political party

338-510: A Jewish state and the dispossession of the Arab majority crystallised among most editors, Christian and Muslim, of local newspapers. The term itself Filasṭīnī was first introduced by Khalīl Beidas in a translation of a Russian work on the Holy Land into Arabic in 1898. After that, its usage gradually spread so that, by 1908, with the loosening of censorship controls under late Ottoman rule,

507-443: A number of Muslim, Christian and Jewish correspondents writing for newspapers began to use the term with great frequency in referring to the 'Palestinian people' ( ahl/ahālī Filasṭīn ), 'Palestinians' ( al-Filasṭīnīyūn ), the 'sons of Palestine' ( abnā’ Filasṭīn ) or to 'Palestinian society' ( al-mujtama' al-filasṭīnī ). Whatever the differing viewpoints over the timing, causal mechanisms, and orientation of Palestinian nationalism, by

676-603: A 1948 law amended for the purpose, this purported annexation being constitutionally reaffirmed (by implication) in Basic Law: Jerusalem 1980 , but this annexation is not recognised by any other country. In 2010 of the 456,000 people in East Jerusalem, roughly 60% were Palestinians and 40% were Israelis. However, since the late 2000s, Israel's West Bank Security Barrier has effectively re-annexed tens of thousands of Palestinians bearing Israeli ID cards to

845-635: A 2015 Foreign Affairs article that "based on hundreds of manuscripts, Islamic court records, books, magazines, and newspapers from the Ottoman period (1516–1918), it seems that the first Arab to use the term "Palestinian" was Farid Georges Kassab, a Beirut-based Orthodox Christian ." He explained further that Kassab's 1909 book Palestine, Hellenism, and Clericalism noted in passing that "the Orthodox Palestinian Ottomans call themselves Arabs, and are in fact Arabs," despite describing

1014-825: A British "colony of the lowest order." The Arabs tried to get the British to offer an Arab legal establishment again roughly ten years later, but to no avail. After the British general, Louis Bols, read out the Balfour Declaration in February 1920, some 1,500 Palestinians demonstrated in the streets of Jerusalem. A month later, during the 1920 Nebi Musa riots, the protests against British rule and Jewish immigration became violent and Bols banned all demonstrations. In May 1921 however, further anti-Jewish riots broke out in Jaffa and dozens of Arabs and Jews were killed in

1183-718: A Jewish homeland. In response to the White Paper, the Zionist community in Palestine organized a strike in 1939, rallying against the restrictions on Jewish immigration and land acquisition. This anti-White Paper strike involved demonstrations, civil disobedience, and a shutdown of businesses. Supported by various Zionist organizations, including the Jewish Agency and the Histadrut (General Federation of Jewish Labor),

1352-581: A ban of the sale of land to Jews. By the end of 1936, the movement had become a national revolt, and resistance grew during 1937 and 1938. In response, the British declared martial law , dissolved the Arab High Committee and arrested officials from the Supreme Muslim Council who were behind the revolt. By 1939, 5,000 Arabs had been killed in British attempts to quash the revolt; more than 15,000 were wounded. In November 1947,

1521-640: A degree of continuity over a long historical period (much as 'the Israelites' of the Bible suggest a long historical continuity in the same region)." Baruch Kimmerling and Joel S. Migdal consider the 1834 Peasants' revolt in Palestine as constituting the first formative event of the Palestinian people. From 1516 to 1917, Palestine was ruled by the Ottoman Empire save a decade from the 1830s to

1690-486: A final status agreement with the Palestinians. The Camp David Summit in 2000 aimed to resolve the remaining issues but concluded without a comprehensive agreement, serving as a milestone in the peace process. A peace summit between Yasser Arafat and Ehud Barak was mediated by Bill Clinton in 2000. It was supposed to be the final agreement ending conflict officially forever. However the agreement failed to address

1859-623: A form of "diplomatic terrorism." In December 2015, the UN General Assembly passed a resolution demanding Palestinian sovereignty over natural resources in the occupied territories. It called on Israel to cease exploitation and damage while granting Palestinians the right to seek restitution. In 1988, the State of Palestine's declaration of independence was acknowledged by the General Assembly with Resolution 43/177 . In 2012,

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2028-483: A long history, destroyed by Israeli forces. In addition, Palestinians lost from 1.5 to 2 million acres of land, an estimated 150,000 urban and rural homes, and 23,000 commercial structures such as shops and offices. Recent estimates of the cost to Palestinians in property confiscations by Israel from 1948 onwards has concluded that Palestinians have suffered a net $ 300 billion loss in assets. Those parts of British Mandatory Palestine which did not become part of

2197-560: A number of environmental issues; issues facing the Gaza Strip include desertification ; salination of fresh water; sewage treatment ; water-borne diseases ; soil degradation ; and depletion and contamination of underground water resources. In the West Bank, many of the same issues apply; although fresh water is much more plentiful, access is restricted by the ongoing dispute . Temperatures in Palestine vary widely. The climate in

2366-830: A result of the Oslo Accords , is an interim administrative body nominally responsible for governance in Palestinian population centres in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip. Since 1978, the United Nations has observed an annual International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People . According to British historian Perry Anderson , it is estimated that half of the population in the Palestinian territories are refugees, and that they have collectively suffered approximately US$ 300 billion in property losses due to Israeli confiscations, at 2008–2009 prices. Despite various wars and exoduses , roughly one half of

2535-549: A significant loss of life and escalating tensions in the occupied territories. 1990 witnessed the imposition of strict measures by the Israeli government, including curfews and closures, in an attempt to suppress the Intifada and maintain control over the occupied territories. The 1990–1991 Gulf War brought increased attention to conflict, leading to heightened diplomatic efforts to find a peaceful resolution. Saddam Hussein

2704-622: A significant step towards self-governance. Israel acknowledged the PLO negotiating team as "representing the Palestinian people", in return for the PLO recognizing Israel's right to exist in peace, acceptance of UN Security Council resolutions 242 and 338 , and its rejection of "violence and terrorism". As a result, in 1994 the PLO established the Palestinian National Authority (PNA or PA) territorial administration, that exercises some governmental functions in parts of

2873-538: A state of its own and instead, together with Transjordan , Egypt, and the other members of the Arab League of the time, commenced military action resulting in the 1948 Arab–Israeli War . During the war, Israel gained additional territories that were designated to be part of the Arab state under the UN plan. Egypt occupied the Gaza Strip , and Transjordan occupied and then annexed the West Bank . Egypt initially supported

3042-528: A state. However, Palestinian sovereignty over the areas claimed as part of the Palestinian state remains limited, and the boundaries of the state remain a point of contestation between Palestinians and Israelis. The first Palestinian nationalist organizations emerged at the end of the World War I . Two political factions emerged. al-Muntada al-Adabi , dominated by the Nashashibi family, militated for

3211-588: A tradition that emerged in the 1960s that argues Palestinian nationalism has deep historical roots, with extreme advocates reading a Palestinian nationalist consciousness and identity back into the history of Palestine over the past few centuries, and even millennia, when such a consciousness is in fact relatively modern. The Battle of Karameh and the events of Black September in Jordan contributed to growing Palestinian support for these groups, particularly among Palestinians in exile. Concurrently, among Palestinians in

3380-504: A vital role in its geography and ecosystems. The Jordan River flows southward, forming part of Palestine's eastern border and passing through the Sea of Galilee before reaching the Dead Sea. According to Christian traditions, it is site of the baptism of Jesus . The Dead Sea , bordering the country's east is the lowest point on the earth. Jericho , located nearby, is the lowest city in

3549-535: Is Jerusalem , while Ramallah serves as its administrative center. Gaza City was its largest city prior to evacuations in 2023 . Situated at a continental crossroad , the region of Palestine was ruled by various empires and experienced various demographic changes from antiquity to the modern era. Being a bridge between Asia and Africa , it was treading ground for the Nile and Mesopotamian armies and merchants from North Africa , China and India . The region

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3718-571: Is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . This article about a Saudi Arabian political party is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . State of Palestine Palestine , officially the State of Palestine , is a country in the southern Levant region of West Asia recognized by 146 out of 193 UN member states . It encompasses the Israeli-occupied West Bank , including East Jerusalem , and

3887-533: Is a disputed issue amongst scholars. For some, the term " Palestinian " is used to refer to the nationalist concept of a Palestinian people by Palestinian Arabs from the late 19th century and in the pre-World War I period, while others assert the Palestinian identity encompasses the heritage of all eras from biblical times up to the Ottoman period . After the Israeli Declaration of Independence ,

4056-595: Is a mountainous region. It is divided in three regions, namely the Mount Nablus ( Jabal Nablus ), the Hebron Hills and Jerusalem Mountains ( Jibal al–Quds ). The Samarian Hills and Judean Hills are mountain ranges in the West Bank, with Mount Nabi Yunis at a height of 1,030 metres (3,380 ft) in Hebron Governorate as their highest peak. Until 19th century, Hebron was highest city in

4225-498: Is a wide range of views on the legal status of the State of Palestine, both among international states and legal scholars. The existence of a state of Palestine is recognized by the states that have established bilateral diplomatic relations with it. In January 2015, the International Criminal Court affirmed Palestine's "State" status after its UN observer recognition, a move condemned by Israeli leaders as

4394-504: Is also part of the axis of resistance. Even before emergence of Iranian-backed group , Iraq was a strong supporter of Palestine when it was under the Ba'athist government of Saddam Hussein . Turkey is a supporter of Hamas and Qatar has been a key-financial supporter and host Hamas leaders. India was the first non-Arab country to reject the UN partition plan and officially recognized

4563-619: Is combination of several political parties. These should be distinguished from the President of the Palestinian National Authority , Palestinian Legislative Council (PLC) and PNA Cabinet , all of which are instead associated with the Palestinian National Authority . The State of Palestine's founding document is the Palestinian Declaration of Independence, and it should be distinguished from

4732-465: Is independent of the existence of any actual Arabian origins. Palestinians are sometimes described as indigenous. In a human rights context, the word indigenous may have different definitions; the UN Commission on Human Rights uses several criteria to define this term. Palestine has undergone many demographic and religious upheavals throughout history. During the 2nd millennium BCE , it

4901-576: Is known for its religious significance. The ongoing Israeli–Palestinian conflict dates back to the rise of the Zionist movement , supported by the United Kingdom during World War I . The war saw Britain occupying Palestine from the Ottoman Empire , where it set up Mandatory Palestine under the auspices of the League of Nations . During this period, large-scale Jewish immigration allowed by

5070-591: Is under Hamas rule). East Jerusalem (comprising the small pre-1967 Jordanian eastern-sector Jerusalem municipality together with a significant area of the pre-1967 West Bank demarcated by Israel in 1967) is administered as part of the Jerusalem District of Israel but is claimed by Palestine as part of the Jerusalem Governorate . It was effectively annexed by Israel in 1967, by application of Israeli law, jurisdiction and administration under

5239-497: The 1939 White Paper by the British government aimed to address escalating tensions between Arabs and Jews in Palestine. This policy document imposed restrictions on Jewish immigration and land purchases, with the intention to limit the establishment of a Jewish state. Met with strong opposition from the Zionist movement, the White Paper was perceived as a betrayal of the Balfour Declaration and Zionist aspirations for

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5408-526: The 1948 Palestinian expulsion , and more so after the 1967 Palestinian exodus , the term "Palestinian" evolved into a sense of a shared future in the form of aspirations for a Palestinian state . Founded in 1964, the Palestine Liberation Organization is an umbrella organization for groups that represent the Palestinian people before international states. The Palestinian National Authority , officially established in 1994 as

5577-571: The Al-Quds , Al-Munadi , Falastin , Al-Karmil and Al-Nafir newspapers, which used the term "Filastini" more than 170 times in 110 articles from 1908 to 1914. They also made references to a "Palestinian society", "Palestinian nation", and a "Palestinian diaspora". Article writers included Christian and Muslim Arab Palestinians, Palestinian emigrants, and non-Palestinian Arabs. The Palestinian Arab Christian Falastin newspaper had addressed its readers as Palestinians since its inception in 1911 during

5746-671: The Arab League and the Organization of Islamic Cooperation . It has been a non-member observer state of the United Nations since 2012. The term "Palestine" (in Latin, Palæstina ) comes via ancient Greek from a Semitic toponym for the general area dating back to the late second millennium BCE., a reflex of which is also to be found in the Biblical ethnonym Philistines . The term "Palestine" has been used to refer to

5915-524: The Bronze-Age population of Canaan . Variations have been noted between Muslim and Christian Palestinians . Additionally, there are indications within Palestinian populations of maternal gene flow from Sub-Saharan Africa , possibly linked to historical migrations or the Arab slave trade . Genetic studies have also shown a genetic relationship between Palestinians and Jews . A 2023 study looking at

6084-472: The Gaza Strip , collectively known as the occupied Palestinian territories , within the broader geographic and historical Palestine region . Palestine shares most of its borders with Israel , and it borders Jordan to the east and Egypt to the southwest. It has a total land area of 6,020 square kilometres (2,320 sq mi) while its population exceeds five million people. Its proclaimed capital

6253-554: The Middle East after World War I . Khalidi also states that although the challenge posed by Zionism played a role in shaping this identity, that "it is a serious mistake to suggest that Palestinian identity emerged mainly as a response to Zionism." Conversely, historian James L. Gelvin argues that Palestinian nationalism was a direct reaction to Zionism. In his book The Israel-Palestine Conflict: One Hundred Years of War he states that "Palestinian nationalism emerged during

6422-667: The Muslim conquest of the Levant . Some Palestinian families, notably in the Hebron and Nablus regions, claim Jewish and Samaritan ancestry respectively, preserving associated cultural customs and traditions. Genetic studies indicate a genetic affinity between Palestinians and other Arab and Semitic groups in the Middle East and North Africa . Recent research suggests a genetic continuity between modern Palestinians and ancient Levantine populations, evidenced by their clustering with

6591-543: The Palestinian Authority (PA). Israel withdrew from Gaza in its unilateral disengagement in 2005, but the territory is still considered to be under military occupation and has been blockaded by Israel. In 2007, internal divisions between political factions led to a takeover of Gaza by Hamas . Since then, the West Bank has been governed in part by the Fatah -led PA, while the Gaza Strip has remained under

6760-506: The Palestinian fedayeen , sumud provided an important subtext to the narrative of the fighters, "in symbolizing continuity and connections with the land, with peasantry and a rural way of life." In 1974, the PLO was recognized as the sole legitimate representative of the Palestinian people by the Arab nation-states and was granted observer status as a national liberation movement by the United Nations that same year. Israel rejected

6929-514: The Philistines . Among Semitic languages , Akkadian Palaštu (variant Pilištu ) is used of 7th-century Philistia and its, by then, four city states. Biblical Hebrew 's cognate word Plištim , is usually translated Philistines . When the Romans conquered the region in the first century BCE, they used the name Judaea for the province that covered most of the region. At the same time,

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7098-522: The San Remo conference , it was decided to accept the text of those articles, while inserting in the minutes of the conference an undertaking by the Mandatory Power that this would not involve the surrender of any of the rights hitherto enjoyed by the non-Jewish communities in Palestine. In 1922, the British authorities over Mandatory Palestine proposed a draft constitution that would have granted

7267-655: The Six-Day War . Historian Avi Shlaim states that the Palestinians' lack of sovereignty over the land has been used by Israelis to deny Palestinians their rights to self-determination. Today, the right of the Palestinian people to self-determination has been affirmed by the United Nations General Assembly , the International Court of Justice and several Israeli authorities. A total of 133 countries recognize Palestine as

7436-513: The United Nations General Assembly adopted the Partition Plan , which divided the mandate of Palestine into two states: one majority Arab and one majority Jewish. The Palestinian Arabs rejected the plan and attacked Jewish civilian areas and paramilitary targets. Following Israel's declaration of independence in May 1948, five Arab armies (Lebanon, Egypt, Syria, Iraq, and Transjordan) came to

7605-450: The United Nations General Assembly passed Resolution 67/19 , granting Palestine " non-member observer state " status, effectively recognizing it as a sovereign state . Palestinians Palestinians ( Arabic : الفلسطينيون , romanized :  al-Filasṭīniyyūn ) are an Arab ethnonational group native to the region of Palestine . In 1919, Palestinian Muslims and Palestinian Christians constituted 90 percent of

7774-761: The West Bank and the Gaza Strip. As envisioned in the Oslo Accords, Israel allowed the PLO to establish interim administrative institutions in the Palestinian territories, which came in the form of the PNA. It was given civilian control in Area B and civilian and security control in Area A, and remained without involvement in Area C . The peace process gained opposition from both Palestinians and Israelis. Islamist militant organizations such as Hamas and Islamic Jihad opposed

7943-513: The boundaries it had during the British Mandate, is an indivisible territorial unit." Historical records and later genetic studies indicate that the Palestinian people descend mostly from Ancient Levantines extending back to Bronze Age inhabitants of Levant. According to Palestinian historian Nazmi Al-Ju'beh like in other Arab nations, the Arab identity of Palestinians, largely based on linguistic and cultural affiliation,

8112-521: The control of Hamas . Israel has constructed large settlements in the occupied West Bank and East Jerusalem since 1967, where currently more than 670,000 Israeli settlers , which are illegal under international law . Currently, the biggest challenges to the country include ineffective government, Israeli occupation, Islamist factions, a blockade , restrictions on movement , Israeli settlements and settler violence , as well as an overall poor security situation. The questions of Palestine's borders ,

8281-435: The legal and diplomatic status of Jerusalem , and the right of return of Palestinian refugees remain unsolved. Despite these challenges, the country maintains an emerging economy and sees frequent tourism . Arabic is the official language of the country. While the majority of Palestinians practice Islam , Christianity also has a presence . Palestine is also a member of several international organizations , including

8450-410: The ongoing war , support for the country have increased. Since Israel's invasion of Gaza , many countries in support of Palestinians have officially recognized the country. This includes Armenia , Spain , Norway , The Bahamas , Jamaica , Barbados and Trinidad and Tobago . The Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) declared the establishment of the State of Palestine on 15 November 1988. There

8619-419: The pan-Arabist ideology put forward by Gamal Abdel Nasser —popular among Palestinians for whom Arabism was already an important component of their identity —tended to obscure the identities of the separate Arab states it subsumed. Since 1967, Palestinians in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip have lived under military occupation, creating, according to Avram Bornstein, a carceralization of their society . In

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8788-515: The peasants' revolt in Palestine in 1834 (or even as early as the 17th century), while others argue that it did not emerge until after the Mandatory Palestine period. Legal historian Assaf Likhovski states that the prevailing view is that Palestinian identity originated in the early decades of the 20th century, when an embryonic desire among Palestinians for self-government in the face of generalized fears that Zionism would lead to

8957-496: The whole genomes of world populations found that the Palestinian samples clustered in the "Middle Eastern genomic group", which included samples such as Samaritan , Bedouin , Jordanian , Iraqi Jew and Yemenite Jew samples. The timing and causes behind the emergence of a distinctively Palestinian national identity among the Arabs of Palestine are matters of scholarly disagreement. Some argue that it can be traced as far back as

9126-492: The "Syrians of Palestine" or "Palestinian-Syrians", an ethnically amorphous group he distinguishes from the Phoenicians. Herodotus makes no distinction between the inhabitants of Palestine. The Greek word reflects an ancient Eastern Mediterranean-Near Eastern word which was used either as a toponym or ethnonym . In Ancient Egyptian Peleset/Purusati has been conjectured to refer to the " Sea Peoples ", particularly

9295-473: The 1840s when an Egyptian vassal of the Ottomans, Muhammad Ali , and his son Ibrahim Pasha successfully broke away from Ottoman leadership and, conquering territory spreading from Egypt to as far north as Damascus, asserted their own rule over the area. The so-called Peasants' Revolt by Palestine's Arabs was precipitated by heavy demands for conscripts. The local leaders and urban notables were unhappy about

9464-716: The 1950s, a new generation of Palestinian nationalist groups and movements began to organize clandestinely, stepping out onto the public stage in the 1960s. The traditional Palestinian elite who had dominated negotiations with the British and the Zionists in the Mandate, and who were largely held responsible for the loss of Palestine, were replaced by these new movements whose recruits generally came from poor to middle-class backgrounds and were often students or recent graduates of universities in Cairo , Beirut and Damascus. The potency of

9633-439: The 1988 Declaration of Independence, the UN General Assembly officially acknowledged the proclamation and decided to use the designation "Palestine" instead of "Palestine Liberation Organization" in the UN. In spite of this decision, the PLO did not participate at the UN in its capacity of the State of Palestine's government. Violent clashes between Palestinian protesters and Israeli forces intensified throughout 1989, resulting in

9802-403: The Arabic speakers of Palestine as Palestinians throughout the rest of the book." Bernard Lewis argues it was not as a Palestinian nation that the Arabs of Ottoman Palestine objected to Zionists, since the very concept of such a nation was unknown to the Arabs of the area at the time and did not come into being until very much later. Even the concept of Arab nationalism in the Arab provinces of

9971-445: The Arabic-speaking Muslims of Palestine but also the Arab Christians and other religious communities of Palestine who were at that time Arabic-speakers, such as the Samaritans and Druze . Thus, the Jews of Palestine were/are also included, although limited only to "the [Arabic-speaking] Jews who had normally resided in Palestine until the beginning of the [pre-state] Zionist invasion." The Charter also states that "Palestine with

10140-523: The Arabs of Palestine." Israeli historian Efraim Karsh takes the view that the Palestinian identity did not develop until after the 1967 war because the Palestinian exodus/expulsion had fractured society so greatly that it was impossible to piece together a national identity. Between 1948 and 1967, the Jordanians and other Arab countries hosting Arab refugees from Palestine/Israel silenced any expression of Palestinian identity and occupied their lands until Israel's conquests of 1967. The formal annexation of

10309-477: The British authorities led to increased tensions and violence with the local Palestinian Arab population. In 1947, Britain handed the issue to the United Nations, which proposed a partition plan , for two independent Arab and Jewish states and an independent entity for Jerusalem , but a civil war broke out, and the plan was not implemented. The 1948 Palestine war saw the forcible displacement of most of its predominantly Arab population, and consequently

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10478-465: The British, and Izz ad-Din al-Qassam . After the killing of sheikh Izz ad-Din al-Qassam by the British in 1935, his followers initiated the 1936–39 Arab revolt in Palestine , which began with a general strike in Jaffa and attacks on Jewish and British installations in Nablus . The Arab Higher Committee called for a nationwide general strike, non-payment of taxes, and the closure of municipal governments, and demanded an end to Jewish immigration and

10647-404: The Gaza Strip (it already had majority in the PLC), and Fatah took control of the West Bank. From 2007, the Gaza Strip was governed by Hamas, and the West Bank by the Fatah party led Palestinian Authority. International efforts to revive the peace process continued. The United States, under the leadership of different administrations, made various attempts to broker negotiations between Israel and

10816-454: The Gaza Strip and the West Bank against Israeli occupation. In November 1988, the PLO legislature, while in exile, declared the establishment of the "State of Palestine" . In the month following, it was quickly recognized by many states, including Egypt and Jordan. In the Palestinian Declaration of Independence, the State of Palestine is described as being established on the "Palestinian territory", without explicitly specifying further. After

10985-407: The Gaza Strip by destroying its settlements over there. By 2005, the situation began de-escalating. In 2006, Hamas won in Palestinian legislative elections. This led a political standoff with Fatah. Armed clashes took place across both the West Bank and the Gaza Strip. The clashes turned into a civil war, which ended in a bloody clashes on the Gaza Strip. As a result, Hamas gained control over all

11154-468: The Gaza Strip with the exception of its borders, airspace, and territorial waters . The division between the West Bank and Gaza complicated efforts to achieve Palestinian unity and negotiate a comprehensive peace agreement with Israel . Multiple rounds of reconciliation talks were held, but no lasting agreement was reached. The division also hindered the establishment of a unified Palestinian state and led to different governance structures and policies in

11323-497: The Gaza Strip, over 870,000 in the West Bank, and around 250,000 in Israel proper. Of the Palestinian population who live abroad, known as the Palestinian diaspora , more than half are stateless , lacking legal citizenship in any country. 2.3 million of the diaspora population are registered as refugees in neighboring Jordan , most of whom hold Jordanian citizenship; over 1 million live between Syria and Lebanon , and about 750,000 live in Saudi Arabia , with Chile holding

11492-408: The Gaza Strip, with a simultaneous spillover of the war occurring in the West Bank . Areas claimed by the country, known as the Palestinian territories , lie in the Southern Levant of the Middle East region. Palestine is part of the Fertile Crescent , along with Israel, Jordan, Lebanon, Iraq and Syria. The Gaza Strip borders the Mediterranean Sea to the west, Egypt to the south, and Israel to

11661-440: The Gaza Strip. In July 1988, Jordan ceded its claims to the West Bank —with the exception of guardianship over Haram al-Sharif—to the PLO. After Israel captured and occupied the West Bank from Jordan and Gaza Strip from Egypt, it began to establish Israeli settlements there. Administration of the Arab population of these territories was performed by the Israeli Civil Administration of the Coordinator of Government Activities in

11830-449: The Holocaust. In 1946, a bombing orchestrated by the Irgun at the King David Hotel in Jerusalem resulted in the deaths of 91 people, including British officials, civilians, and hotel staff. Menachem Begin and Yitzhak Shamir , who later became political leaders in the state of Israel, were behind these terrorist attacks. The Exodus 1947 incident unfolded when a ship carrying Jewish Holocaust survivors, who sought refuge in Palestine,

11999-474: The Israeli troops from the church. Between 2003 and 2004, people from Qawasameh tribe in Hebron were either killed or blew themselves in suicide bombing. Ariel Sharon ordered construction of barriers across Palestinian-controlled areas and Israeli settlements in the West Bank to prevent future attacks. Saddam Hussein provided financial support to Palestinian militants from Iraq during the intifada period, from 2000 until his overthrow in 2003. A peace proposal

12168-601: The Israeli-Palestinian conflict, have reshaped regional dynamics and raised questions about the future of Palestinian aspirations for statehood. The status quo remains challenging for Palestinians, with ongoing issues of occupation, settlement expansion, restricted movement, and economic hardships. The most recent outbreak of violence in the region is the Israel-Hamas war (2023–present), involving fighting between Israel and Hamas-led Palestinian forces in

12337-812: The Jewish population in Jerusalem and its surroundings in Judea , and Samaritan population in Samaria , never fully recovered as a result of the Jewish-Roman Wars and Samaritan revolts respectively. In the centuries that followed, the region experienced political and economic unrest , mass conversions to Christianity (and subsequent Christianization of the Roman Empire ), and the religious persecution of minorities. The immigration of Christians,

12506-421: The Mandatory Power considered the Palestinian population to be composed of religious, not national, groups. Consequently, government censuses in 1922 and 1931 would categorize Palestinians confessionally as Muslims, Christians and Jews, with the category of Arab absent. The articles of the Mandate mentioned the civil and religious rights of the non-Jewish communities in Palestine, but not their political status. At

12675-668: The Middle East. While Jerusalem is located on a plateau in the central highlands and is surrounded by valleys. The territory consists of fertile valleys, such as the Jezreel Valley and the Jordan River Valley . Palestine is home to world's largest olive tree, located in Jerusalem. Around 45% of Palestine's land is dedicated to growing olive trees. Palestine features significant lakes and rivers that play

12844-552: The Oslo II Accord . Area A forms 18% of the West Bank by area, and is administered by the Palestinian government. Area B forms 22% of the West Bank, and is under Palestinian civil control, and joint Israeli-Palestinian security control. Area C , except East Jerusalem, forms 60% of the West Bank, and is administered by the Israeli Civil Administration , however, the Palestinian government provides

13013-599: The Oslo Years brought a great prosperity to the government-controlled areas, despite some economic issues. The Palestinian Authority built the country's second airport in Gaza, after the Jerusalem International Airport . Inaugural ceremony of the airport was attended by Bill Clinton and Nelson Mandela . In 1999, Ehud Barak assumed the position of Israeli Prime Minister, renewing efforts to reach

13182-526: The Ottoman Empire as part of a 'sacred trust of civilization'. Article 7 of the League of Nations Mandate required the establishment of a new, separate, Palestinian nationality for the inhabitants. This meant that Palestinians did not become British citizens, and that Palestine was not annexed into the British dominions. The Mandate document divided the population into Jewish and non-Jewish, and Britain,

13351-458: The Ottoman Empire, "had not reached significant proportions before the outbreak of World War I." Tamir Sorek, a sociologist , submits that, "Although a distinct Palestinian identity can be traced back at least to the middle of the nineteenth century (Kimmerling and Migdal 1993; Khalidi 1997b), or even to the seventeenth century (Gerber 1998), it was not until after World War I that a broad range of optional political affiliations became relevant for

13520-722: The Ottoman period. During the Mandatory Palestine period, the term "Palestinian" was used to refer to all people residing there, regardless of religion or ethnicity , and those granted citizenship by the British Mandatory authorities were granted "Palestinian citizenship". Other examples include the use of the term Palestine Regiment to refer to the Jewish Infantry Brigade Group of the British Army during World War II, and

13689-629: The Ottomans, they also played a significant role proportionately in the rise of Arab nationalism , and the Pan-Arabic movements that arose in response to both the emergence of the Young Turks movement and the subsequent weakening of Ottoman power in World War 1. The onset of the Zionist movement , which sought to establish a Jewish homeland in Palestine, also exercised a strong influence on Palestinian national consciousness. Abdul Hamid ,

13858-584: The PLO as the "sole legitimate representative of the Palestinian people" and reaffirmed "their right to establish an independent state of urgency." In November 1974, the PLO was recognized as competent on all matters concerning the question of Palestine by the UN General Assembly granting them observer status as a "non-state entity" at the UN. Through the Camp David Accords of 1979, Egypt signaled an end to any claim of its own over

14027-591: The PLO as the representative of the Palestinian people. The PLO's executive committee acts as the government, empowered by the PNC. It is full-time member of the Arab League , the Organization of Islamic Cooperation and the Union for the Mediterranean . Sweden took a significant step in 2013 by upgrading the status of the Palestinian representative office to a full embassy. They became the first EU member state outside

14196-474: The PLO's Palestinian National Council in July 1968, defined "Palestinians" as "those Arab nationals who, until 1947, normally resided in Palestine regardless of whether they were evicted from it or stayed there. Anyone born, after that date, of a Palestinian father – whether in Palestine or outside it – is also a Palestinian." Note that "Arab nationals" is not religious-specific, and it includes not only

14365-536: The Palestinian Arabs representation in a Legislative Council on condition that they accept the terms of the mandate. The Palestine Arab delegation rejected the proposal as "wholly unsatisfactory", noting that "the People of Palestine" could not accept the inclusion of the Balfour Declaration in the constitution's preamble as the basis for discussions. They further took issue with the designation of Palestine as

14534-486: The Palestinian Arabs' aid against the newly founded State of Israel . The Palestinian Arabs suffered such a major defeat at the end of the war, that the term they use to describe the war is Nakba (the "catastrophe"). Israel took control of much of the territory that would have been allocated to the Arab state had the Palestinian Arabs accepted the UN partition plan. Along with a military defeat, hundreds of thousands of Palestinians fled or were expelled from what became

14703-547: The Palestinian Authority. Foreign relations are maintained in the framework of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs . The Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) represents the State of Palestine and maintains embassies in countries that recognize it. It also participates in international organizations as a member, associate, or observer. In some cases, due to conflicting sources, it is difficult to determine if

14872-578: The Palestinian government signed the Hebron Protocol , which outlined the redeployment of Israeli forces from parts of Hebron in the West Bank, granting the government greater control over the city. Israel and the Palestinian government signed the Wye River Memorandum in 1998, aiming to advance the implementation of the Oslo Accords. The agreement included provisions for Israeli withdrawals and security cooperation. The period of

15041-918: The Palestinian refugee issues, status of Jerusalem and Israeli security concerns. Both sides blamed each other for the summit failures. This became of the main triggers for the uprising that would happen next. In September 2000, then opposition leader from the Likud Party – Ariel Sharon made a proactive visit to the Temple Mount and delivered a controversial speech, which angered Palestinian Jerusalemites . The tensions escalated into riots. Bloody clashes took place around Jerusalem. Escalating violence resulted closure of Jerusalem Airport , which haven't operated till date. More and more riots between Jews and Arabs took place in October 2000 in Israel. In

15210-477: The Palestinians. However, significant obstacles such as settlement expansion, the status of Jerusalem, borders , and the right of return for Palestinian refugees , remained unresolved. In recent years, diplomatic initiatives have emerged, including the normalization agreements between Israel and several Arab states , known as the Abraham Accords . These agreements, while not directly addressing

15379-678: The Roman and Byzantine periods to about 300,000 by the early Ottoman period. Over time, the existing population adopted Arab culture and language and much converted to Islam . The settlement of Arabs before and after the Muslim conquest is thought to have played a role in accelerating the Islamization process. Some scholars suggest that by the arrival of the Crusaders , Palestine was already overwhelmingly Muslim, while others claim that it

15548-470: The State of Israel. Israel did not allow the Palestinian refugees of the war to return to Israel. After the war, there was a hiatus in Palestinian political activity. Khalidi attributes this to the traumatic events of 1947–49, which included the depopulation of over 400 towns and villages and the creation of hundreds of thousands of refugees. 418 villages had been razed, 46,367 buildings, 123 schools, 1,233 mosques, 8 churches and 68 holy shrines, many with

15717-644: The State of Israel." In 1975, the United Nations established a subsidiary organ, the Committee on the Exercise of the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People , to recommend a program of implementation to enable the Palestinian people to exercise national independence and their rights to self-determination without external interference, national independence and sovereignty, and to return to their homes and property. The First Intifada (1987–93)

15886-756: The Territories and by local municipal councils present since before the Israeli takeover. In 1980, Israel decided to freeze elections for these councils and to establish instead Village Leagues, whose officials were under Israeli influence. Later this model became ineffective for both Israel and the Palestinians, and the Village Leagues began to break up, with the last being the Hebron League, dissolved in February 1988. The first Intifada broke out in 1987, characterized by widespread protests, strikes, and acts of civil disobedience by Palestinians in

16055-520: The UN adopted a partition plan for a two-state solution in the remaining territory of the mandate. The plan was accepted by the Jewish leadership but rejected by the Arab leaders, and Britain refused to implement the plan. On the eve of final British withdrawal, the Jewish Agency for Israel , headed by David Ben-Gurion , declared the establishment of the State of Israel according to the proposed UN plan. The Arab Higher Committee did not declare

16224-605: The United Arab Emirates deteriorated, when it signed normalization agreement with Israel . During the Sri Lankan Civil War , the PLO provided training for Tamil rebels to fight against the Sri Lankan government . The Republic of Ireland , Venezuela and South Africa are political allies of Palestine and have strongly advocated for establishment of independent Palestine. As a result of

16393-486: The West Bank and Gaza Strip, a new ideological theme, known as sumud , represented the Palestinian political strategy popularly adopted from 1967 onward. As a concept closely related to the land, agriculture and indigenousness , the ideal image of the Palestinian put forward at this time was that of the peasant (in Arabic, fellah ) who stayed put on his land, refusing to leave. A strategy more passive than that adopted by

16562-450: The West Bank by Jordan in 1950, and the subsequent granting of its Palestinian residents Jordanian citizenship, further stunted the growth of a Palestinian national identity by integrating them into Jordanian society. The idea of a unique Palestinian state distinct from its Arab neighbors was at first rejected by Palestinian representatives. The First Congress of Muslim-Christian Associations (in Jerusalem , February 1919), which met for

16731-462: The West Bank is mostly Mediterranean , slightly cooler at elevated areas compared with the shoreline, west to the area. In the east, the West Bank includes much of the Judean Desert including the western shoreline of the Dead Sea, characterised by dry and hot climate. Gaza has a hot semi-arid climate ( Köppen : BSh) with mild winters and dry hot summers. Spring arrives around March–April and

16900-505: The West Bank that are considered to have ecological and cultural significance and are being managed with conservation efforts. These areas are often referred to as nature reserves or protected zones. Located near Jericho in the West Bank, Wadi Qelt is a desert valley with unique flora and fauna. The reserve is known for its rugged landscapes, natural springs, and historical sites such as the St. George Monastery . Efforts have been made to protect

17069-429: The West Bank, leaving East Jerusalem within the barrier with a small Israeli majority (60%). Under Oslo Accords, Jerusalem was proposed to be included in future negotiations and according to Israel, Oslo Accords prohibits the Palestinian Authority to operates in Jerusalem. However, certain parts of Jerusalem, those neighborhoods which are located outside the historic Old City but are part of East Jerusalem, were allotted to

17238-744: The Western Wall in Jerusalem. The 1930s witnessed the outbreak of the Arab Revolt , as Arab nationalists demanded an end to Jewish immigration and the establishment of an independent Arab state. In response to the Arab Revolt, the British deployed military forces and implemented stringent security measures in an effort to quell the uprising. Arab nationalist groups, led by the Arab Higher Committee , called for an end to Jewish immigration and land sales to Jews. The issuance of

17407-677: The anti-White Paper strike aimed to protest and challenge the limitations imposed by the British government. In the late 1930s and 1940s, several Zionist militant groups, including the Irgun , Hagana , and Lehi , carried out acts of violence against British military and civilian targets in their pursuit of an independent Jewish state. While the Grand Mufti of Jerusalem, Haj Amin al-Husseini , collaborated with Nazi Germany during World War II, not all Muslims supported his actions, and there were instances where Muslims helped rescue Jews during

17576-503: The area at the southeast corner of the Mediterranean Sea beside Syria . In the 5th century BCE., in his work The Histories Herodotus used the term to describe a "district of Syria, called Palaistine" in which Phoenicians interacted with other maritime peoples. This article uses the terms "Palestine", "State of Palestine", "occupied Palestinian territory (oPt or OPT)" interchangeably depending on context. Specifically,

17745-586: The attack and responded by conducting attacks on civilians across Israel. In 1994, Baruch Goldstein , an Israeli extremist shot 29 people to death in Hebron, known as the Cave of the Patriarchs massacre . These events led an increase in Palestinian opposition to the peace process. Tragically, in 1995, Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin was assassinated by Yigal Amir – an extremist, causing political instability in

17914-521: The biodiversity and natural beauty of the area. The Judaean Desert is popular for "Judaean Camels". Qalqilya Zoo in Qalqilya Governorate , is the only zoo currently active in the country. Gaza Zoo was closed due to poor conditions. Israeli government have built various national parks in the Area C, which is also considered illegal under international law. Palestine operates a semi-presidential system of government. The country consists of

18083-593: The confrontations. After the 1920 Nebi Musa riots , the San Remo conference and the failure of Faisal to establish the Kingdom of Greater Syria , a distinctive form of Palestinian Arab nationalism took root between April and July 1920. With the fall of the Ottoman Empire and the French conquest of Syria , coupled with the British conquest and administration of Palestine, the formerly pan-Syrianist mayor of Jerusalem , Musa Qasim Pasha al-Husayni , said "Now, after

18252-488: The creation of an All-Palestine Government but disbanded it in 1959. Transjordan never recognized it and instead decided to incorporate the West Bank with its own territory to form Jordan . The annexation was ratified in 1950 but was rejected by the international community. In 1964, when the West Bank was controlled by Jordan, the Palestine Liberation Organization was established there with

18421-457: The distinctiveness of Palestinian history ..." and "[a]lthough proud of their Arab heritage and ancestry, the Palestinians considered themselves to be descended not only from Arab conquerors of the seventh century but also from indigenous peoples who had lived in the country since time immemorial, including the ancient Hebrews and the Canaanites before them." Zachary J. Foster argued in

18590-432: The early 20th century strong opposition to Zionism and evidence of a burgeoning nationalistic Palestinian identity is found in the content of Arabic-language newspapers in Palestine, such as Al-Karmil (est. 1908) and Filasteen (est. 1911). Filasteen initially focused its critique of Zionism around the failure of the Ottoman administration to control Jewish immigration and the large influx of foreigners, later exploring

18759-630: The education and medical services to the 150,000 Palestinians in the area, an arrangement agreed upon in the Oslo II accord by Israeli and Palestinian leadership. More than 99% of Area C is off limits to Palestinians, due to security concerns and is a point of ongoing negotiation. There are about 330,000 Israelis living in settlements in Area C. Although Area C is under martial law , Israelis living there are entitled to full civic rights . Palestinian enclaves currently under Palestinian administration in red ( Areas A and B ; not including Gaza Strip, which

18928-444: The efforts of some extreme advocates of Palestinian nationalism to "anachronistically" read back into history a nationalist consciousness that is in fact "relatively modern". Khalidi argues that the modern national identity of Palestinians has its roots in nationalist discourses that emerged among the peoples of the Ottoman empire in the late 19th century that sharpened following the demarcation of modern nation-state boundaries in

19097-704: The emigration of Jews, and the conversion of pagans, Jews and Samaritans, contributed to a Christian majority forming in Late Roman and Byzantine Palestine . In the 7th century, the Arab Rashiduns conquered the Levant ; they were later succeeded by other Arab Muslim dynasties, including the Umayyads , Abbasids and the Fatimids . Over the following several centuries, the population of Palestine drastically decreased, from an estimated 1 million during

19266-652: The end of Ottoman rule in the city. By 1920, tensions escalated between Jewish and Arab communities, resulting in violent clashes and riots across Palestine. The League of Nations approved the British Mandate for Palestine in 1922, entrusting Britain with the administration of the region. Throughout the 1920s, Palestine experienced growing resistance from both Jewish and Arab nationalist movements, which manifested in sporadic violence and protests against British policies. In 1929, violent riots erupted in Palestine due to disputes over Jewish immigration and access to

19435-525: The establishment of Israel, in what Palestinians call the Nakba . In the Six-Day War in 1967, Israel occupied the West Bank and the Gaza Strip , which had been held by Jordan and Egypt respectively. The Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) declared independence in 1988. In 1993, the PLO signed the Oslo peace accords with Israel, creating limited PLO governance in the West Bank and Gaza Strip through

19604-679: The first Israeli–Palestinian interim peace agreement, were signed in 1993. The process was envisioned to last five years, ending in June 1999, when the withdrawal of Israeli forces from the Gaza Strip and the Jericho area began. The expiration of this term without the recognition by Israel of the Palestinian State and without the effective termination of the occupation was followed by the Second Intifada in 2000. The second intifada

19773-569: The following years, especially under the nationalistic orientation of the leadership of Yasser Arafat . Mainstream secular Palestinian nationalism was grouped together under the umbrella of the PLO whose constituent organizations include Fatah and the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine , among other groups who at that time believed that political violence was the only way to "liberate" Palestine. These groups gave voice to

19942-745: The former communist bloc to officially recognize the state of Palestine. Members of the Arab League and member of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation have strongly supported the country's position in its conflict with Israel . Iran have been strongest ally of Palestine since the Islamic revolution and provide military support to Palestinian fedayeen and militant groups including Hamas through its Axis of Resistance , which includes military coalition of governments and rebels from Iraq , Syria , Lebanon and Yemen . Hamas

20111-557: The goal to confront Israel. The Palestinian National Charter of the PLO defines the boundaries of Palestine as the whole remaining territory of the mandate, including Israel. The Six-Day War in 1967, when Israel fought against Egypt, Jordan, and Syria, ended with Israel occupying the West Bank and the Gaza Strip, besides other territories. Following the Six-Day War, the PLO moved to Jordan, but later relocated to Lebanon in 1971. The October 1974 Arab League summit designated

20280-537: The government. Jerusalem including Haram ash-Sharif , is claimed as capital by Palestine, which has been under occupation by Israel . Currently the temporary administration center is in Ramallah , which is 10 km from Jerusalem. Muqata hosts state ministries and representative office. In 2000, a government building was built in Jerusalem suburb of Abu Dis , to house office of Yasser Arafat and Palestinian parliament. Since second intifada , condition of

20449-520: The history of Palestine  – encompassing the Biblical , Roman , Byzantine , Umayyad , Abbasid , Fatimid , Crusader , Ayyubid , Mamluk and Ottoman periods – form part of the identity of the modern-day Palestinian people, as they have come to understand it over the last century. Noting that Palestinian identity has never been an exclusive one, with "Arabism, religion, and local loyalties" playing an important role, Khalidi cautions against

20618-429: The hottest months are July and August, with the average high being 33 °C (91 °F). The coldest month is January with temperatures usually at 7 °C (45 °F). Rain is scarce and generally falls between November and March, with annual precipitation rates approximately at 4.57 inches (116 mm). Palestine does not have officially recognized national parks or protected areas. However, there are areas within

20787-415: The impact of Zionist land-purchases on Palestinian peasants ( Arabic : فلاحين , fellahin ), expressing growing concern over land dispossession and its implications for the society at large. Historian Rashid Khalidi 's 1997 book Palestinian Identity: The Construction of Modern National Consciousness is considered a "foundational text" on the subject. He notes that the archaeological strata that denote

20956-598: The institutions that are associated with the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO), which includes President of the State of Palestine  – appointed by the Palestinian Central Council , Palestinian National Council  – the legislature that established the State of Palestine and Executive Committee of the Palestine Liberation Organization  – performs the functions of a government in exile, maintaining an extensive foreign-relations network. The Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO)

21125-445: The interwar period in response to Zionist immigration and settlement." Gelvin argues that this fact does not make the Palestinian identity any less legitimate: "The fact that Palestinian nationalism developed later than Zionism and indeed in response to it does not in any way diminish the legitimacy of Palestinian nationalism or make it less valid than Zionism. All nationalisms arise in opposition to some 'other.' Why else would there be

21294-518: The land as punishment for the Bar Kokhba revolt . Jacobson suggested the change to be rationalized by the fact that the new province was far larger. The name was thenceforth inscribed on coins, and beginning in the fifth century, mentioned in rabbinic texts . The Arabic word Filastin has been used to refer to the region since the time of the earliest medieval Arab geographers . It appears to have been used as an Arabic adjectival noun in

21463-451: The land in which the Palestinians have lived during the modern era. Palestine was administered by the Ottoman Empire until World War I, and then overseen by the British Mandatory authorities. Israel was established in parts of Palestine in 1948, and in the wake of the 1948 Arab–Israeli War , the West Bank was ruled by Jordan , and the Gaza Strip by Egypt , with both countries continuing to administer these areas until Israel occupied them in

21632-494: The largest Palestinian diaspora concentration (around half a million) outside of the Arab world . The Greek toponym Palaistínē (Παλαιστίνη), which is the origin of the Arabic Filasṭīn (فلسطين), first occurs in the work of the 5th century BCE Greek historian Herodotus , where it denotes generally the coastal land from Phoenicia down to Egypt . Herodotus also employs the term as an ethnonym , as when he speaks of

21801-402: The last sultan of the Ottoman Empire, opposed the Zionist movement's efforts in Palestine. The end of the Ottoman Empire's rule in Palestine coincided with the conclusion of World War I . The failure of Emir Faisal to establish a Greater Syria in the face of French and British colonial claims to the area, also shaped Palestinian elites' efforts to secure local autonomy. In the aftermath of

21970-568: The loss of traditional privileges, while the peasants were well aware that conscription was little more than a death sentence. Starting in May 1834 the rebels took many cities, among them Jerusalem , Hebron and Nablus and Ibrahim Pasha's army was deployed, defeating the last rebels on 4 August in Hebron. Benny Morris argues that the Arabs in Palestine nevertheless remained part of a larger national pan-Arab or, alternatively, pan-Islamist movement. Walid Khalidi argues otherwise, writing that Palestinians in Ottoman times were "[a]cutely aware of

22139-486: The meantime, pan-Arabism has waned as an aspect of Palestinian identity. The Israeli occupation of the Gaza Strip and West Bank triggered a second Palestinian exodus and fractured Palestinian political and militant groups, prompting them to give up residual hopes in pan-Arabism. They rallied increasingly around the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO), which had been formed in Cairo in 1964. The group grew in popularity in

22308-513: The name Syria Palestina continued to be used by historians and geographers to refer to the area between the Mediterranean Sea and the Jordan River , as in the writings of Philo , Josephus and Pliny the Elder . During the early 2nd century CE, Syria Palaestina became the official administrative name in a move viewed by scholars as an attempt by emperor Hadrian to disassociate Jews from

22477-417: The need to specify who you are? And all nationalisms are defined by what they oppose." David Seddon writes that "[t]he creation of Palestinian identity in its contemporary sense was formed essentially during the 1960s, with the creation of the Palestine Liberation Organization." He adds, however, that "the existence of a population with a recognizably similar name ('the Philistines') in Biblical times suggests

22646-470: The newly declared Israeli state were occupied by Egypt or annexed by Jordan. At the Jericho Conference on 1 December 1948, 2,000 Palestinian delegates supported a resolution calling for "the unification of Palestine and Transjordan as a step toward full Arab unity". During what Khalidi terms the "lost years" that followed, Palestinians lacked a center of gravity, divided as they were between these countries and others such as Syria, Lebanon, and elsewhere. In

22815-441: The north and east. The West Bank is bordered by Jordan to the east, and Israel to the north, south, and west. Palestine shares its maritime borders with Israel , Egypt and Cyprus . Thus, the two enclaves constituting the area claimed by the State of Palestine have no geographical border with one another, being separated by Israel. These areas would constitute the world's 163rd largest country by land area . The West Bank

22984-419: The participation is on behalf of the State of Palestine, the PLO as a non-state entity, or the Palestinian National Authority (PNA). The Vatican shifted recognition to the State of Palestine in May 2015, following the 2012 UN vote. This change aligned with the Holy See's evolving position. Currently, 146 UN member states (75%) recognize the State of Palestine. Though some do not recognize it, they acknowledge

23153-403: The population of Palestine, just before the third wave of Jewish immigration and the setting up of British Mandatory Palestine after World War I . Opposition to Jewish immigration spurred the consolidation of a unified national identity , though Palestinian society was still fragmented by regional, class, religious, and family differences. The history of the Palestinian national identity

23322-401: The promotion of the Arabic language and culture, for the defense of Islamic values and for an independent Syria and Palestine. In Damascus , al-Nadi al-Arabi , dominated by the Husayni family, defended the same values. Article 22 of The Covenant of the League of Nations conferred an international legal status upon the territories and people which had ceased to be under the sovereignty of

23491-408: The purpose of selecting a Palestinian Arab representative for the Paris Peace Conference , adopted the following resolution: "We consider Palestine as part of Arab Syria, as it has never been separated from it at any time. We are connected with it by national, religious, linguistic , natural, economic and geographical bonds." An independent Palestinian state has not exercised full sovereignty over

23660-439: The recent events in Damascus , we have to effect a complete change in our plans here. Southern Syria no longer exists. We must defend Palestine". Conflict between Palestinian nationalists and various types of pan-Arabists continued during the British Mandate, but the latter became increasingly marginalized. Two prominent leaders of the Palestinian nationalists were Mohammad Amin al-Husayni , Grand Mufti of Jerusalem, appointed by

23829-402: The region in the 8th century BCE, then the Babylonians in c. 601 BCE, followed by the Persians who conquered the Babylonian Empire in 539 BCE. Alexander the Great conquered the Persian Empire in the late 330s BCE, beginning Hellenization . Though Palestinian elites, in particular urban notable families who worked within the Ottoman bureaucracy, generally retained their loyalty to

23998-442: The region since as early as the 7th century. In modern times, the first person to self-describe Palestine's Arabs as "Palestinians" was Khalil Beidas in 1898, followed by Salim Quba'in and Najib Nassar in 1902. After the 1908 Young Turk Revolution , which eased press censorship laws in the Ottoman Empire, dozens of newspapers and periodicals were founded in Palestine, and the term "Palestinian" expanded in usage. Among those were

24167-559: The region. The first-ever Palestinian general elections took place in 1996, resulting in Arafat's re-election as president and the formation of a Palestinian Legislative Council . Initiating the implementation of the Oslo Accords, Israel began redeploying its forces from select Palestinian cities in the West Bank in 1997. Negotiations between Israel and the Palestinian Authority continued, albeit with slow progress and contentious debates on Jerusalem, settlements, and refugees in 1998. In 1997, Israeli government led by Benjamin Netanyahu and

24336-415: The resolution, calling it "shameful". In a speech to the Knesset , Deputy Premier and Foreign Minister Yigal Allon outlined the government's view that: "No one can expect us to recognize the terrorist organization called the PLO as representing the Palestinians—because it does not. No one can expect us to negotiate with the heads of terror-gangs, who through their ideology and actions, endeavor to liquidate

24505-422: The same month, two Israeli soldiers were lynched and killed in Ramallah . Between November and December clashes between Palestinians and Israelis increased further. In 2001 Taba summit was held between Israel and Palestine. But the summit failed to implement and Ariel Sharon became prime minister in the 2001 elections. By 2001, attacks from Palestinian militant groups towards Israel increased. Gaza Airport

24674-408: The statehood declaration. Once a strong ally of Palestine , India have strengthen its ties with Israel since 1991. However India still supports the legitimacy of Palestine's issue. Muammar Gaddafi of Libya was a supporter of Palestinian independence and was sought as a mediator in the Arab–Israeli conflict, when he presented a one-state peace offer titled Isratin in 2000. Relations with

24843-857: The term "Palestinian Talmud", which is an alternative name of the Jerusalem Talmud , used mainly in academic sources. Following the 1948 establishment of Israel , the use and application of the terms "Palestine" and "Palestinian" by and to Palestinian Jews largely dropped from use. For example, the English-language newspaper The Palestine Post , founded by Jews in 1932, changed its name in 1950 to The Jerusalem Post . The term Arab Jews can include Jews with Palestinian heritage and Israeli citizenship, although some Arab Jews prefer to be called Mizrahi Jews . Non-Jewish Arab citizens of Israel with Palestinian heritage identify themselves as Arabs or Palestinians. These non-Jewish Arab Israelis thus include those that are Palestinian by heritage but Israeli by citizenship. The Palestinian National Charter , as amended by

25012-468: The term "occupied Palestinian territory" refers as a whole to the geographical area of the Palestinian territory occupied by Israel since 1967. Palestine can, depending on contexts, be referred to as a country or a state, and its authorities can generally be identified as the Government of Palestine . Situated between three continents, the region of Palestine has a tumultuous history as a crossroads for religion, culture, commerce, and politics. The region

25181-447: The territory of Gaza. Hundreds of people were killed in the civil war, including militants and civilians. Since then Hamas has gained more independence in its military practices. Since 2007, Israel has been leading a partial blockade on Gaza. Another peace summit was organized by the Arab League in 2007, with the same offer which was presented in 2002 summit. However the peace process could not progress. The PNA gained full control of

25350-440: The town made this site unsuitable to operate as a capital, either temporarily or permanently. Nevertheless, the Palestinian entity have maintained their presence in the city. As few parts of the city is also under Palestinian control and many some countries have their consulates in Jerusalem. The State of Palestine is divided into sixteen administrative divisions . The governorates in the West Bank are grouped into three areas per

25519-399: The two territories. Throughout this period, there were sporadic outbreaks of violence and tensions between Palestinians and Israelis. Since 2001, Incidents of rocket attacks from Gaza into Israeli territory and Israeli military operations in response often resulted in casualties and further strained the situation. Following the inter-Palestinian conflict in 2006, Hamas took over control of

25688-425: The unrelated PLO Palestinian National Covenant and PNA Palestine Basic Law . The Palestinian government is divided into two geographic entities – the Palestinian Authority governed by Fatah, which has partial control over the West Bank, and the Gaza Strip, which is under control of the militant group Hamas. Fatah is a secular party , which was founded by Yasser Arafat and enjoys relatively good relations with

25857-449: The war Palestine came under British control with the implementation of the British Mandate for Palestine in 1920. The defeat of the Ottoman Empire in World War I resulted in the dismantling of their rule. In 1920, the League of Nations granted Britain the mandate to govern Palestine, leading to the subsequent period of British administration. In 1917, Jerusalem was captured by British forces led by General Allenby , marking

26026-442: The western powers. On other hand, Hamas is a militant group , based on Palestinian nationalist and Islamic ideology , inspired by the Muslim Brotherhood . Hamas has tense relations with the United States, but receives support from Iran. Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine is another popular secular party, which was founded by George Habash . Mahmoud Abbas is the president of the country since 2005. Mohammad Shtayyeh

26195-426: The world's Palestinian population continues to reside in the territory of former Mandatory Palestine , now encompassing Israel and the occupied Palestinian territories of the West Bank and Gaza Strip . In Israel proper, Palestinians constitute almost 21 percent of the population as part of its Arab citizens . Many are Palestinian refugees or internally displaced Palestinians , including over 1.4 million in

26364-454: The world. Villages and suburban areas around Jerusalem are home to ancient water bodies. There are several river valleys ( wadi ) across the country. These waterways provide essential resources for agriculture and recreation while supporting various ecosystems. Three terrestrial ecoregions are found in the area: Eastern Mediterranean conifer–sclerophyllous–broadleaf forests , Arabian Desert , and Mesopotamian shrub desert . Palestine has

26533-462: Was a supporter of Palestinian cause and won support from Arafat during the war. Following the invasion of Kuwait , Saddam surprised the international community by presenting a peace offer to Israel and withdrawing Iraqi forces from Kuwait, in exchange of withdrawal from the West Bank, the Gaza Strip, East Jerusalem and Golan Heights. Though the peace offer was rejected, Saddam then ordered firing of scud missiles into Israeli territory. This movement

26702-456: Was aided by the immigration of Egyptians (during the reigns of Muhammad Ali and Ibrahim Pasha ) and Algerians (following Abdelkader El Djezaïri 's revolt) in the first half of the 19th century, and the subsequent immigration of Algerians, Bosnians , and Circassians during the second half of the century. Many Palestinian villagers claim ancestral ties to Arab tribes from the Arabian Peninsula that settled in Palestine during or after

26871-446: Was among the earliest to see human habitation, agricultural communities and civilization . In the Bronze Age , the Canaanites established city-states influenced by surrounding civilizations, among them Egypt, which ruled the area in the Late Bronze Age. During the Iron Age , two related Israelite kingdoms, Israel and Judah , controlled much of Palestine, while the Philistines occupied its southern coast. The Assyrians conquered

27040-470: Was destroyed in an airstrike by the Israeli army in 2001, claiming itself in retaliation to previous attacks by Hamas. In January 2002, the IDF Shayetet 13 naval commandos captured the Karine A , a freighter carrying weapons from Iran towards Israel. UNSC Resolution 1397 was passed, which reaffirmed a two-state solution and laid the groundwork for a road map for peace . Another attack by Hamas left 30 people killed in Netanya . A peace summit

27209-405: Was inhabited by the Canaanites , Semitic -speaking peoples who practiced the Canaanite religion . Most Palestinians share a strong genetic link to the ancient Canaanites. Israelites later emerged as an outgrowth of southern Canaanite civilization, with Jews and Israelite Samaritans eventually forming the majority of the population in Palestine during classical antiquity , However,

27378-464: Was intercepted by the British navy, leading to clashes and the eventual deportation of the refugees back to Europe. During World War II , Palestine served as a strategically significant location for British military operations against Axis forces in North Africa . In 1947, the United Nations proposed a partition plan for Palestine, suggesting separate Jewish and Arab states, but it was rejected by Arab nations while accepted by Jewish leaders. In 1947,

27547-421: Was made in 2003, which was supported by Arafat and rejected by Sharon. In 2004 Hamas's leader and co-founder Ahmed Yassin was assassinated by the Israeli army in Gaza. Yasser Arafat was confined to his headquarters in Ramallah. On 11 November, Yasser Arafat died in Paris. In the first week of 2005, Mahmoud Abbas was elected as the president of the State of Palestine. In 2005, Israel completely withdrew from

27716-492: Was more violent than the first. The International Court of Justice observed that since the government of Israel had decided to recognize the PLO as the representative of the Palestinian people, their existence was no longer an issue. The court noted that the Israeli-Palestinian Interim Agreement on the West Bank and the Gaza Strip of 28 September 1995 also referred a number of times to the Palestinian people and its "legitimate rights". According to Thomas Giegerich , with respect to

27885-412: Was only after the Crusades that the Christians lost their majority, and that the process of mass Islamization took place much later, perhaps during the Mamluk period . For several centuries during the Ottoman period the population in Palestine declined and fluctuated between 150,000 and 250,000 inhabitants, and it was only in the 19th century that a rapid population growth began to occur. This growth

28054-416: Was organized by the Arab League in Beirut , which was endorsed by Arafat and nearly ignored by Israel. In 2002, Israel launched Operation Defensive Shield after the Passover massacre . Heavy fighting between IDF and Palestinian fighters took place in Jenin . The Church of the Nativity was besieged by the IDF for one week until successful negotiations took place, which resulted withdrawal of

28223-445: Was supported by Palestinians. The war also led expulsion of Palestinians from Kuwait and Saudi Arabia , as their government supported Iraq . In 1993, the Oslo Accords were signed between Israel and the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO), leading to the establishment of the Palestinian Authority (PA) and a potential path to peace. Yasser Arafat was elected as president of the newly formed Palestinian Authority in 1994, marking

28392-484: Was the first popular uprising against the Israeli occupation of 1967. Followed by the PLO's 1988 proclamation of a State of Palestine , these developments served to further reinforce the Palestinian national identity. After the Gulf War in 1991, Kuwaiti authorities forcibly pressured nearly 200,000 Palestinians to leave Kuwait . The policy which partly led to this exodus was a response to the alignment of PLO leader Yasser Arafat with Saddam Hussein . The Oslo Accords ,

28561-428: Was the prime minister of Palestine, who resigned in 2024. In 2024, Mohammad Mustafa was appointed as the new prime minister of the country, after resigning of Shtayyeh. Yahya Sinwar was leader of the Hamas government in the Gaza Strip before his death on 16 October, 2024. According to Freedom House , the PNA governs Palestine in an authoritarian manner, including by repressing activists and journalists critical of

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