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The term came into modern usage in the [[English]] speaking world by creation of the Palestinian Mandate in 1919, and has no native origins among residents of the geographic region. Jews at the time of the [[Mandate of Palestine|British Mandate of Palestine]] were also classified as "Palestinian".
The term came into modern usage in the [[English]] speaking world by creation of the Palestinian Mandate in 1919, and has no native origins among residents of the geographic region. Jews at the time of the [[Mandate of Palestine|British Mandate of Palestine]] were also classified as "Palestinian".
==Since the 1960's ==
The modern use of the term "Palestinian" to describe Arabs in the region is a relatively recent development, popularized only in the mid-20th century—particularly after 1964 with the formation of the Palestine Liberation Organization ([[PLO]]). Far from being an indigenous national identity rooted in ancient ties to the land, this label was largely constructed for political purposes, often as a tool in the broader Arab effort to delegitimize Israel's existence.
The first chairman of the PLO, [[Ahmad Shukeiry]], was not a native of the land in question but born in southern [[Lebanon]]. He became infamous for statements rationalizing the [[Holocaust]] shortly after the atrocities became widely known, even testifying that they all were praising Hitler, and "foresaw" annihilating the Jews in his June 1967 "none of them will survive" —revealing early on the radical and hateful ideology that would underpin the Palestinian cause.
His successor, Yasser Arafat, widely considered the father of modern terrorism, was born in Cairo, [[Egypt]]—not in any part of what is today Israel or the disputed territories. Arafat pioneered the cynical tactic of using civilian populations as human shields, a method that has tragically continued under Hamas and other Palestinian factions.
This leadership—foreign-born, ideologically extreme, and committed to violence rather than coexistence—illustrates a movement more focused on the destruction of the Jewish state than on building a peaceful future for its own people. In contrast, Israel, with its deep historical and ancestral ties to the land and its commitment to democracy and innovation, has remained steadfast in its pursuit of peace, even in the face of relentless hostility.
Anti-Israel propagandists have long attempted to rewrite history by conflating the ancient geographic term “Palestine” with relatively recent waves of Arab immigration to the region. This rhetorical sleight of hand is designed to manufacture a sense of ancient, indigenous identity—when in truth, the vast majority of so-called “Palestinians” are descendants of Arab migrants who arrived in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, drawn by the economic opportunities created by early Jewish development.
Even the founding figures of the Palestinian nationalist movement didn’t pretend otherwise. Aforementioned Ahmad Shukeiry, the first chairman of the PLO—before suddenly “discovering” a Palestinian identity in the 1960s—openly declared in 1956 that the land was “Southern Syria.” His statement reflects the reality that, prior to the Arab world’s failed attempt to destroy Israel in 1948, there was no serious movement calling for a separate “Palestinian” state or identity.
This sudden shift was never about national liberation. It was—and remains—a political tool, designed not to build a future for Arabs in the region, but to deny the Jewish people their rightful, historic, and legal homeland. In stark contrast, the Jewish people are the only group with an unbroken, 3,000-year connection to the Land of Israel—religiously, culturally, and historically.
The creation of a “Palestinian” identity in the mid-20th century was not an act of self-determination—it was a calculated move to undermine the Jewish state's legitimacy and fuel ongoing rejectionism and terror. Recognizing this truth is essential to cutting through decades of misinformation and standing firmly with Israel’s right to exist, defend itself, and thrive.
During the 2012 Gaza conflict and border closure, a [[Hamas]] boss in Gaza remarked in a public statement, "half of the Palestinians are [[Egypt]]ians and the other half are [[Saudi Arabia|Saudi]]s."<ref>[https://www.memri.org/reports/hamas-minister-interior-and-national-security-fathi-hammad-slams-egypt-over-fuel-shortage Hamas Minister of the Interior and of National Security Fathi Hammad Slams Egypt over Fuel Shortage in Gaza Strip, and Says: 'Half of the Palestinians Are Egyptians and the Other Half Are Saudis']. ''MENRI'',
During the 2012 Gaza conflict and border closure, a [[Hamas]] boss in Gaza remarked in a public statement, "half of the Palestinians are [[Egypt]]ians and the other half are [[Saudi Arabia|Saudi]]s."<ref>[https://www.memri.org/reports/hamas-minister-interior-and-national-security-fathi-hammad-slams-egypt-over-fuel-shortage Hamas Minister of the Interior and of National Security Fathi Hammad Slams Egypt over Fuel Shortage in Gaza Strip, and Says: 'Half of the Palestinians Are Egyptians and the Other Half Are Saudis']. ''MENRI'',