Keyword: Palestine

Palestine

Palestine is a Middle Eastern body of land located between the Mediterranean Sea and the Jordan River. Palestine has historically referred to lands in modern Israel, the Palestinian territories, the West Bank, and the Gaza Strip.

There is no country today officially called ‘Palestine,’ though one has existed in one form or another under various colonial powers. After World War II, a plan to partition the area into 2 countries -- Israel and Palestine -- was never officially adopted. The Palestinian National Council later declared a ‘State of Palestine’ in 1998, which has been recognized by about half of the world’s governments and carries on diplomatic relations. It is political in nature only, and does not hold power over any land.

Palestinians are Arabs whose family origins are in Palestine. Today, it is estimated that there are between 9 and 11 million Palestinians in the world. However, due to conflict, over half of the world’s population of Palestinians are refugees and have been displaced. This large number of refugees are often referred to as the ‘Palestinian diaspora.’

The beginnings of this pattern of exile are mainly attributed to 2 events. The first event is the 1948 Arab-Israeli War. This war resulted in Israel being founded as a country and many Palestinians leaving their homes, becoming refugees. The second event is the Six-Day War, in 1967. During this war, Israel moved military forces into the West Bank and captured land held by Jordan, prompting thousands of Palestinians to flee.