Palestine: From an Inclusive Geographic Term to an Exclusively Arab National Designation

HISTORY MATTERS BECAUSE FACTS MATTER

Palestine:
From an Inclusive Geographic Term
to an Exclusively Arab National Designation

The term “Palestinian” underwent a gradual but far-reaching transformation from an inclusive geographic designation to an exclusively Arab national identifier. This evolution began with the first usage in the 1890s, continued with an inclusive connotation during the British Mandate (1920-1948), and concluded with an exclusive Arab usage that emerged after 1948 and was consolidated in the 1960s. By the mid-20th century, the term had become an exclusively Arab national identifier defined in explicit opposition to Jewish Israeli identity.

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The term “Palestinian” has its roots in ancient Greek and Roman usage, deriving from the Greek ‘Palaistínē’, which first appears in the work of 5th-century BCE historian Herodotus. When the Romans conquered the region in the first century BCE, they initially used the name Judaea for the province. Following the Bar Kochba revolt (132-136 CE), however, Emperor Hadrian renamed the province “Syria Palaestina,” a move widely regarded as a deliberate punitive measure designed to cut the connection between Jews and their homeland.

During most of the Ottoman period (1516-1918), inhabitants of the region typically identified themselves primarily by religion, local loyalties, or as Ottoman subjects, rather than by a distinct national identity associated with a specific geographic location. From the late 19th century through the early 20th century, however, the term “Palestinian” started to be used as an inclusive geographic and administrative designation.

By the end of the first decade of the 20th century, with the loosening of censorship controls under late Ottoman rule, the term “Palestinian” began appearing more frequently in reference to individuals, residents, or society. Notably, during this period, the term was not exclusively associated with Arabs but was used inclusively for all inhabitants of the region.

During the British Mandate period (1920-1948), the term “Palestinian” remained inclusive. Under British rule, “Palestinian citizenship” was granted to all residents of Mandatory Palestine regardless of religion or ethnicity. This included Jews, who were commonly referred to, both in official and unofficial contexts, as “Palestinian Jews.” The mandate system recognized both Arab and Jewish communities as Palestinian. Official documents used Hebrew, Arabic, and English as the three official languages. In fact, the Palestine Regiment, established during World War II, was primarily composed of Jewish soldiers.

More importantly, the term “Palestinian” as a geographic reference was, over the centuries, always freely used by Jews. For example, “Palestinian Talmud” was the longstanding designation of the Talmud developed in the Land of Israel, now referred to usually as the “Jerusalem Talmud”. As another example, throughout most of the 18th century, the agency centralizing immigration and pilgrimages to the Land of Israel was named the ‘Committee of Istanbul Officials for Palestine.”

While the term “Palestinian” remained inclusive, a distinct Palestinian Arab national identity began developing during the early 20th century. This identity started as a reaction to the growth of the Zionist movement and of Jewish immigration to Palestine. The Balfour Declaration of 1917 and British policies, perceived as favoring Jewish immigration and land acquisition, intensified Arab opposition.

Furthermore, following World War I and the fall of the Ottoman Empire, attempts to create broader Arab unity faltered. The 1919 First Congress of Muslim-Christian Associations initially sought to make the region of Palestine part of Arab Syria, viewing the areas as connected by national, religious, linguistic, natural, economic, and geographical bonds. However, by 1920, the French overthrow of the government in Damascus eliminated the possibility of a Greater Syria, leading Palestinian Arabs to develop a more localized identity.

The establishment of the State of Israel in 1948 marked the beginning of the term “Palestinian” becoming exclusively associated with Arabs. With Israeli independence, virtually all Jewish inhabitants of the former mandate territory became Israeli citizens, effectively removing Jews from the category of “Palestinians”. The term “Palestinian Jew” largely fell into disuse. In turn, most Arabs in Israel eventually acquired Israeli citizenship and became Israeli Arabs, often without identifying with the term ‘Palestinian”.

The 1948 Arab Israeli War created approximately 700,000 Palestinian Arab refugees an event Palestinians call the Nakba [Catastrophe]. This experience became central to Palestinian identity formation, with a diaspora consciousness developing among refugee populations.

The final consolidation of “Palestinian” as an exclusively Arab identity occurred in the 1960s. An initial factor was the formation of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) in 1964. The 1967 Six-Day War further reinforced this identity by bringing the West Bank and Gaza Strip under Israeli control and, at the same time, leading to the gradual weakening of broader Arab unity. As such, this period finally saw the explicit articulation of Palestinian nationalism as distinct from broader Arab nationalism.