Q. WHAT IS THE OLD HISTORY OF PALESTINE?
A. The first know people in the lands of Palestine were the Canaanites how are Arab from Arab peninsula, they have their own language and culture.
Palestine was the land of Palestinian Arab at all ages, Hebrew came to Palestine from Egypt during the third millennium before century, and established a kingdom for a limited number of years then other nations ended there kingdom and ruled the area. Hebrew presence in Palestine was ended since about 130 years after Jesus birth. Arab ruled the area from 638 AD and were always there until today, there introduce Islam, some Arab from deferent countries came and lived in Palestine from the early years to learn and educate the Palestinians. Some of the locals Palestinian converted to Islam and the Islamic rulers give a wide option to every body to keep his religion therefore, there is considerable number of Christian in Palestine but all has adopted the Islamic culture and Arabic language.
All the Arab countries know today was under one Islamic empire rule, and it was consider as an emirate or state linked to the capital of the Islamic empire.
Q. WHAT IS THE CURRENT HISTORY OF PALESTINIAN?
A. In the end of 19 century and early 20th century, Palestine (as will as all the adjusting Arab countries) was rules by Turkish (Muslims) in one Islamic empire, the capital was in Istanbul. In the first World War, Arabs were looking to get there independents from Turkish empire to establish there own countries in emirates like Syria, Palestine, Saudi, Iraq, Egypt etc. Therefore they agreed to collaborated with Britain in the W.W.I against promises to help Arab emirates to get there independents after the war from the Islamic Turkish empire. What happens after the war that Britain and France toke control of all Arab countries under what know as Mandate system. Britain toke the mandate on Palestine. In 1917 Jams Aurther Balfour (The Great Britain minister) gave a written promise to the Jews around the world to help them to establish there own home land in Palestine by supporting and facilitating there immigration to Palestine. Immigration started before that date after Zionist movement held their conference in 1897 and set their goal of establishing the Jews homeland on Palestine. Jews started to come to Palestine in mass number with a great help and facility from Britain mandate power which allow them to buy governmental lands and to confiscate a huge Palestinian owned lands to be given to Jews to build there camps and farms. Britain also started to arm the Jews and allowing them to organize themselves, some Zionist armed groups established and worked as the core of the future Israel army like Hagana and others.
In 1936 Palestinians started to protest the mandate authority policy and they're beside with Jews. They struggles to push Britain to give them their rights and to stop lands transfer to Jews, to stop the Jews legal and illegal immigration and to stop them from killing the Arabs.
In 1947 the Jews groups like Hagana start the war against Arab in order to occupy as much as possible from Arab lands, they were attacking Arab villages and home causing more then 400 massacre killing thousands of Arab Palestinians. All that to force Arab to leave their lands and to immigrate to other countries. In the other hand Arab was trying to defend their families by facing the Jewish groups and attacking them.
In 1947 Britain toke the issue of Palestine to the UN to decide about it, there UN issued resolution number 181 about the Partition of Palestine to an Arab country and Jews country with Jerusalem and an International zone. Arab rejected this proposal since it was giving the Jews more land then Arab (Arab were number of times more the Jews).
In 1948 Britain decided to leave Palestine and to end the mandate, on the same day, Jews declare there independent state and Arab launch a full-scale war against the new created Jews state. Israel won the war and toke control of 78% of the land of Palestine (all except Gaza Strip and West Bank include east Jerusalem). West Bank was under Jordan administration, Gaza Strip was under Egypt Administration.
Because of the massacres and the war, huge number of Palestinians in the lands occupied by the Jewish lifts their homes and become refugees in other Arab countries like Jordan, Syria and Lebanon.
In 1967 Israel launch another full-scale war "the six days war" against Arab countries. Israel won the war and occupied Gaza Strip, West Bank, East Jerusalem, Part of Jordan, Part of Syria and Part of Egypt. UN issued a resolution number 242 considering the Israeli occupation illegal and calling Israel to leave the Arab land occupied in 1967 war. Israel rejected all UN resolution related to the Palestine issue.
By the full meaning of the word, West Bank including East Jerusalem and Gaza Strip are occupied territories as per the International Laws and the UN resolutions, even USA approved the 242 resolutions, which consider all the land occupied in 1967 by Israeli as an occupied territories and NOT a part of Israel.
Palestinians demands now that Israel should comply to the UN resolution number 242 and leave the Palestine lands occupied in 1967 to allow the Palestine to established there own home land in that lands, as will as solving the related issues such as Palestinian Refugees and Jews settlements in West Bank and Gaza Strip.
In the early sixties, PLO established with number of Palestinian fighting groups like Fatah, democratic front and others and start to legitimate freedom straggle against Israel across the boarders and from inside to free the lands and return there rights of having there own state.
In 1973, Egypt and Syria launch a war against Israeli and they manage to free some lands of Sinai and the war ended by number of UN agreement.
In 1988 Palestinian started to look for a peaceful solution to the conflict based on the International law and Un resolution no 242 and others. In a major compromise, they accepted the existent of Israel on the Palestinian land occupied in 1948, in return they asked Israel to give back the lands occupied in 1967 (West Bank including east Jerusalem and Gaza Strip) to establish the Palestinian state and to live in peace with Israel. All other Arab countries supported the Palestinian in this approach and they also accepted Israel and even started some peace talks with it.
After the peace agreement in 13 Sep 1993, Israel allowed a limited self rule to the Palestinians in Parts of Gaza Strip and the parts of West Bank, and the current negotiation is to complete the hand over of all West Bank and Gaza Strip to the Palestinian authority including the east Jerusalem based on UN 242 resolution also to solve other issues such as the 3.7 Millions Palestinian refugees, Jewish settlements and other issues.
Number of other agreement reached though peace talk and Israel withdraw from some land, which is now role by the PNA (Palestinian National authority).
There are historical rights to the Palestinian nation of the land of Palestine, they have the right like any other nation of having there own state which will take care of there benefits, they have the right of freedom and to decide for themselves.
Q. WAS THERE A PALESTINIAN STATE BEFORE 1948 OR NOT?
A. Arabs lived under the control of the Islamic Ottoman Empire for more then 1350 year before the British mandate on Palestine. Before the twentieth century, there were no independent Arab countries; there were only Arab emirates under one Islamic empire. After the World War I and World War II, Arab countries got there independent from the Islamic Ottoman Empire and the modern states were created. Palestine should have been created if Jews did not start migrating to Palestinian lands, with the help of the British.
And India was an administratively run section of Britain. This is getting scary.....
