What is a Palestinian?

[Semper Fi]

Not exactly. Arafat was 'elected' though the elections weren't as clear. They didn't have any of the Gaza then. I guess you could equate more with 'student government'. You can have an election, with chosen officers. Then the principal/superintendent can override. Not that Israel could/should do such, but kind of the same premise, sorta. The school is in the control of principal/superintendent.

So the Israeli government basically controls the palestinian politics, ultimately? Why, then, dont they do that if their enemies were elected?

 

[Annie]

So the Israeli government basically controls the palestinian politics, ultimately? Why, then, dont they do that if their enemies were elected?

They can 'regain' the Gaza if they choose, but didn't interfer with the elections, obviously, they would not have backed Hamas.

 

[Gunny]

http://www.thenazareneway.com/map_of_ancient_palestine.htm

http://images.google.com/imgres?img...ges?q=map+israel&hl=en&lr=&oi=imagesr&start=2

http://www.palestinefacts.org/pf_maps.php

http://www.mideastweb.org/mpalestine.htm

The first link is a map of Palestine at during the time of Christ. The second is a current map of Israel. The third is a comparison of ancient Israel and Palestine maps.

 

[Chaya]

Palestine is derived from the word "Philistine." Biblically, Palestinians are another punishment the Jews suffer for disobeying God. God told Israel to wipe out all of the Canaanites. The Philistines were the ones the Jews didn't finish off, and they've been causing the Jews nothing but trouble ever since. Now, you may or may not believe in this legend, but it is interesting, nonetheless.

These people who call themselves 'palestinians' have nothing to do with the Philistines. It was the Romans in 70 C.E. when they destroyed the Holy Temple and renamed the country Philistina in order to erase the name Judea (from which the term 'Jew' comes from) from history. Jews have always lived in The Land. When mass aliyah (return to Israel) began in the late 1800's it also brought in Arabs from surrounding areas. I'm not saying there weren't Arabs living in the Land. After all, the Arabs conquered the Middle East in the 7th century and forcibly converted the people there, both Jews and Christians and those that didn't want to convert they slaughtered. So, many of the current Muslims living there are probably descended from Jews and Christians. Now, those Arabs who came into the Land never called themselves Palestinians. Only the Jews did because that was what the Land was called at the time. And even up to 1947 only the Jews called themselves Palestinians - never the Arabs. The Arabs decided to take on this identity as a weapon against the Jewish people. If you are really interested, I sugges reading Joan Peters' book, "From Time Immemorial."

 

[archangel]

These people who call themselves 'palestinians' have nothing to do with the Philistines. It was the Romans in 70 C.E. when they destroyed the Holy Temple and renamed the country Philistina in order to erase the name Judea (from which the term 'Jew' comes from) from history. Jews have always lived in The Land. When mass aliyah (return to Israel) began in the late 1800's it also brought in Arabs from surrounding areas. I'm not saying there weren't Arabs living in the Land. After all, the Arabs conquered the Middle East in the 7th century and forcibly converted the people there, both Jews and Christians and those that didn't want to convert they slaughtered. So, many of the current Muslims living there are probably descended from Jews and Christians. Now, those Arabs who came into the Land never called themselves Palestinians. Only the Jews did because that was what the Land was called at the time. And even up to 1947 only the Jews called themselves Palestinians - never the Arabs. The Arabs decided to take on this identity as a weapon against the Jewish people. If you are really interested, I sugges reading Joan Peters' book, "From Time Immemorial."

I love it when people quote***actual History***101! :cof: