Palestinian
Quick Summary
Palestinians are an Arab people whose national identity has been shaped by historical events and a desire for self-determination. While an Arab presence in Palestine dates back centuries, the distinct concept of a Palestinian people and a shared national consciousness largely emerged in the 20th century, particularly after the 1948 Arab-Israeli War.12
The Palestinian national movement has focused on establishing a sovereign state, with the Palestinian Authority governing autonomous regions in the West Bank and Gaza Strip under the framework of the Oslo Accords. Despite recognition from many countries, Palestinian statehood faces challenges, including Israel's rejection of claims to sovereignty and the United States' stance. The Palestinian experience of exile and displacement has reinforced a common national consciousness and a desire for a homeland.342
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Arab-Israeli wars1982: Lebanon War…increased tensions between Israelis and Palestinians resulted in the Israeli bombing of Beirut and southern Lebanon, where the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) had a number of strongholds. The following day Israel invaded Lebanon, and by June 14 its land forces reached as far as the outskirts of Beirut, which was…
Read More…increased tensions between Israelis and Palestinians resulted in the Israeli bombing of Beirut and southern Lebanon, where the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) had a number of strongholds. The following day Israel invaded Lebanon, and by June 14 its land forces reached as far as the outskirts of Beirut, which was…
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IsraelArabsMost Arabs are Palestinians, and no broad agreement exists on how best to refer to that particular community. They are commonly called Israeli Arabs or Arab Israelis, following the legal designation according to ethnicity, and many of Israel’s Palestinian citizens embrace this more legally defined term. However, many…
Read MoreMost Arabs are Palestinians, and no broad agreement exists on how best to refer to that particular community. They are commonly called Israeli Arabs or Arab Israelis, following the legal designation according to ethnicity, and many of Israel’s Palestinian citizens embrace this more legally defined term. However, many…
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HusseinThus, popular demonstrations—especially among Palestinians who had fled to the West Bank after the 1948–49 war with Israel—and political unrest precluded his joining the pro-Western mutual defense treaty between the United Kingdom, Turkey, Iran, Pakistan, and Iraq, known as the Central Treaty
Read MoreThus, popular demonstrations—especially among Palestinians who had fled to the West Bank after the 1948–49 war with Israel—and political unrest precluded his joining the pro-Western mutual defense treaty between the United Kingdom, Turkey, Iran, Pakistan, and Iraq, known as the Central Treaty
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JordanDemographic trends…half of Jordan’s population are Palestinians. The influx of Palestinian refugees not only has altered Jordan’s demographic map but has also affected its political, social, and economic life. Jordan’s population in the late 1940s was between 200,000 and 250,000. After the 1948–49 Arab-Israeli war and the annexation of the West…
Read More…half of Jordan’s population are Palestinians. The influx of Palestinian refugees not only has altered Jordan’s demographic map but has also affected its political, social, and economic life. Jordan’s population in the late 1940s was between 200,000 and 250,000. After the 1948–49 Arab-Israeli war and the annexation of the West…
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KuwaitDemographic trendsUntil the Iraqi invasion, Palestinians, some of them third-generation residents of Kuwait, were the largest single expatriate group, numbering perhaps 400,000. Popular Palestinian support for Iraq during the war and persistent Palestinian demands for political inclusion led the Kuwaiti government to deport most of them following the restoration of…
Read MoreUntil the Iraqi invasion, Palestinians, some of them third-generation residents of Kuwait, were the largest single expatriate group, numbering perhaps 400,000. Popular Palestinian support for Iraq during the war and persistent Palestinian demands for political inclusion led the Kuwaiti government to deport most of them following the restoration of…
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PalestinePeople…still larger number of Arab Palestinians living outside the area (many in nearby countries, such as Lebanon) have strongly opposed Israeli control and feared an eventual annexation of the West Bank and Gaza by Israel. Many ideological Jewish Israeli settlers support such an annexation and think those lands properly belong…
Read More…still larger number of Arab Palestinians living outside the area (many in nearby countries, such as Lebanon) have strongly opposed Israeli control and feared an eventual annexation of the West Bank and Gaza by Israel. Many ideological Jewish Israeli settlers support such an annexation and think those lands properly belong…
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LebanonHousing…and thousands of families, including Palestinian refugees, were living in improvised accommodations. When an economic boom attracted villagers to the capital, the housing shortage worsened considerably. The civil war drastically increased the problem. Thousands of homes in battle zones were destroyed, and entire villages were evacuated and others occupied. The…
Read More…and thousands of families, including Palestinian refugees, were living in improvised accommodations. When an economic boom attracted villagers to the capital, the housing shortage worsened considerably. The civil war drastically increased the problem. Thousands of homes in battle zones were destroyed, and entire villages were evacuated and others occupied. The…
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BeirutModern Beirut…the influx of thousands of Palestinian refugees after the 1948 war in Palestine. The political and social tensions in Beirut and elsewhere in Lebanon, coupled with Christian-Muslim tensions, flared into open hostilities in 1958 and even more violently in 1975–90 (see Lebanese Civil War). In the violence that marked those…
Read More…the influx of thousands of Palestinian refugees after the 1948 war in Palestine. The political and social tensions in Beirut and elsewhere in Lebanon, coupled with Christian-Muslim tensions, flared into open hostilities in 1958 and even more violently in 1975–90 (see Lebanese Civil War). In the violence that marked those…
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