"Israel" and "Palestine" are two names for one land, each claimed by those on opposing sides. These names have deep historical roots:
**Ancient Origins:**
- The term "Israel" first surfaced in the Egyptian Merneptah Stele in the late 13th century BC, referring to a people in what was then "Canaan."
- In subsequent centuries, the region saw the emergence of two sister kingdoms: Israel and Judah, giving rise to the term "Jew."
- Around 722 BC, the Neo-Assyrian empire conquered the kingdom of Israel, and "Israel" as an ancient geographic term ceased to exist.
**Judah Alone:**
- Judah, the other sister kingdom, faced a similar fate in the hands of invaders. Jerusalem was sacked, the Jewish Temple destroyed, and many were exiled to Babylonia.
- After almost 50 years, exiles returned, and the former kingdom of Judah became the heart of Judaism for centuries, despite the destruction of the rebuilt Temple in AD 70 by the Romans.
**"Palestine" Emerges:**
- In AD 135, after a failed Jewish revolt, Roman Emperor Hadrian expelled Jews from Jerusalem, renaming the region "Syria-Palestina" after the ancient Philistines.
- Over the next 1,200 years, Arab populations settled in this "Palestina," with Jewish habitation continuing alongside.
**Zionism and British Rule:**
- The 19th century saw the rise of Zionism, a nationalist movement driven by the desire of Jews in the Diaspora to return to their ancestral land.
- During this period, the land was divided into three Ottoman administrative regions, none referred to as "Palestine."
- British rule began in 1917, and in 1923, "Mandatory Palestine" was established, encompassing the present-day state of Jordan. The Arab inhabitants primarily identified as Arabs in Palestine or part of "Greater Syria."
**The State of Israel:**
- Zionist leaders in Mandatory Palestine sought to increase Jewish population to bolster their claims to statehood. However, in 1939, British restrictions on Jewish immigration were imposed.
- The Holocaust played a pivotal role in the success of the Zionist project. In November 1947, the UN General Assembly passed Resolution 181, partitioning the land into "Independent Arab and Jewish States."
- On May 14, 1948, Israel declared its founding.
**"The War of Independence" / Al-Nakba:**
- Arab countries and Palestinian militias immediately invaded the newly formed Jewish state, resulting in significant territorial losses for the Palestinians.
- About 700,000 Palestinians were displaced from their homes, with no right of return, marking a catastrophe known as Al-Nakba.
**Palestinian Statehood and Ongoing Conflict:**
- In 1988, the Palestinian National Council declared independence, recognized by the UN General Assembly. Today, roughly three-quarters of the UN's member states acknowledge the statehood of Palestine, granting it non-member observer status.
- Despite several attempts, a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict has not been successfully negotiated. Jewish settlements in the West Bank and East Jerusalem, considered illegal by much of the world, have complicated peace talks.
The history of this land is deeply intertwined with religious, historical, and political factors, contributing to the ongoing complexity and tensions in the region.
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