Who Are the Palestinians — And Where Is Their History?
- Hananya Naftali
- 2 days ago
- 4 min read
Let’s get one thing straight: the name “Palestinian” is not ancient, and it’s definitely not indigenous to the people currently claiming it. You’ve been sold a lie. The world has been nodding along to a modern political invention, dressed up as a 4,000-year-old identity. It’s time to rip the mask off and ask the question no one in the mainstream dares to touch: who are the Palestinians — and where did the name come from?
The Name Game
The word “Palestine” isn’t Arabic. It isn’t even remotely tied to Arab culture or language. The name comes from the Latin “Palaestina,” a term the Romans imposed in the 2nd century CE after crushing the Bar Kokhba revolt — a Jewish uprising against Roman rule. Emperor Hadrian was so angry at the Jews, he renamed Judea to “Syria Palaestina” to erase Jewish history from the land. That’s right. Palestine was a Roman insult, not a birthright.
They stole it from the Philistines, a long-extinct seafaring people who weren’t Arabs either. The Philistines were likely of Aegean origin — think ancient Greeks, not anything remotely Middle Eastern. They disappeared from history over 2,500 years ago. No genetic line, no cultural continuity, no legacy. Just a name. The Romans took that name and slapped it on Jewish land like a graffiti tag over a sacred monument.
The Invention of a People
Fast forward to the 20th century. Until the mid-1900s, the term “Palestinian” referred to Jews. The Palestine Post? That became the Jerusalem Post. The Palestine Symphony Orchestra? Founded by Jews fleeing Nazi Europe. The flag? There wasn’t one. Because there was no state, no nation, no people known as “Palestinians.”
What we now call “Palestinians” were not part of some ancient, continuous nation. They were Arabs living in a territory ruled by empires — Ottoman, then British. The concept of a distinct Palestinian national identity simply did not exist before the 20th century. It was only after the Jewish people began returning to their ancestral homeland, draining swamps, building roads, founding hospitals, and sparking economic revival, that the land started attracting attention.
Here’s what Zuheir Mohsen, a leader in the PLO (Palestine Liberation Organization), said in a 1977 interview with the Dutch newspaper 'Trouw':
“The Palestinian people does not exist. The creation of a Palestinian state is only a means for continuing our struggle against the state of Israel for our Arab unity.”
Read that again.
Even their leaders admitted it was all a ploy — a political tool to destroy the Jewish state. The entire concept of a separate “Palestinian people” was invented as a weapon.
The Real Indigenous People
If anyone has a historical claim to the land, it’s the Jews. The Bible, archaeology, and history all scream the same truth. This isn’t about religion — it’s about fact. Jews didn’t just live in the land; they built it. Jerusalem was their capital 3,000 years ago. King David ruled from there. The First and Second Temples stood there. Jesus walked in that same Jerusalem because it was already Jewish.
The Arabs came centuries later. Islam didn’t even exist until the 7th century. By then, the Jewish story was already ancient.
The Bible says in Joel 3:2, "I will gather all nations and bring them down to the Valley of Jehoshaphat. There I will put them on trial for what they did to my inheritance, my people Israel, because they scattered my people among the nations and divided up my land."
God isn’t vague about whose land it is. The world may play dumb, but Heaven keeps records.
The Political Weapon
So why does the “Palestinian” narrative dominate global headlines? Because it’s useful. Anti-Israel sentiment is the new socially acceptable anti-Semitism. You can’t say you hate Jews? Fine. Just hate the Jewish state. Call it “apartheid,” call it “colonial,” call it “occupation.” Slap on the words, and boom — you’re woke.
But it's all smoke. There has never been a sovereign Palestinian state. Not one coin, flag, king, or constitution. Gaza was ruled by Egypt. The West Bank by Jordan. Not a single Arab leader called for a “Palestinian” state before 1967 — because it didn’t exist in their minds either. Only when the Jews regained Jerusalem did the idea become politically useful.
And let’s talk about Jerusalem. It's never once been the capital of any Arab nation. Ever. But it's the heartbeat of the Jewish soul. For over 2,000 years, Jews faced Jerusalem in prayer. Muslims face Mecca. That should tell you everything.
The Hope You’re Not Supposed to Hear
This conflict is not about land. It never was. It’s about erasing Israel. It’s about jealousy, pride, and spiritual war. But here’s the truth no one can erase: the Jews came home. Against all odds. Against empires, pogroms, and Holocausts. We came home because God keeps His promises.
And we’re not leaving.
You want peace? It starts with truth. Not lies. Not fake histories or made-up identities. If the Arab world could accept Israel’s right to exist. And no Roman emperor, no UN resolution, no terrorist slogan can ever change that.
Am Yisrael Chai — the people of Israel live.
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