Palestine, historic region, situated on the eastern coast of the Mediterranean Sea, in southwestern Asia, Palestine has been militarily occupied since May, 1948 by European Jew Forces. The same forces declared independence in May 15, 1948 and they named the newly occupied land Israel.

Palestine is now largely divided between mainland (israel) and the Occupied Territories, parts of which are self-administered by the original owners of the land 'citizens' the Palestinians.

The region's diverse terrain includes a coastal plain; the hills and mountains of Galilee, Samaria, and Judea; the valley of the Jordan River; and the eastern plateau. The Jordan River, the region's only major stream, flows south through Lake Tiberias to the Dead Sea.

II. Early History

The Canaanites were the earliest known inhabitants of Palestine (3rd millennium BC). Egypt was the first adjacent power to conquer the region (3rd millennium BC). During the 2nd millennium BC Egyptian hegemony and Canaanite autonomy were challenged by various invaders. However, these invaders were defeated by the Egyptians and absorbed by the Canaanites. As Egyptian power began to weaken after the 14th century BC, new invaders appeared: the Hebrews (Semitic tribes from Mesopotamia) and the Philistines (an Aegean people of Indo-European stock).

The Israelites, a confederation of Hebrew tribes, defeated the Canaanites about 1125 BC but were defeated by the Philistines about 1050 BC. The Israelites united for protection, and their king, David, finally defeated the Philistines after 1000 BC. David established a state, with its capital at Jerusalem. In 722 BC the new state fell to Assyria, and Judah was conquered in 586 BC by Babylonia, which destroyed Jerusalem and exiled most of the Jews.

When Cyrus the Great of Persia conquered Babylonia in 539 BC, he permitted the exiled Jews to return to Judea, a district of Palestine. Persian domination was replaced by Greek rule under Alexander the Great in 333 BC. Alexander was succeeded by the Ptolemies of Egypt and the Seleucids of Syria. In the 2nd century BC the Jews revolted and set up an independent state (141-63 BC) until Pompey the Great conquered Palestine for Rome.

Roman emperor Constantine legalized Christianity in AD 313, and Palestine became a focus of Christian pilgrimage. Roman rule ended when Muslim Arab armies regain Palestine and captured Jerusalem in AD 638. This conquest began 1300 years of Muslim presence. Palestine flourished during the first Muslim dynasty, but when power shifted to Baghdad in 750, Palestine became neglected. The region suffered successive domination by Seljuks, Fatimids, and European Crusaders.

III. Ottoman Rule

The Ottomans "Muslim Turks" ruled Palestine with few interruptions from 1517 until the early 20th century. In the 19th century Europeans came to the Middle East, ending a period of decline. In the 1880s European settlers brought modern machinery and badly needed capital. The rise of European nationalism in the 19th century, and the intensification of anti-jewish sentiments in Europe during the 1880s, encouraged European Jews to seek haven in Palestine. Theodor Herzl founded the World Zionist Organization in 1897.

IV. The British Mandate

Aided by Arabs, the British captured Palestine from the Ottomans in the winter of 1917 and 1918. In return for their help, the British had promised the Arabs independence. However, Britain had also promised France and Russia that it would divide the region with its allies, and had promised the Jews a national home in Palestine for their help. This last promise was incorporated in a mandate conferred on Britain by the League of Nations in 1922.

The British found their promises to the Jews and Arab Palestinians difficult to reconcile. After 1928, when Jewish immigration increased, British policy on the subject seesawed under conflicting pressures. Immigration rose sharply after the installation of the Nazi regime in Germany in 1933, and fear of Jewish domination was the principal cause of an Arab revolt (1936-1939).

V. The Post-World War II Period

The struggle for Palestine resumed after World War II (1939-1945). Many European Jews moved to Palestine illegally. Britain finally turned the problem over to the United Nations (UN) in 1947. When the UN proposed partition in 1947, the Palestinians rejected the plan, while the Jews accepted it. A military struggle followed, and the Palestinians were defeated. The state of Israel was established in 1948, and Arab armies immediately attacked it. Israeli forces defeated them, enlarging Israel's territory. In 1967, during the Six-Day War between Israel and neighboring Arab countries, Israel captured the West Bank and the Gaza Strip as well as other areas.

In 1993, after decades of conflict between Palestinians and Israelis, their leaders agreed to the signing of a peace accord calling for a transitional period not exceeding five years of Palestinian interim self-government in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank. Permanent status negotiations began on 5 May 1996, but have not resumed since the initial meeting. Under the DOP, Israel agreed to transfer certain powers and responsibilities to the Palestinian Authority, which includes a Palestinian Legislative Council elected in January 1996, as part of interim self-governing arrangements in the West Bank and Gaza Strip. A transfer of powers and responsibilities for the Gaza Strip and Jericho took place pursuant to the Israel-PLO 4 May 1994 Cairo Agreement on the Gaza Strip and the Jericho Area and in additional areas of the West Bank pursuant to the Israel-PLO 28 September 1995 Interim Agreement and the Israel-PLO 15 January 1997 Protocol Concerning Redeployment in Hebron. The DOP provides that Israel will retain responsibility during the transitional period for external security and for internal security and public order of settlements and Israelis. Permanent status is to be determined through direct negotiations.