Palestinian – What do you mean by that?
Tikkun Global
Jerusalem, Israel
All of us as Messianic Jews love Arabs, particularly Christian Arabs. Our prayer is that if our Arab cousins could be freed from the destructive influence of Islamicist extremist groups, such as Hamas and Hezbollah, there would be wonderful peace between us.
One of the most confusing issues is the use of the word, "Palestinian." It has many different meanings and nuances. There is intense disagreement over its use. I would like to attempt here to define 7 different dimensions of the term, "Palestinian."
Geographical area – Essentially Palestine refers to a physical geographic area, which is identical to the area we call Israel. So, there is a conflict as to which name to use for the same piece of land, which lies "from the river Jordan to the Mediterranean Sea."
Israeli Arabs – The Arab people living within the borders of the State of Israel refer to themselves as Israeli Arabs, Palestinian Arabs, or Israeli Palestinian Arabs, depending on their perspective on their own identity. Israeli Arabs have equal citizenship rights along with their Jewish neighbors.
Palestinian Arabs – Most of the Arabs living in Judea-Samaria-West Bank, or who have emigrated to other countries, refer to themselves as Palestinians. They mean, we are Arabs who are living in this geographical area or who had roots in this area from before the founding of the State of Israel.
Colonial Name – If the names Israel and Palestine refer to the same area, why are there 2 names? The answer is that the Roman empire after the destruction of Israel in 70-135 AD decided to rename the area Palestine as a punishment to the Jewish people, to wipe out its remembrance, and to solidify its identity as a Roman colony. Ironically, Palestine is the colonial name for Israel. That name continued and was reinforced by the British mandate, to maintain the identity of Israel and all Trans-Jordan as a British colony.
Statehood Claim – After 1967 and the capture of Jerusalem, the name became associated with a political agenda to form an independent state. Before October 7, 2023, a significant percentage of Israelis desired a 2-state solution. However, opinion has shifted somewhat: recognition of a Palestinian state would likely lead to a murderous jihadi attack against us. Note that from 1917 to 1948, Gaza was ruled by Egypt; the West Bank by Jordan, without any Palestinian statehood.
Globalized Intifada – There is a worldwide Islamicist agenda, first promoted by the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt, that calls for "death to Israel, death to America," and for subjugating all other non-Muslim nations. Violence may be used if necessary, or simply cultural "re-education." Unfortunately, this jihadi agenda has adopted the banner slogan of "Free Palestine," thus escalating the term "Palestinianism" to an ideology promoting global intifada.
Philistine Spirit – The name Palestine was taken from the name Philistine in the Bible. There is no ethnic connection between the ancient Philistines and modern Palestinians. However, perhaps through the identification of the name Philistine, part of Palestinianism has taken on a similar spirit of enmity toward Israel.
May the Lord grant us all discernment concerning these complex issues!
