Where Did the Palestinians Come From? The Historical and Biblical Context of the Arab–Israeli Conflict

Avi asks: “Since we came to Israel, we’ve been suffering from the Palestinians — in Gaza and other places — who claim that the entire land belongs to them, and that we stole it through conquest. What I want to understand is this: if there was never really a Palestinian nation, then where did the Palestinians come from? Why do they believe the land is theirs? And is peace even possible?”

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Dear Avi,
Thank you for your thoughtful question.

The strange and almost unbelievable rise of modern antisemitism — especially in our times, is, I believe, living proof of the ancient prophecies about the End of Days.

Just two generations ago, our greatest danger came not from the Arab world, but from Europe. The people who persecuted and murdered Jews worldwide were Europeans — primarily Germans, who invented the so-called “racial theory” that claimed Jews were an inferior race. In its name, they sought to annihilate every Jew on Earth, from the youngest child to the oldest man and woman.

And then — in a complete historical turnaround, only one generation later, the nations of the East united with a new claim against us. No longer a “racial theory,” but the accusation of “Israeli occupation.” Once again, this claim was used to justify calls to “wipe out the Jews, men, women, and children, everywhere.”

Is this truly coincidence? Or is it, rather, a visible thread of divine direction, guiding history toward its destined purpose?

The Desolate Land of Israel

The Land of Israel was given to the Jewish people more than 3,300 years ago, but because our ancestors neglected the Torah and its commandments, we were exiled about 2,000 years ago with the destruction of the Second Temple.

And yet, the Torah had already promised something remarkable: “Your enemies who dwell in it shall be desolate because of it.” (Vayikra 26:32)

The Ramban (Nachmanides) wrote: “Since we departed from it, no nation or tongue has ever been able to settle it. All tried to make it flourish — and all failed.”

Indeed, throughout all the centuries of our exile, no foreign nation succeeded in establishing a thriving presence in the land.

Writers such as Mark Twain, who visited in 1869, described a barren, empty land: no cities, no fertile fields, no organized government. When Jewish pioneers began returning, they drained the swamps, built roads and cities, and brought life back to the soil — turning desolation into renewal, exactly as the prophets foretold.

Where Did the Palestinians Come From?

A century ago, there was no Palestinian people, no Palestinian state, and no continuous historical identity by that name.

There were no Palestinian kings, leaders, or dynasties, because the term simply didn’t exist. Today’s claim that Palestinians are descendants of the ancient Philistines (who fought Israel 3,000 years ago) is a modern political myth, invented to create an ancient-sounding legitimacy.

To understand the real origins, we must look briefly at Middle Eastern history.

The Ottoman Empire and the British Mandate

For over 400 years, the entire Middle East was ruled by the Ottoman Empire (modern-day Turkey). The sultan Selim I conquered the Land of Israel in 1516, and it remained under Ottoman control until World War I.

During that era, there were no independent Arab states such as Jordan, Syria, or Lebanon. The Arab population moved freely across the empire’s vast borders — nomads, farmers, and traders, without a distinct national identity.

In 1917, during World War I, the British conquered the region from the Ottomans. That same year, Britain issued the Balfour Declaration, recognizing the right of the Jewish people to re-establish their national home in the Land of Israel.

Later, Britain and France divided the Middle East, drawing artificial borders and creating new countries including Syria, Lebanon, Jordan — all of which had never existed as modern nations before.

The timing of this historical shift — the fall of the Ottoman Empire and the opening of the path for Jewish return, is, as many have noted, nothing short of providential.

(Photo: shutterstock)

The Arabs of the Land: Old and New

Before this upheaval, small groups of Arab farmers and nomads lived in scattered villages across the land. However, they were not a unified people, and they had no collective identity.

After the Ottoman Empire collapsed, waves of migrants arrived from neighboring Arab countries: Egypt, Syria, Turkey, Lebanon, Jordan, and Iraq. Many of their descendants still bear family names revealing their origins — for example, Al-Masri (Egyptian) or Al-Lubnani (Lebanese).

Over time, these mixed populations adopted the new title “Palestinians,” borrowing it from the name of the long-extinct Philistines — an ancient people unrelated to them in any historical or ethnic sense.

A Divine Perspective

In this way, God allowed the emergence of the modern “Palestinian” identity precisely during the rebirth of the Jewish state — as part of a divine plan reminding us that our ultimate peace and redemption have not yet arrived.

The prophetic vision of Yeshayahu still awaits fulfillment: “For out of Zion shall go forth the Torah, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem. He shall judge between the nations and rebuke many peoples; They shall beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks; Nation shall not lift up sword against nation, nor shall they learn war anymore.” (Yeshayahu 2:3–4)

Until that day, our task is clear — to walk together in God’s light, as Yeshayahu concludes: “O House of Jacob, come, let us walk in the light of the Lord.”