The history of the name Palestine begins with the
Philistines, a people who settled along the southern coast of the Levant in the
12th century BCE. Ancient Egyptian inscriptions and later Greek writings
referred to their territory as Philistia.
The wider region later came under the control of empires
such as the Assyrians, Babylonians, Persians, and eventually the Greeks under
Alexander the Great.
The name “Palestine” in its more recognizable form entered
official usage under the Roman Empire. Following the Bar Kokhba revolt (132–135
CE), the Romans sought to weaken Jewish identity in the area by renaming the
province of Judea to Syria Palaestina.
This renaming marked the first formal political use of the
term in an imperial context. The region was incorporated into the broader Roman
administrative structure, with no autonomous government under the name
Palestine.
After the division of the Roman Empire, the Byzantine
authorities retained the name, splitting the territory into smaller
administrative districts such as Palaestina Prima, Palaestina Secunda, and
Palaestina Tertia.
Even in this form, Palestine referred to an area within a
larger imperial framework, not a sovereign nation.
Early Islamic and Medieval Periods
In the 7th century, Muslim armies under the Rashidun
Caliphate conquered the Levant from the Byzantines. The territory became part
of Jund Filastin, one of the districts of the larger province of Bilad al‑Sham
(Greater Syria).
This arrangement continued under the Umayyad and Abbasid
Caliphates, and later under various Islamic dynasties such as the Fatimids,
Ayyubids, and Mamluks.
The Crusaders briefly established the Kingdom of Jerusalem
in parts of the area during the 12th and 13th centuries, but this was a feudal
Christian state, not a continuation of earlier local political structures.
After the Crusader period, Muslim control was reasserted,
and the land once again became an administrative region rather than a unified
political entity.
Ottoman Era and Absence of a Palestinian State
The Ottoman Empire took control of the Levant in 1516 after
defeating the Mamluks. For the next four centuries, Palestine was administered
as part of larger Ottoman provinces, primarily the Vilayet of Syria and the
Sanjak of Jerusalem.
The Ottomans did not establish a single province named
Palestine; instead, the area was divided into districts that often reflected
older regional boundaries.
During this period, the concept of Palestinian nationalism
as we know it today did not exist. People identified more strongly with their
city, tribe, religion, or the broader Ottoman identity.
Local governance was limited, and the region was tied into
imperial trade and administration, particularly through ports like Jaffa and
Gaza.
By the late 19th century, the area began attracting the
attention of European powers and Zionist settlers.
Ottoman reforms, combined with increasing Jewish
immigration, set the stage for future conflicts over land and national
identity.
The British Mandate for Palestine
Following World War I, the Ottoman Empire collapsed, and
Britain occupied much of its former territory. The League of Nations formalized
British control through the Mandate for Palestine, approved in July 1922 and
coming into force on 29 September 1923.
The mandate was based partly on the Balfour Declaration of
1917, in which Britain expressed support for the establishment of a “national
home for the Jewish people” in Palestine.
Article 6 of the mandate instructed Britain to facilitate
Jewish immigration while safeguarding the rights of the existing Arab
population.
At first, Mandatory Palestine included land on both sides of
the Jordan River. However, in 1921, Britain created the Emirate of Transjordan
east of the river, effectively removing it from the provisions concerning
Jewish settlement.
West of the Jordan, tensions between Jewish and Arab
communities intensified.
The 1930s saw large-scale Arab protests against Jewish
immigration and land purchases, culminating in the Arab Revolt of 1936–1939.
Britain responded with military force and political
concessions, issuing the 1939 White Paper, which limited Jewish immigration just
before the Holocaust dramatically increased the urgency of the Jewish refugee
crisis.
UN Partition Plan and the End of the Mandate
After World War II, Britain found itself unable to reconcile
Jewish and Arab demands. It referred the issue to the United Nations, which
formed a special committee.
On 29 November 1947, the UN General Assembly adopted
Resolution 181, recommending the partition of Palestine into two independent
states one Jewish, one Arab with Jerusalem placed under international
administration.
Jewish leaders accepted the plan, seeing it as a step toward
statehood, while Arab leaders rejected it, viewing it as unjust and a violation
of the rights of the Arab majority in Palestine. Violence broke out almost
immediately.
Britain announced that it would terminate its mandate on 15
May 1948. On 14 May, David Ben‑Gurion declared the independence of the State of
Israel. The following day, Arab states invaded, beginning the first
Arab–Israeli war.
By the war’s end in 1949, Israel controlled more territory
than allocated by the UN plan, while Egypt held the Gaza Strip and Jordan
annexed the West Bank.
The All‑Palestine Government of 1948
In response to Israel’s creation, the Arab League sought to
establish a Palestinian government. On 1 October 1948, in Gaza, the Palestinian
National Council proclaimed the All‑Palestine Government, with Jerusalem as its
capital and Hajj Amin al‑Husseini as president.
The declaration claimed sovereignty over all of Palestine,
but in reality, the government controlled only the Gaza Strip under Egyptian
oversight.
The All‑Palestine Government soon moved to Cairo, losing any
real authority in Gaza. Over time, it became largely symbolic and was
eventually dissolved in the early 1950s. Its brief existence, however, kept
alive the idea of Palestinian sovereignty during a period when most Palestinian
land was under Israeli, Jordanian, or Egyptian control.
Palestinian Nationalism Before 1988
Through the 1950s and 1960s, Palestinian political activity
was fragmented. Many Palestinians lived as refugees in neighboring countries.
In 1964, the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) was founded with the
backing of Arab states, initially under Egyptian influence.
After the 1967 Six‑Day War, in which Israel captured the
West Bank, Gaza, East Jerusalem, and other territories, the PLO became the main
representative body of the Palestinian people, gradually asserting its
independence from Arab state control.
Armed struggle became a central tactic in the late 1960s and
1970s, alongside diplomatic efforts to gain international recognition.
By the 1980s, the PLO had built a network of alliances with
non‑aligned states and gained observer status at the United Nations.
The 1988 Palestinian Declaration of Independence
The turning point came during the First Intifada, a
Palestinian uprising against Israeli occupation that began in December 1987.
Against this backdrop, the 19th session of the Palestinian National Council met
in Algiers from 12 to 15 November 1988.
On 15 November, the Council adopted the Palestinian
Declaration of Independence, drafted by poet Mahmoud Darwish and read by PLO
chairman Yasser Arafat.
The declaration proclaimed the establishment of the State of
Palestine, with Jerusalem as its capital. It referred to the 1947 UN Partition
Plan as a legal basis for Palestinian statehood and implicitly recognized
Israel by endorsing a two‑state framework.
This marked a significant political shift by the PLO,
signaling willingness to negotiate a settlement based on coexistence.
Within weeks, over 70 countries recognized the State of Palestine.
By early 1989, that number had grown to nearly 90.
The UN General Assembly passed Resolution 43/177 on 15
December 1988, acknowledging the proclamation and replacing the designation
“Palestine Liberation Organization” with “Palestine” in the UN system, granting
it observer status.
Oslo Accords and Limited Self‑rule
In the early 1990s, secret negotiations between Israel and
the PLO led to the Oslo Accords, signed in 1993 and 1995. These agreements
created the Palestinian Authority (PA), an interim self‑government body with
limited powers in parts of the West Bank and Gaza.
The PA was intended as a stepping stone toward full
Palestinian statehood within five years, but subsequent political developments
and violence stalled progress.
The PA took over administration in areas such as education,
health, and municipal affairs, but Israel retained control over borders,
airspace, and significant portions of the West Bank.
The Oslo process left unresolved core issues like the status
of Jerusalem, the right of return for refugees, and final borders.
International Recognition and UN Status
Recognition of the State of Palestine continued over the
decades. In September 2011, President Mahmoud Abbas submitted an application
for full UN membership.
While the Security Council did not approve it due to
opposition from the United States, on 29 November 2012 the UN General Assembly
adopted Resolution 67/19, upgrading Palestine’s status to a non‑member observer
state.
In May 2024, the UN General Assembly granted Palestine
additional rights, including seating among member states and the ability to
participate more fully in UN activities.
Full membership, however, remains blocked by US vetoes in
the Security Council.
By mid‑2025, around 147 UN member states recognize the State
of Palestine. Several European countries, including the UK, Canada, and Malta,
have announced plans to formalize recognition during the September 2025 UN
General Assembly session.
Supporters argue that recognition reinforces Palestinians’
right to self‑determination under international law.
What This Means Today
When discussing when Palestine was created, the answer
depends on whether you are referring to the ancient name, the territorial unit
under the British Mandate, or the modern State of Palestine.
The geographic label has existed for nearly two thousand
years. The British Mandate created a defined political entity called Palestine
in 1923. The All‑Palestine Government of 1948 asserted independence but was
largely symbolic.
The modern State of Palestine began in political and
diplomatic terms with the 15 November 1988 declaration.
Today, Palestine exists as a recognized state in the eyes of
most of the world’s countries and major international organizations, but lacks
full sovereignty over its territory.
Its future depends on diplomatic negotiations, regional
stability, and shifts in international consensus.
FAQs
When was the modern State of Palestine officially declared?
The modern State of Palestine was officially declared on 15 November 1988 by the Palestinian National Council in Algiers. This declaration, endorsed by the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO), marked a major milestone in Palestinian nationalism and has since been recognized by over 140 UN member states.Was there ever a country called Palestine before 1948?
Before 1948, Palestine was not a sovereign country but a geographic and administrative term used under various empires, including the Romans, Byzantines, Islamic caliphates, and the Ottomans.
Why is the creation date of Palestine debated?
The creation of Palestine is debated because the term refers to different historical realities. It has been used as a geographic name since ancient times, a British-administered territory from 1923–1948, and a self-declared state since 1988.The wider region later came under the control of empires
such as the Assyrians, Babylonians, Persians, and eventually the Greeks under
Alexander the Great.
The name “Palestine” in its more recognizable form entered
official usage under the Roman Empire. Following the Bar Kokhba revolt (132–135
CE), the Romans sought to weaken Jewish identity in the area by renaming the
province of Judea to Syria Palaestina.
This renaming marked the first formal political use of the
term in an imperial context. The region was incorporated into the broader Roman
administrative structure, with no autonomous government under the name
Palestine.
After the division of the Roman Empire, the Byzantine
authorities retained the name, splitting the territory into smaller
administrative districts such as Palaestina Prima, Palaestina Secunda, and
Palaestina Tertia.
Even in this form, Palestine referred to an area within a
larger imperial framework, not a sovereign nation.
Early Islamic and Medieval Periods
In the 7th century, Muslim armies under the Rashidun
Caliphate conquered the Levant from the Byzantines. The territory became part
of Jund Filastin, one of the districts of the larger province of Bilad al‑Sham
(Greater Syria).
This arrangement continued under the Umayyad and Abbasid
Caliphates, and later under various Islamic dynasties such as the Fatimids,
Ayyubids, and Mamluks.
The Crusaders briefly established the Kingdom of Jerusalem
in parts of the area during the 12th and 13th centuries, but this was a feudal
Christian state, not a continuation of earlier local political structures.
After the Crusader period, Muslim control was reasserted,
and the land once again became an administrative region rather than a unified
political entity.
Ottoman Era and Absence of a Palestinian State
The Ottoman Empire took control of the Levant in 1516 after
defeating the Mamluks. For the next four centuries, Palestine was administered
as part of larger Ottoman provinces, primarily the Vilayet of Syria and the
Sanjak of Jerusalem.
The Ottomans did not establish a single province named
Palestine; instead, the area was divided into districts that often reflected
older regional boundaries.
During this period, the concept of Palestinian nationalism
as we know it today did not exist. People identified more strongly with their
city, tribe, religion, or the broader Ottoman identity.
Local governance was limited, and the region was tied into
imperial trade and administration, particularly through ports like Jaffa and
Gaza.
By the late 19th century, the area began attracting the
attention of European powers and Zionist settlers.
Ottoman reforms, combined with increasing Jewish
immigration, set the stage for future conflicts over land and national
identity.
The British Mandate for Palestine
Following World War I, the Ottoman Empire collapsed, and
Britain occupied much of its former territory. The League of Nations formalized
British control through the Mandate for Palestine, approved in July 1922 and
coming into force on 29 September 1923.
The mandate was based partly on the Balfour Declaration of
1917, in which Britain expressed support for the establishment of a “national
home for the Jewish people” in Palestine.
Article 6 of the mandate instructed Britain to facilitate
Jewish immigration while safeguarding the rights of the existing Arab
population.
At first, Mandatory Palestine included land on both sides of
the Jordan River. However, in 1921, Britain created the Emirate of Transjordan
east of the river, effectively removing it from the provisions concerning
Jewish settlement.
West of the Jordan, tensions between Jewish and Arab
communities intensified.
The 1930s saw large-scale Arab protests against Jewish
immigration and land purchases, culminating in the Arab Revolt of 1936–1939.
Britain responded with military force and political
concessions, issuing the 1939 White Paper, which limited Jewish immigration just
before the Holocaust dramatically increased the urgency of the Jewish refugee
crisis.
UN Partition Plan and the End of the Mandate
After World War II, Britain found itself unable to reconcile
Jewish and Arab demands. It referred the issue to the United Nations, which
formed a special committee.
On 29 November 1947, the UN General Assembly adopted
Resolution 181, recommending the partition of Palestine into two independent
states one Jewish, one Arab with Jerusalem placed under international
administration.
Jewish leaders accepted the plan, seeing it as a step toward
statehood, while Arab leaders rejected it, viewing it as unjust and a violation
of the rights of the Arab majority in Palestine. Violence broke out almost
immediately.
Britain announced that it would terminate its mandate on 15
May 1948. On 14 May, David Ben‑Gurion declared the independence of the State of
Israel. The following day, Arab states invaded, beginning the first
Arab–Israeli war.
By the war’s end in 1949, Israel controlled more territory
than allocated by the UN plan, while Egypt held the Gaza Strip and Jordan
annexed the West Bank.
The All‑Palestine Government of 1948
In response to Israel’s creation, the Arab League sought to
establish a Palestinian government. On 1 October 1948, in Gaza, the Palestinian
National Council proclaimed the All‑Palestine Government, with Jerusalem as its
capital and Hajj Amin al‑Husseini as president.
The declaration claimed sovereignty over all of Palestine,
but in reality, the government controlled only the Gaza Strip under Egyptian
oversight.
The All‑Palestine Government soon moved to Cairo, losing any
real authority in Gaza. Over time, it became largely symbolic and was
eventually dissolved in the early 1950s. Its brief existence, however, kept
alive the idea of Palestinian sovereignty during a period when most Palestinian
land was under Israeli, Jordanian, or Egyptian control.
Palestinian Nationalism Before 1988
Through the 1950s and 1960s, Palestinian political activity
was fragmented. Many Palestinians lived as refugees in neighboring countries.
In 1964, the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) was founded with the
backing of Arab states, initially under Egyptian influence.
After the 1967 Six‑Day War, in which Israel captured the
West Bank, Gaza, East Jerusalem, and other territories, the PLO became the main
representative body of the Palestinian people, gradually asserting its
independence from Arab state control.
Armed struggle became a central tactic in the late 1960s and
1970s, alongside diplomatic efforts to gain international recognition.
By the 1980s, the PLO had built a network of alliances with
non‑aligned states and gained observer status at the United Nations.
The 1988 Palestinian Declaration of Independence
The turning point came during the First Intifada, a
Palestinian uprising against Israeli occupation that began in December 1987.
Against this backdrop, the 19th session of the Palestinian National Council met
in Algiers from 12 to 15 November 1988.
On 15 November, the Council adopted the Palestinian
Declaration of Independence, drafted by poet Mahmoud Darwish and read by PLO
chairman Yasser Arafat.
The declaration proclaimed the establishment of the State of
Palestine, with Jerusalem as its capital. It referred to the 1947 UN Partition
Plan as a legal basis for Palestinian statehood and implicitly recognized
Israel by endorsing a two‑state framework.
This marked a significant political shift by the PLO,
signaling willingness to negotiate a settlement based on coexistence.
Within weeks, over 70 countries recognized the State of Palestine.
By early 1989, that number had grown to nearly 90.
The UN General Assembly passed Resolution 43/177 on 15
December 1988, acknowledging the proclamation and replacing the designation
“Palestine Liberation Organization” with “Palestine” in the UN system, granting
it observer status.
Oslo Accords and Limited Self‑rule
In the early 1990s, secret negotiations between Israel and
the PLO led to the Oslo Accords, signed in 1993 and 1995. These agreements
created the Palestinian Authority (PA), an interim self‑government body with
limited powers in parts of the West Bank and Gaza.
The PA was intended as a stepping stone toward full
Palestinian statehood within five years, but subsequent political developments
and violence stalled progress.
The PA took over administration in areas such as education,
health, and municipal affairs, but Israel retained control over borders,
airspace, and significant portions of the West Bank.
The Oslo process left unresolved core issues like the status
of Jerusalem, the right of return for refugees, and final borders.
International Recognition and UN Status
Recognition of the State of Palestine continued over the
decades. In September 2011, President Mahmoud Abbas submitted an application
for full UN membership.
While the Security Council did not approve it due to
opposition from the United States, on 29 November 2012 the UN General Assembly
adopted Resolution 67/19, upgrading Palestine’s status to a non‑member observer
state.
In May 2024, the UN General Assembly granted Palestine
additional rights, including seating among member states and the ability to
participate more fully in UN activities.
Full membership, however, remains blocked by US vetoes in
the Security Council.
By mid‑2025, around 147 UN member states recognize the State
of Palestine. Several European countries, including the UK, Canada, and Malta,
have announced plans to formalize recognition during the September 2025 UN
General Assembly session.
Supporters argue that recognition reinforces Palestinians’
right to self‑determination under international law.
What This Means Today
When discussing when Palestine was created, the answer
depends on whether you are referring to the ancient name, the territorial unit
under the British Mandate, or the modern State of Palestine.
The geographic label has existed for nearly two thousand
years. The British Mandate created a defined political entity called Palestine
in 1923. The All‑Palestine Government of 1948 asserted independence but was
largely symbolic.
The modern State of Palestine began in political and
diplomatic terms with the 15 November 1988 declaration.
Today, Palestine exists as a recognized state in the eyes of
most of the world’s countries and major international organizations, but lacks
full sovereignty over its territory.
Its future depends on diplomatic negotiations, regional
stability, and shifts in international consensus.
FAQs
When was the modern State of Palestine officially declared?
The modern State of Palestine was officially declared on 15 November 1988 by the Palestinian National Council in Algiers. This declaration, endorsed by the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO), marked a major milestone in Palestinian nationalism and has since been recognized by over 140 UN member states.Was there ever a country called Palestine before 1948?
Before 1948, Palestine was not a sovereign country but a geographic and administrative term used under various empires, including the Romans, Byzantines, Islamic caliphates, and the Ottomans.