Palestine

Region: Middle East

Official language: None (Arabic is major language)

Population: 5,354,656 (2022 est.)

Nationality: Palestinian(s) (noun), Palestinian (adjective)

Capital: East Jerusalem is the intended capital, though this is still disputed. Ramallah is the administrative capital.

Population growth: 2.4% (2022 est.)

Time zone: UTC +2

Flag: The Palestinian flag features three equal stripes of black (top), white (middle), and green (bottom). A red isosceles triangle overlaps the stripes on the hoist (left) side. The colors are traditional and represent different Arab dynasties: the black refers to the Abbasid Dynasty, the white symbolizes the Umayyad Dynasty, the green represents the Fatimid Dynasty, and the red triangle represents the Hashemites.

Independence: Palestine was divided into a Jewish (Israel) and Arab states by the United Nations in 1947, after Palestine had been ruled by Great Britain since 1922. Palestine's Declaration of Independence was signed on November 15, 1988 by the Palestine National Council. The Palestinian National Authority was created as the result of the 1993 Oslo Accord between Israel and Palestine, including plans for Israeli withdrawal from Palestinian Territory.

Government type: Semi-presidential government.

Suffrage: 17 years of age; universal

The State of Palestine consists of two areas of land, the West Bank and Gaza Strip, in the Middle East, much of which is contested with Israel. It is part of what is known to Jews, Christians, and Muslims as the Holy Land. The majority of Palestinian Arabs live in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip; however, many Palestinians also live in exile in other countries, such as Lebanon, Jordan, and Syria.

Although Palestine is not universally recognized as an independent country, Palestinian Arabs have been working for several decades toward a goal of establishing self-rule as a Palestinian state that is separate from its neighbor, Israel. An important landmark was reached in 2012 when the State of Palestine was granted nonmember observer state status in the United Nations General Assembly. In May 2024, nearly three-fourths of the UN General Assembly voted in favor of Palestine's bid to become a full UN member and recommended that the UN Security Council reconsider Palestine's bid favorably. At the time, more than two-thirds of the UN's member nations had recognized Palestine as a state. However, continuing conflicts with Israel over land and settlement rights have prevented a peaceful resolution and the establishment of clear borders, and Israel controls certain aspects of Palestinian territory, such as the borders and the airspace. Acts of violence and aggression on the part of both the Palestinians and the Israelis continue to take place.

People and Culture

Population: The majority of people in the State of Palestine are Palestinian Arabs, with about 590,000 Jewish Israelis living in Israeli settlements in the West Bank and East Jerusalem. The most common languages spoken are Arabic and Hebrew. The great majority of Palestinian Arabs follow the Muslim tradition (mostly Sunni), while Jews adhere to the Jewish faith. However, a small portion of the population is made up of Christian and Druze Arabs. Because Palestine is traditionally part of the Holy Land, many believers from Jewish, Christian, and Muslim backgrounds are concerned about the future of the region.

Indigenous People: In 1900, the region known as Palestine was home to an Arab-Muslim majority. Around 80 percent of the population was Muslim. Throughout the early twentieth century, more and more Jewish immigrants arrived. A few moved to Palestine in support of the Zionist movement, which promoted the return of Jews to a traditional homeland. However, most immigrants were attracted by the growth, political and religious freedom, and economic opportunities in the region.

Many Jews emigrated from Germany, Russia, and Eastern Europe, especially during the rule of the Nazi regime in Germany (1933–45). After the war, the state of Israel was created, and most Palestinian Arabs were driven into portions of Palestine that became known as the Palestinian territories, which today make up the State of Palestine.

Education: Elementary education comprises the first ten years of schooling for students in Palestine. Education is highly valued by the Palestinian people, and as of 2021, the literacy rate for individuals age fifteen and older was 97.7 percent. However, because of the lack of stability and the economic problems in the region, education is challenging for Palestinians.

Many students and teachers have been killed, injured, or arrested in the ongoing violence. Because of Israeli-controlled checkpoints and curfews, some students and teachers have a difficult time getting to school. In addition to these difficulties, a number of Palestinian schools have been closed by the Israeli government.

However, the Ministry of Education and Higher Education of the Palestinian National Authority has attempted to improve education in the region updating the curriculum and by moving schools away from areas of intense conflict. The Ministry of Education has received support from a number of countries and organizations, including the United Nations.

There are many universities and colleges in the region, including Alquds University, Birzeit University, and Bethlehem University, which was the first university in the West Bank.

Health Care: Like teachers and students, health care workers in Palestine face the dangers and difficulties of doing their jobs amid violence. Israeli curfews and roadblocks make it difficult for emergency medical services to reach Palestinian patients, and for patients to reach hospitals and doctors. Delays in reaching medical services affect all who live in the Palestinian territories, especially pregnant women and the very sick.

Efforts have been made to improve health care services, such as mobile health clinics, local clinics in villages, hospitals, and training for health care workers. The Palestinian government has been trying to implement a national health care system. The Palestine Red Crescent Society, which is similar to the American Red Cross, works to supply emergency medicine and ambulance transportation.

Food: Many Palestinian dishes are made from lamb, chicken, or rice. Falafel consists of deep-fried patties of ground chickpeas, garlic, onion, and spices like cumin and turmeric. Shakshoukeh, or fried tomatoes, is served with green olives.

In southern Palestine, mafghoussa is a popular meal consisting of zucchini and hot green peppers. Different types of eggplant salad, or mutabbal, are found throughout the region.

Arts & Entertainment: The arts are flourishing in Palestine with the support of a number of institutions, including the Bethlehem Peace Center, the Khalil Sakakini Cultural Center, and the Palestine Popular Art Centre. One of the earliest arts organizations in the Occupied Territories is the Palestinian National Theater, a nonprofit institution in Jerusalem. Cinema and theater productions take place at the Al-Kasaba Theatre and Cinematheque.

Well-known visual artists include Abed Abdi, a graphic designer, sculptor, and mural artist. Asim Abu Shaqra (1960–90) frequently used the image of the cactus in his oil paintings. Rana Bishara specialized in three-dimensional art and used alternative media like fragrant dried plants in her work.

Palestinians have also made significant contributions to literature. Mahmoud Darwish (1941–2008) was an important poet who authored the 2002 book State of Siege. Poet Ghassan Zaqtan is internationally recognized. Palestinian novelists include Liana Badr, who was also involved with film in the Ministry of Culture, and Sahar Khalifeh, who founded the Women’s Affairs Center in Nablus in 1988.

Sports organizations in Palestine include the Palestinian Football Federation and the Palestinian Tennis Association. There are soccer teams in both Gaza and the West Bank, which travel outside these areas to participate in matches.

Holidays: Land Day is celebrated on March 30. On this holiday, Palestinians protest what they see as illegal Israeli settlement on their lands. Each year they participate in labor strikes, protests, parades, and memorial services. While the holiday activities are often peaceful, they have at times been accompanied by violence.

Environment and Geography

Topography: Palestine has a varied landscape, extending from the heights of Upper Galilee (1,200 meters/4,000 feet) to the lowest land depth on the planet (400 meters/1,310 feet) in the Jordan Valley. The West Bank is bounded on the east by the Jordan River and the Dead Sea, and on the north, west, and south by Israel. The Gaza Strip is bounded on the west by the Mediterranean Sea, the southeast by Egypt, and the east and north by Israel. Among these lands’ various physical features are plateaus, hills, mountains, plains, rivers, lakes, and valleys.

The Jordan River is perhaps the most famous river in the region, with historical, religious, and political significance. It winds through the land, connecting Lake Kinneret with the Dead Sea. The Jordan River is also a boundary between the West Bank and Jordan.

The Jordan Valley is a rift valley. It varies in width from 2.5 to 22 kilometers (1.5 to 14 miles). It is very hot and dry; water can be found in oases, and any crops must be irrigated. Lake Tiberias, or the Sea of Galilee, is located in the valley, and is an important part of the rich religious history of the region. The Dead Sea is an inland sea that has a very high mineral content; it is around 400 meters (1,300 feet) lower than the Mediterranean Sea. At 200 meters (660 feet) below sea level, Lake Kinneret is the world’s lowest freshwater lake.

Natural Resources: Palestine is not rich in natural resources. Potash, an ingredient in fertilizer, is found throughout the region. The mineral barite can also be found, but has not been widely extracted. Other resources include limestone, marble, sand, and gravel.

The region has no known fossil fuel deposits. While the Dead Sea contains many potentially valuable minerals, Palestine has not been able to develop an industry to extract them. The water supply in the region is not abundant; however, there are reliable sources of water available for use.

Plants & Animals: Most ecological diversity in Palestine occurs near water; however, many species have adapted to dry conditions and habitats throughout the region.

Around the Jordan River, there are over 2,000 plant species. In areas of Palestine that have a Mediterranean climate, plants can be grown without irrigation. Common species of tree include the Aleppo pine, the common oak, and the Palestine terebinth. Lower-growing plants include the calycotome thorn bush, the rock rose, and the salvia. The bushy bean-caper, a desert plant, can survive with very little water.

A number of animal species live in the region, including the marsh lynx, the gazelle, the ibex, and jackals. Animals adapted to tropical habitats live in the Jordan Valley, including the cheetah, the honey badger, the tropical cuckoo, and the carpet viper. The griffon vulture is a rare bird that almost became extinct in the 1930s.

Climate: Palestine is located between a subtropical wet region in the south and a subtropical arid region in the north. Because of this situation, the south sees little rainfall, while northern areas can experience heavy rainfall during the rainy season. The Mediterranean Sea also influences the weather in the region, causing depressions that affect barometric pressure and precipitation.

The region is sunny, particularly in desert areas, although periods of rainfall typically occur from November to May. Palestine experiences a summer monsoon season that creates humid, windy conditions. From May to November, the weather tends to be dry. The mountain regions in Hebron and Upper Galilee generally see some annual snowfall at elevations over 800 meters (2,500 feet).

The temperature in Palestine varies with the elevation, with lower areas reporting the highest temperatures. Depending on elevation, coastal areas see more moderate temperatures of around 20° to 21° Celsius (68° to 70° Fahrenheit). Temperatures range from 9° to 18° Celsius (48° to 64° Fahrenheit) in winter and 26° to 30° Celsius (78° to 86° Fahrenheit) in summer.

Economy

The Palestinian economy underwent many changes throughout the twentieth century as the result of the region’s changing political status. When it was divided in 1948, the region experienced a number of economic difficulties. Many Palestinian Arab farmers lost their farms and grazing land to Israel, and refugees crowded into the West Bank and Gaza.

The large influx of refugees flooded the employment market, lowered wages, and made local resources scarce. Between 1948 and 1967, foreign financial aid and tourism, particularly in Jerusalem, helped the economy stay afloat. With assistance from countries like Egypt, Palestinians were able to develop an agricultural industry that depended largely on citrus crops. Smuggling also became a way to earn a living.

The Palestinian uprising known as the intifada (1987–90) saw a decline in the economy, with more barriers to employment and fewer jobs in the manufacturing industries. Today, two-thirds of the population of the Gaza Strip, one of the most densely populated areas in the world, is made up of refugees; it is underdeveloped, impoverished, and economically depressed.

The 2021 gross domestic product (GDP, purchasing power parity) was US$18.04 billion, with a per-capita GDP of US$3,664. In 2021, 26.4 percent of Palestinians in the labor force were unemployed.

Ongoing violence between Palestinian Territories and Israel in the 2010s and 2020s has impeded economic growth. Security restrictions, political instability, Israeli closure policies, and Israel’s withholding of taxes collected on behalf of the Palestinian Authority have all adversely affected economic indicators.

Industry: Palestinians work in a variety of industries. According to the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics, 12.4 percent of workers were employed in the mining, quarrying and manufacturing industry; 18.8 percent worked in construction; 21.8 percent worked in commerce, restaurants, and hotels; 5.8 percent worked in transportation, storage, and telecommunication fields; and 34.5 percent worked in services and other branches (2021 estimates).

Agriculture: Because water is not plentiful in the region, only 7.4 percent of land in Palestine is arable, or suitable for growing crops. Other land can be used to grow crops, but requires considerable investment in areas such as irrigation to be successful. Much of the land is too arid or steep for agriculture. According to the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics, 6.7 percent of workers were employed in the agriculture, fishing, and forestry sector in 2021.

Traditional crops grown by Palestinian farmers include cotton, olives, wheat, corn, barley, and sesame. Olives and citrus crops like oranges remain important to the economy.

Tourism: Tourism in Palestine is made difficult by the political violence there. However, the region is of interest to travelers because of its historical and religious sites. Among these are the West Bank cities of Bethlehem (the birthplace of Jesus Christ), Jericho, and Hebron. In 2020, the United States Department of State warned US citizens against all travel to the Gaza Strip due to security concerns.

Government

Palestine has been an occupied territory since the sixteenth century. From 1516–1916, the Ottoman Empire controlled the region. Under Ottoman rule, local sheikhs fought for political power, but were ultimately defeated by the modernizing reforms and political power of the Empire.

By 1916, the region was under the control of the British government. After World War I, the 1917 Balfour Declaration guaranteed British support for the establishment of a Jewish homeland in Palestine, giving Britain a strategic ally in the Middle East. After a brief period of British military rule, Palestine became what was known as Mandatory Palestine, under British administration, in 1920. Britain brought with it educational and social reforms that were intended to improve the area.

Preceding the establishment of the State of Israel, the First Arab-Israeli War lasted from May 1948 to March 1949. The fighting took place between Jewish and Arab armies, including forces from Egypt, Syria, and Lebanon. During this war, many atrocities were committed against Palestinian civilians, who were forced to leave their homes and either become refugees or enter exile.

Between 1948 and 1967, Palestinian Arabs were stripped of nearly all economic and political power. The West Bank was controlled by Jordan, and the Gaza Strip by Egypt.

In April 1967, Israel waged what came to be known as the Six-Day War against Egypt to keep the country from invading. To increase national security, Israel occupied the West Bank, the Golan Heights (bordering Syria), and the Gaza Strip. With military support from Western countries, the Israeli army was able to drive out its Soviet-backed Arab neighbors (Egypt, Jordan, and Syria). The occupation displaced many people, and by 1972 there were 1.5 million registered Palestinian refugees.

Following the Six-Day War, Palestinian nationalist organizations like the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) engaged in acts of guerilla warfare and terrorism against Israel. Other activist organizations included the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP) and the Popular Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PDFLP).

From 1987 to 1996, a Palestinian uprising or intifada, which in Arabic means "shaking off," began in an attempt to drive Israel out of the West Bank and the Gaza Strip. In 1988, the PLO declared Palestine independent of Israel.

A second intifada started in October 2000. Suicide bombings, car bombs, and other acts of violence prompted Israeli forces to retaliate with the destruction of the Jenin refugee camp and the killing of Palestinian terrorism suspects.

In 1996, following the Oslo Agreement between Israel and the PLO, the Palestinian National Authority was recognized as the governing body in the West Bank and Gaza. The peace process in Palestine continues today, with support from the United Nations and the United States.

In January 2006, the militant Islamic group Hamas won a majority of seats on the Palestinian Legislative Council (PLC). The election essentially gave the group control of the Palestinian government, which was once in the hands of the more moderate Fatah organization. Hamas is considered a terrorist organization by the United States and Israel because a key tenet of its political doctrine is the destruction of Israel.

In the middle of 2007, Hamas forces gained control of the Gaza Strip from Fatah forces. In an attempt to isolate Hamas, Fatah leader and Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas dissolved the Hamas-dominated government and appointed economist Salam Fayyad as prime minister.

In November 2008, Israeli military forces invaded the Gaza Strip, in what it said was a response to Hamas rocket fire. However, United Nations officials and numerous governments criticized Israel for the number of civilian casualties resulting from the military action. Although a ceasefire was reached in December, the situation in the region remains fractured and tense.

In 2011, Fatah and Hamas signed an agreement to form an interim Palestinian government. Attempts to form a unity government failed, however, and in July 2014 Israel and supporters of the two groups clashed over a period of fifty-one days, culminating in Hamas's seizure of military and governmental institutions in the Gaza Strip.

France hosted a twenty-nine nation ministerial meeting (without Israeli or Palestinian officials) in 2016 in order to prepare for a multilateral peace conference later that year. Palestinian officials welcomed these efforts, but Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu declined to take part in the proposed conference, saying that it was biased against Israel. On January 15, 2017, representatives from seventy countries met at a peace summit in Paris to encourage the formation of a two-state solution, but neither the Israelis nor the Palestinians attended. Tensions continued to build in 2018 and 2019 as violent protests erupted along the border of Israel and the Gaza Strip. In 2019 negotiations, led by Egypt, resumed between Palestine and Israel in an attempt to quell the ongoing violence.

In May 2021, Hamas fired rockets at Israel, leading to a conflict that lasted for eleven days. It was ended by a ceasefire negotiated by leaders of the UN, Egypt, and Qatar.

On October 7, 2023, Hamas militants killed at least 1,139 people in Israel and took about 240 people hostage. Israel responded by launching an offensive in Gaza in its bid to destroy Hamas and free the hostages. By May 2024, the Hamas-run Gazan health ministry reported that Israel's offensive had left more than 35,700 people in Gaza dead and much of the territory's population internally displaced and at risk of famine. International concerns over the high civilian death toll and humanitarian crisis in Gaza prompted widespread calls for a permanent ceasefire and the return of the remaining hostages. Israeli officials and supporters argued that Israel had the right to defend itself and that a permanent ceasefire would only reward Hamas's terrorist attacks.

The Israel-Hamas war also renewed international efforts to recognize Palestinian statehood and membership in the United Nations. In April 2024, the fifteen-member United Nations Security Council held a vote on whether Palestine's bid to be recognized as a full member state of the United Nations could move forward. Twelve Security Council members voted in favor of the resolution, but the United States vetoed it, saying that while it supported a two-state solution as part of a negotiated settlement between Israel and Palestine, Hamas controlled much of what would be Palestinian territory as a state. In May 2024, the UN General Assembly voted 143 to 9, with 25 abstentions, to approve new rights and privileges for Palestine, resolve that Palestine was qualified to apply for full membership to the UN, and recommend that the Security Council reconsider Palestine's full membership bid favorably.

In May 2024, Ireland, Spain, and Norway announced that they would recognize Palestine as a state, as a move to end the Israel-Hamas conflict. Though dozens of nations had already recognized Palestine, the nearly simultaneous recognition by three Western powers was seen by some observers as a shift that could add momentum to growing international support for Palestinian statehood. Israel responded to the announcements by withdrawing their ambassadors to the three nations.

Interesting Facts

• Palestinians claim East Jerusalem as their capital, but the de facto administrative capital is Ramallah, in the West Bank, which is known as the most liberal and tolerant Palestinian city, with many poets and artists and a thriving nightlife.
• Christmas celebrations occur three times a year in Bethlehem. Catholics celebrate the holiday on December 25; Greek Orthodox Palestinians celebrate on January 7; and Christian Armenians in Bethlehem celebrate on January 18.

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