Why Palestine Is in The Wrong

Oren Barsky
So what's the story behind this map that's been circulating online for years and pops up every time there's
a debate about #Israel and #Palestine?
Is it telling the truth?

Is it fake?
Let's uncover the real story:
This is a map of the territory now known as the State of Israel, and many use it to support their argument
that modern Israel has 'stolen' the lands of Palestinian Arabs.
The map shows the territorial evolution of Israel over the years, and at first glance, it does indeed give the
impression that what was Palestinian territory until 1948 is increasingly being reduced in favor of Israeli
lands.
If you don't know the history, the map makes it look like Israel took land from Palestine.
But here's the catch: The green part is labeled 'Palestine,' making it seem like Israel stole from a country.
Yet there was never a country called 'Palestine' to begin with. That name is for a territory, not an actual
country.
So, the whole "Israel took land from a country" idea?
It's not the full picture.
Let's skip the ancient empires and zoom in on more recent history.
Specifically, to the Ottoman Empire that governed the territory in question for four centuries, from 1516
to 1917.
This is an essential context because, during their rule, the area we now
refer to as Israel and Palestine was part of a much larger imperial
jurisdiction, and not a sovereign state called 'Palestine.'
The area had a relatively sparse population. Throughout their rule, the
Ottomans encouraged Muslim migration to Palestine, primarily from
Egypt and Sudan. This is, in fact, the origin of many of today's
Palestinians, as indicated by the surnames of major clans.
After WWI, starting in 1917, Britain took over the territory. They quickly
issued the Balfour Declaration, which was the first nod to creating a
Jewish homeland in Israel. This was a new, European idea of a "nation-
state", introduced to the Middle East for the first time.
Arabs back then didn't even see themselves as separate

nations but rather as clans (Some would say that they still
think this way to this day)
That idea was pushed onto them by the Sykes-Picot
Agreement, which split the Middle East into various zones
between France and Britain
On Nov 29, 1947, the UN passed a partition plan dividing
the territory of British Mandate Palestine between Jews
and Arabs. It recognized both sides' rights to establish a
nation-state within agreed-upon borders, a move voted on
and approved by UN member states
The Jewish community fully embraced the UN's partition plan,
but the Arab population flatly rejected it.
Armed conflict against Jewish settlements started almost
immediately, dubbed the War of Independence, even as
British rule persisted.
On the last day of the British Mandate, May 14, 1948, a Jewish
state was declared. The very next day, armies from Syria, Iraq,
Jordan, and Egypt, with smaller forces from Lebanon and
Saudi Arabia, invaded the territory, initiating the 2nd phase of
the War of Independence.
After nearly a year of fighting, the young

State of Israel successfully repelled
invading foreign armies and internal
Arab forces, capturing additional
territories in the process.
The armistice lines of 1949 established that the West Bank
would be under Jordanian control, and the Gaza Strip under
Egyptian control. The remaining territories were
incorporated into Israel. These borders held until the 1967
Six-Day War
The Six Day War was the first major

Arab attempt since 1948 to destroy
Israel. In May 1967 Egypt closed the
Straits of Tiran to Israeli shipping - an
act of war against Israel.
The governments of Jordan, Iraq, Saudi Arabia, Syria, and
Lebanon moved their forces toward the Israeli border.
Israel responded to the growing threat and in 6 days
captured the Sinai, the West Bank (Judea and Samaria),
Gaza, and the Golan Heights.
In 1977, Egyptian President Anwar Sadat visited Israel,

marking the beginning of a peace process between the
two countries. As part of this, Israel returned the Sinai
Peninsula to Egypt. Egypt, however, declined to retake
control of the Gaza Strip, leaving it in Israeli hands
The 1993 Oslo Accords led to a phased transfer of most

of the West Bank and Gaza Strip to Palestinian control.
Fast forward to 2005, Israel unilaterally disengaged

from Gaza Strip, evacuating all its settlements.
Since 2005, there's been no Israeli presence -civilian or

military- in Gaza. Since then, Hamas, a terror
organization, effectively controlled the territory.
Let's summarize so far:
1. There has never been a sovereign state
called Palestine.
In fact, as of today, the territories belonging
to the Palestinian Authority are the largest
ever held by an entity defined as Palestinian.
2. The majority of Palestinians originated
from migration from countries like Sudan
and Egypt during the Ottoman Empire, with
no proven historical connection to Israel.
3. Arabs residing in Israel before 1948 were
offered the chance to establish their own
nation-state but chose to go to war instead.
They can't blame anyone but themselves for
the outcomes.
4. Regardless of history, millions of
Palestinians currently live in Gaza and the
West Bank, and a viable solution must be
found for their peaceful coexistence.
5. It seems that Palestinians have been the
ones sabotaging solutions so far.
Bottom line: The next time you encounter various maps circulating online trying to create a one-sided
narrative, do your own research to uncover the truth.

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Oren Barsky

Is it telling the truth?

Arabs back then didn't even see themselves as separate

After nearly a year of fighting, the young

The Six Day War was the first major

In 1977, Egyptian President Anwar Sadat visited Israel,

The 1993 Oslo Accords led to a phased transfer of most

Fast forward to 2005, Israel unilaterally disengaged

Since 2005, there's been no Israeli presence -civilian or

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