The term “Palestinian” today refers to the Arab population living in Judea and Samaria (the West Bank), east Jerusalem and the Gaza Strip. By adopting this name, there is an implication that these people have been linked somehow to this land for thousands of years; that is, these Palestinians have deep roots in the land – which is certainly not the case.
The term “Palestinian” is derived from the word Philistine. The Philistines (of whom Goliath was one) were a sea-faring people who likely originated in Crete and invaded the coastal strip around 1200 BCE.
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