View source for Answers/Palestinians

'''Question:''' Weren't Palestians there first?  You took their land!

'''Answer:''' No, and no we didn't.

There is not, [http://yashiko.middleeastfacts.com/Palestinians_eng.html nor has there ever been] a people called "Palestinians".  Furthermore, the vast majority of Arabs living in the land of Israel are recent immigrants (past hundred years or so), just as are the majority of Jews.  However, Jews have lived in this land for 3700 years, continuously -- whereas there were no Arabs living here prior to the Muslim wars of conquest 1300 years ago.  In fact, Jews are the "indigenous semites" (there being no more Canaanites).

"Palestine" is a name the [http://www.think-israel.org/ronen.hadriancurse.html Romans invented] to humiliate the conquered Jews.  There was never a people with that name, nor a country with that name, nor any of the debris left in the wake of a flourishing culture under that name.

The early Jewish settlers [http://www.palestinefacts.org/pf_early_palestine_zionists_impact.php purchased the land] from absentee Turkish landlords, who thought they were getting a good deal for such worthless land.  Only after the Jews improved the land so it was livable, did the Arabs start immigrating and set up shop.