Were Palestinians Invented in 1964?

Introduction

The claim that Palestinian identity only emerged in 1964 is related to the birth of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) in that year. In its main charter, Article 6, the PLO defines Palestinians as Arabs who normally resided in the region before 1947. This was the first time in history that the term Palestinian was officially coined to refer to a distinct nationality.

Before the establishment of the PLO, Palestinians were generally known as Palestinian-Arabs, the name which emerged due to the rise of Pan Arabism. The idea of unity with their Arab surrounding resonated as a source of strength in the fight against Zionism.

Palestinians were also called “the people of Palestine”, as the Philippines’ delegate Carlos Romulo called them in his famous speech at UNGA 181, opposing the injustice that befell them.

But Palestinians were even identified as just Palestinians. Yes, way before 1964, the term was already popular among the elite, in newspapers, and within student unions.

Palestinians were also called natives by the leaders of modern Zionism, like Ahad Ha’am, as early as 1897. The founder of Israel, David Ben Gurion, recognized them from their way of life as descendants of ancient Hebrews.

What is a National Movement

Before we address the historicity of Palestinians as a nation, it is important to understand that national movements are not found in nature. All national movements are invented, and all of them had a starting point. More importantly, national movements can’t be used to measure people’s origins.

This isn’t something new in modern history. Take the Kosovars, for example. They only started calling themselves by that name when Kosovo sought independence from Yugoslavia in the 90s. Before that, they identified as Albanians. If they had to be more specific, they would say Albanians from Kosovo. That shouldn’t undermine their new identity, nor does it refute their historical origin in the land.

Why Does it Matter What People Choose to Call Themselves?

Why can’t people call themselves by the name of the land where they and their ancestors lived for centuries, even if they identified as part of a bigger entity in the past?

After all, before 1948, Israeli Jews were just Jews. The term Israeli was invented in 1948. If immigrants can develop a unique name in a foreign land, why can’t natives do the same in their own land?

So, whether Palestinians choose to call themselves by the name of the larger group (Arabs) or by the name of the land (Palestinians), or both (Palestinian Arabs), why is this so controversial?

And not like evolving from Palestinian Arabs to Palestinians is a groundbreaking change anyway.

Does Arab Identity Negate Land Connection?

So the most important question here is, how did Palestinian Arabs view their homeland, Palestine? Did they feel any special connection to it, or was it just another place in their vast Arabic/Islamic empire? Let’s examine what historical records show, shall we?

One of the early accounts by Ottoman Palestinians was written by a Palestinian writer called Khayr al-Din al-Ramli, whose family name originates from the Palestinian town of al-Ramla. In his book, al-Fatawa al-Khayriyah, he refers to Palestine as “our Homeland”. (1)

Another more recent example of Palestinian identity and self-awareness was in 1905 by a Palestinian poet, al-Nashashibi, who warned against organised land purchase by foreign immigrants. (2) He said:

Awake, this is your homeland. Do not let it be sold to strangers.

Conclusion

No, Palestinians were not invented in 1964. What was invented on that date was the formal political body that represents the Palestinian people. Palestinian identity existed long before that, and their connection to the land of Palestine spans many centuries.