Some have asked why, whenever I write out the words “palestinian,” or “palestine,” I always put quotes around the words, and never capitalize the “P.” And why is every phrase or word between quotes or brackets () italicised?
The italicising rule comes from the Associated Press Stylebook, which states that any word or phrase between either quotation marks or brackets, should be italicised.
The reason why some words are placed between quotation marks is that they convey a false concept or an idea that should be questioned. “Palestinian” is a made up identity. The idea that there is or ever was a people called “palestinian” is a false one. There has never been a country, region or land mass called “palestine,” and therefore “palestinians” do not exist. “Palestine” itself is nothing but a trendy label that only became fashionable in the late 1960s.
After their sack of Jerusalem, the destruction of the Jewish Temple, and the Bar Kochba rebellion, the Romans renamed the country of Judea Syria Palestina, in order to disassociate the Jews from their land. The area was only called Syria Palestina until the end of the Roman Empire, from 135 to 475 CE. It would not be referred to as Palestine again until September 29, 1923, with the establishment of the British Mandate for Palestine (Sept 29, 1923 until May 14 1948).
Before September 1923, the land that is now known as “palestine” was just a random piece of land that was constantly being fought over by various empires and kingdoms. The people living there didn’t identify as “palestinians,” they were just a mix of different ethnic and religious groups.
So where did this whole “palestinian” thing come from? Well, it all started with a little organization called the Palestinian Liberation Organization (PLO). They were formed to represent the interests of “palestinian” Arabs and to fight for their right to self-determination. And what better way to rally support than to create a catchy identity?
And so, the term “palestinian” was born. It became the buzzword of the Arab world and suddenly, everyone wanted to identify as “palestinian.” It was like being a part of a cool, exclusive club. But let’s not forget, this was all a marketing ploy by the PLO. They wanted to create a strong national identity and garner sympathy from the international community.
But the truth is, there was never a “palestinian” nation or state in history. The land was always a part of different empires and kingdoms, from the ancient Egyptians to the Ottoman Empire. And even when the British took control of the land after World War I, they never called it “palestine.” They called it the British Mandate for Palestine (or sometimes, “mandatory palestine”).
And let’s not forget that Israel, which is often seen as the oppressor of the so-called “palestinian people,” has a much longer and established history in the land. The Jewish people have a deep connection to the land and the city of Jerusalem, whereas the identity of “palestinian” was created out of thin air in the 20th century.
So, there you have it. The truth about “palestine.” It’s not a real place with a real history. It’s just a trendy label that was created for political purposes. But hey, if you still want to identify as “palestinian,” go right ahead. Just know that you’re basically rocking a hipster identity that only became cool less than 60 years ago.
