Palestine 101
Welcome to Palestine 101.
This primer reflects Voices for Justice in Palestine’s commitment to stand with Palestinians as they pursue freedom, dignity, and equal rights in their homeland. Inside, you’ll find clear snapshots of history, an accessible look at today’s occupation, and concrete ways to get involved. Explore short articles, videos, infographics, and personal stories, then join us in working for a just and lasting peace for all who call Palestine home.
History at a glance
Understanding the history of Palestine helps explain today’s reality. Here is a brief timeline of key events and how we got here:
1917 – The Balfour Declaration: During World War I, Britain issued the Balfour Declaration promising support for “the establishment in Palestine of a national home for the Jewish people.” At the time, Palestine was overwhelmingly inhabited by Arab Palestinians, but Britain’s pledge encouraged the Zionist movement (which sought a Jewish homeland in Palestine). In 1922 Britain gained control of Palestine (the British Mandate). Over the next decades, Jewish immigration to Palestine increased dramatically – rising from about 6% of the population in 1918 to 33% by 1947, as many Jews fled persecution in Europe. Palestinians grew alarmed as their country’s demographics shifted and land was transferred to new Jewish settlers, leading to rising tensions and anti-colonial revolts.
1947 – UN Partition Plan: After World War II, the newly formed United Nations proposed to partition Palestine into two states: one Jewish, one Arab. The plan (UN Resolution 181) allotted 55% of the land for a Jewish state and 45% for an Arab statealjazeera.com. At that time, however, Palestinian Arabs still comprised about two-thirds of the population and owned over 90% of the land, while the Jewish community owned less than 10%aljazeera.com. Palestinians rejected the partition plan as fundamentally unfair, and fighting broke out between Zionist militias and Arab forces even before the British Mandate ended.
Map: The 1947–1949 Nakba – Over 750,000 Palestinians were expelled or fled during the war, and the new State of Israel took control of 78% of historic Palestine. The remaining 22% (West Bank, East Jerusalem, and Gaza Strip) came under Arab administration until 1967.
1948 – The Nakba (Catastrophe): In 1948, Zionist forces declared the independent State of Israel, prompting neighboring Arab states to intervene. In the war that followed, Israel prevailed and dramatically expanded its territory. About 750,000 Palestinian Arabs – more than half the native population – were forcibly expelled or fled from their homes during 1947-1949. This traumatic mass displacement is known by Palestinians as the Nakba, or “Catastrophe.” Over 500 towns and villages were destroyed or emptied. By the war’s end, Israel controlled roughly 78% of historic Palestine, far more than the UN’s proposed share. The remaining 22% (the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, and the Gaza Strip) fell under the control of Jordan and Egypt, respectively. An estimated 15,000 Palestinians were killed in the fighting. Those Palestinians who were expelled or fled became refugees, many ending up in crowded camps in Gaza, the West Bank, and neighboring countries – a refugee crisis that endures to this day. (In 1948, the UN affirmed these refugees’ right to return to their homes (Resolution 194), but Israel has never allowed them to do so.) A minority of Palestinians (around 150,000) remained within the new state of Israel; they were eventually given Israeli citizenship, but lived under military rule and discrimination for years.
1967 – The Six-Day War (Naksa): Tensions continued in the following decades. In June 1967, Israel fought a war with neighboring Arab states and occupied the rest of historic Palestine – namely, the West Bank (and East Jerusalem) and Gaza Strip – as well as Egypt’s Sinai Peninsula and Syria’s Golan Heights. For Palestinians, this defeat and second displacement are called the Naksa. About 300,000 more Palestinians were driven from their homes during the 1967 war, many becoming refugees for a second time. Since 1967, Israel has militarily governed the Palestinian population of the West Bank and Gaza – an occupation that continues today. Israel soon began establishing settlements (Jewish-only communities) on occupied Palestinian land, further entrenching its control.
Map: Post-1967 Occupation – Israel occupied East Jerusalem, the West Bank, and Gaza in 1967 (along with Sinai and Golan Heights). The Palestinian territories came under Israeli military rule. Eventually, Israel annexed East Jerusalem (unrecognized internationally) and began settling its civilians in the occupied lands.
1987–1993 – First Intifada: After two decades under occupation, Palestinians mounted a mass uprising in 1987, known as the First Intifada (“shaking off”). This began in Gaza and quickly spread to the West Bank. Largely a grassroots movement of strikes, boycotts, and civil disobedience, the Intifada was a protest against the occupation’s injustices. Israeli forces responded with heavy repression – over a thousand Palestinians were killed and tens of thousands arrested during the uprising. The uprising drew international attention to the Palestinian plight and eventually led to peace negotiations.
1993 – Oslo Accords: In the early 1990s, Israeli and Palestinian leaders engaged in US-brokered negotiations. The Oslo Accords (1993–1995) created the Palestinian Authority (PA) to administer parts of the West Bank and Gaza, and Israel and the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) mutually recognized each other. Hopes were high for a “two-state solution.” However, the accords were only interim arrangements – Israel retained military control over most of the land (over 60% of the West Bank), and key issues like borders, refugees, and Jerusalem were left unresolved. In the years after Oslo, Israel’s settlement construction accelerated instead of stopping. Many Palestinians grew disillusioned as the promised independent state failed to materialize.
2000–2005 – Second Intifada: Frustration with the stalled peace and ongoing occupation led to a Second Intifada in 2000. This uprising was more violent and militarized than the first, sparked by a provocative visit of an Israeli politician (Ariel Sharon) to a holy site in Jerusalem. Suicide bombings, armed attacks, and harsh military crackdowns defined this period. Thousands of people (Palestinians and Israelis) were killed. Israel reoccupied Palestinian cities that had been under PA control and built a massive separation wall in the West Bank, carving up Palestinian communities. By 2005, the Intifada wound down, leaving a legacy of destruction and bitterness. The “peace process” had collapsed.
2005–Present – Gaza Blockade and Stalemate: In 2005, Israel withdrew its settlers and army from the Gaza Strip, but soon after, a militant Islamic party (Hamas) won elections in the Palestinian territories. Following a violent split between Palestinian factions, Hamas took control of Gaza in 2007. In response, Israel (and neighboring Egypt) imposed a strict blockade on Gaza that continues today. Gaza’s 2 million residents are effectively imprisoned in a tiny coastal strip, facing severe restrictions on movement and imports of basic goods – a situation the UN has called “unlivable”. Meanwhile, in the West Bank, Israeli occupation has only deepened: the number of Israeli settlers in the West Bank (including East Jerusalem) has swelled to around 700,000 today, despite being illegal under international law. Checkpoints, military raids, land confiscation, and home demolitions are part of daily life under occupation. Several rounds of negotiations have failed to produce a lasting agreement, and periodic violence (including wars in Gaza in 2008, 2012, 2014, 2021, and 2023) has inflicted heavy tolls, especially on Palestinian civilians.
In summary: Palestinians remain without an independent state or equal rights within a single state. Those in the West Bank and Gaza live under Israeli military control, and millions of Palestinian refugees are still displaced around the world. Israel continues to expand settlements and maintain its occupation, even as Palestinians persist in their struggle for freedom. Understanding this history is crucial – it provides context for why justice in Palestine is a pressing international issue, and why people around the globe advocate for the rights of Palestinians today.
(For a visual overview of this history, Al Jazeera offers an excellent brief history with maps and chartsaljazeera.comaljazeera.com. You can also explore the interactive timeline and maps at PalQuest101.visualizingpalestine.org or the Palestinian Museum’s digital timeline.)