Once a beautiful area with clean, whole apartment buildings and infrastructure, the Palestinian territory is now a dilapidated disaster zone. The ongoing war for the right to own their ancestral lands removes the opportunity to take a break for the population and restore their economic activity.
The story of a small but very proud state is still sad, but the Palestinians are full of hope for a bright future. They believe that in one day Allah will remove all the infidels from their path and give peace and freedom to the Palestinian people.
Where is Palestine located?
The territory of Palestine is located in the Middle East. The geographical map includes in this territory the Asian countries of the southwestern part: Qatar, Iran, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and others. Among them, there are surprising differences in the state system: some states differ in republican rule, others in monarchical rule.
Historians have proven that the territory of the Middle East is the ancestral home of ancient civilizations that disappeared many millions of years ago. Three world-famous religions appeared here - Islam, Judaism and Christianity. The area mainly consists of sand deserts or impassable mountains. For the most part, agriculture is absent here. However, many countries have risen to the peak of their modern development thanks to oil fields.
A clouding factor for residents of the Middle East is the territorial feud, because of which a huge number of civilians are dying. Since the emergence of a Jewish state among the Arab countries was an unexpected factor, almost all the countries of the second paragraph refused diplomatic relations with Israel. And military conflicts between Israelis and Palestinians continue from 1947 to the present day.
Initially, the location of Palestine occupied the entire terrain, from the waters of the Jordan to the Mediterranean shores. In the middle of the last century, the Palestinian location changed after the creation of the famous state of Israel.
Which city is the capital of Palestine? Jerusalem status
The history of the ancient city of Jerusalem is rooted in deep time BC. Modern realities do not leave the sacred land alone. The division of the city began immediately after the establishment of the borders of Israel and the Arab state in 1947, after many years of British claims. However, Jerusalem was endowed with a special status on an international scale, all military garrisons should have been withdrawn from it, respectively, life was supposed to be exclusively peaceful. But, as often happens, everything went completely wrong. Despite the instructions of the UN, in the years 48-49 of the twentieth century there was a military conflict between Arabs and Israelis over the establishment of power over Jerusalem. As a result, the city was divided into parts between the Jordanian state, which gave the eastern part, and Israel, which inherited the western territories of the ancient city.
The famous Six Day War of the year 67 of the twentieth century was won by Israel, and Jerusalem completely entered its composition. But the UN Security Council did not agree with such a policy and ordered Israel to withdraw its troops from Jerusalem, recalling the decree of 1947. However, Israel spat on all the requirements and refused to demilitarize the city. And on May 6, 2004, the United Nations General Assembly proclaimed the full right on the part of Palestine to occupy the eastern part of Jerusalem. Then military conflicts began with renewed vigor.
Now in Palestine operates a temporary capital - Ramallah, located thirteen kilometers from Israel, in the center of the western banks of the Jordan River. The city was recognized as the capital of Palestine in 1993. In the 1400s BC, the site of the city was the settlement of Rama. This was the era of the Judges, and the place was a holy Mecca for Israel. The modern boundaries of the city were formed in the middle of the 16th century. Wars were also waged for this city, and at the beginning of the second millennium AD, the city was finally transferred to the state of Palestine. In Ramallah is the burial of Yasser Arafat, who left in 2004. The population is twenty seven and a half thousand people, only Arabs live here, part of which professes Islam, and part Christianity.
President of the country
The President of Palestine is the same chairman of the Palestinian National Authority. As in many presidential countries, he is the commander in chief of the Armed Forces. The President has the right to appoint and remove the Prime Minister, and is also personally involved in approving the composition of the government. The President may at any time deprive the head of the board of authority. In his power is the dissolution of parliament and the appointment of early elections. The President of Palestine is a determining element in foreign and domestic policy issues.
The fact that, according to a UN decree, Palestine was forbidden to represent its head as President of Palestine, despite the fact that the state of Palestine was officially created in 1988, can be attributed to the historical background. The penultimate chairman, Yasser Arafat, did not use the designation of his position with the word president. But the real chairman of the Palestinian Authority in 2013 issued a decree formally replacing the post with a presidential one. True, many countries of the world did not recognize such a change.
The name of the President, who has ruled for four years, is Mahmoud Abbas Abu Mazen. The term of office of the Palestinian president cannot exceed a five-year period and can only be re-elected in a row only once. Yasser Arafat, his predecessor, died while at his post.
Where are the borders of Palestine? Geography of the country
Officially, only 136 of the 1919 UN member states recognized the state of Palestine. The historical territory of Palestine is divided into four parts, which consist of the lands of the coastal plain to the Mediterranean territories of Galilee - the northern part, Samaria - the central part, located on the north side of holy Jerusalem and Judea - the southern part, including Jerusalem itself. Such boundaries were established according to biblical scriptures. However, at the moment, the Palestinian area is divided into only two parts: the coast of Jordan, the river in Palestine (its western part) and the Gaza Strip.
Consider the first component of the Arab state. The western banks of the Jordan River stretched for only 6 thousand kilometers, and the total length of the border is four hundred kilometers. It is hot enough in summer, but in winter the climate is mild. The lowest point in the area is the Dead Sea with its 400 meters below sea level. With the help of irrigation, local residents adapted to use the land for agricultural purposes.
The West Bank is a predominantly flat area. Palestine as a whole has a very small amount of territorial land - 6,220 square kilometers. The main part of the western plain is covered with small hills and desert, there is no sea communication. And the forest area is only one percent. Accordingly, the border of Palestine with Jordan passes here.
The next part of the country is the Gaza Strip, with a border length of sixty-two kilometers. The territory consists of hills and sand dunes, the climate is dry and the summers are very hot. Gaza is almost entirely dependent on the supply of drinking water from the source of Wadi Gaza, from which Israel feeds on water. The Gaza Strip borders with Israel and is conditioned in all the vital communications established by the Jewish state. In the west, Gaza is washed by the waters of the Mediterranean Sea, and from the south it borders on Egypt.
Residents
Given that the area of Palestine is quite small, the population in Palestine is only about five million. The exact data for 2017 is 4 million 990 thousand 882 people. If we recall the middle of the twentieth century, then the population growth over half a century amounted to almost 4 million. Compared to 1951, when the country consisted of 900 thousand people. The number of male and female population is almost the same, the birth rate exceeds mortality, perhaps this is due to a certain decrease in military operations in the form of bombing of settlements. Migration is just as popular; almost ten thousand people fled from Palestine this year. The average life expectancy for men is only 4 years less than for women and is 72 years and 76 years, respectively.
Since, according to a UN decree, the eastern part of Jerusalem belongs to Palestine, the population of almost all consists of Israelis, in general, as well as the west of the city. The Gaza Strip is mainly inhabited by Arabs who profess Sunni Islam, but among them a couple of thousand Arabs with a Christian cross around their necks are also crowded. In general, Gaza is basically a settlement of refugees who fled from Israeli land 60 years ago. Today, hereditary refugees live in Gaza.
Approximately four million former residents of Palestine are in refugee status. They settled in the territories of Jordan, Lebanon, Syria, Egypt and other states of the Middle East. The official language of Palestine is Arabic, but knowledge of Hebrew, English and French is widespread.
History of occurrence
The historical name of the state of Palestine comes from Philistia. The population of Palestine at that time was also called the Philistines, which in literal translation from Hebrew means "intruders." The place of settlement of the Philistines was the modern part of the Mediterranean coast of Israel. The second millennium BC was marked by the appearance of Jews in these territories, who nicknamed the area of Canaan. In the Jewish Bible, Palestine is referred to as the Land of the Sons of Israel. Since the time of Herodotus, the rest of the Greek philosophers and scientists began to call Palestine Syria Palestine.
In all history textbooks, the state of Palestine leads its age from the colonization of the area by the Canaanite tribes. In the early period before the advent of Christ, the area was captured by different peoples: Egyptians, invaders from the coast of Crete and so on. 930 BC divided the country into two different states - the kingdom of Israel and the kingdom of Judea.
The population of Palestine suffered from the aggression of the ancient Persian state of Achaemenid, it was joined by various states of the Hellenistic period, in 395 it was part of Byzantium. However, the rebellion against the Romans brought the Jewish people exile.
Since 636, Palestine has come under the control of the Arabs, and for six centuries, like a ball, it has been rolled from the hands of Arab conquerors into the hands of the crusaders. Since the 13th century, Palestine has been part of the kingdom of Egypt, and the Mamluks owned it until the Ottomans arrived.
The beginning of the 16th century falls on the reign of Selim the First, who enlarges his territories with the help of a sword. For 400 years, the population of Palestine was subordinated to the Ottoman Empire. Of course, over the years, the next European military expeditions, for example, Napoleon, tried to seize the territory. Meanwhile, escaped Jews returned to Jerusalem. Together with Nazareth and Bethlehem, leadership was conducted on behalf of Orthodox and Catholic church leaders. But beyond the borders of holy cities among the population, the predominant majority still remained Sunni Arabs.
Forced settlement of Palestine by Jews
In the 19th century, Ibrahim Pasha came to the country, he conquered the land and founded his residence in the city of Damascus. Over the eight years of rule, the Egyptians managed to carry out a reform movement along the lines presented to them by Europe. The natural resistance from the Muslim people was not long in coming, but they crushed it with bloody military force. Despite this, during the period of the Egyptian occupation, grandiose excavations and studies were carried out in the territories of Palestine. Scientists tried to find evidence for biblical scriptures. Towards the middle of the 19th century, a British consulate was organized in Jerusalem.
At the end of the 19th century, the Jewish people poured into Palestine at a frantic speed, mainly followers of Zionism. A new stage in the history of the state of Palestine has begun. At the beginning of the last century, the Arab population was 450 thousand, and the Jewish - 50 thousand.
After the First World War, London establishes its mandate over the territories of Palestine and modern Jordan. The British authorities pledged to create a large national Jewish diaspora in Palestine. In this regard, in the 1920s, the Trans-Jordanian state was formed, where Jews from Eastern Europe began to move, and their number grew to 90 thousand. In order for everyone to find their occupation, they specially drained the marshes of the Valley of Israel and prepared the land for agricultural activities.
After the sad events in Germany and other European countries, Hitler came to power, some Jews managed to leave for Jerusalem, but the rest suffered brutal repressions, the consequences of which the whole world knows and grieves. After the end of World War II, Jews made up thirty percent of the total population of Palestine.
The creation of Israel was a blow to the Palestinian territories and the state as a whole. The United Nations, by its right, decided to allocate for Jews a certain piece of the Palestinian kingdom and give it to them to create a separate Jewish state. From this moment, serious military conflicts begin between the Arab and Jewish people, everyone is fighting for their ancestral lands, for their truth. At the moment, the situation has not yet been resolved and the confrontation of the Palestinian army continues.
By the way, the Soviet Union also had its part in the Arab lands, which were called Russian Palestine and were acquired during the time of the Russian Empire. There were special real estate objects on the lands that were intended for Russian pilgrims and Orthodox people from other countries. True, later in the 60s these lands were resold to Israel.
Protects the President and the Palestinian Lands Palestine Liberation Army. In fact, this is a separate military organization that had its head office in Syria and is supported by the Syrian Islamists, therefore, according to some sources in Russia and Israel, the AOP is a terrorist group. She took part in almost all military operations against the Israeli military forces. The Palestinian army and its leaders condemn all military activities against Syria and the Syrian people from the countries of the West.
Country Culture
Palestinian culture in its modern form is the work of Arab poets and works of local art. Palestine is gradually developing cinema, taking into account world examples, the dynamics can be traced at a good level.
In general, the art of Palestine is closely connected with Jewish art, because these two peoples have lived side by side for hundreds of years. Despite political strife, literature and painting are based on the traditional culture of the Jews, and almost nothing remains of the Arab past. More than seventy percent of the population are Sunni Muslims, that is, Islam is the traditional religion of the state, which is adjacent to a minority in the form of Christians and Jews.
The same goes for customs and traditions. From the Arabs in Palestine, almost nothing is observed: for many centuries, Palestinians have absorbed Jewish traditions both in the song syllable and in the dance step. The design of the houses and the interior is also almost identical to the Jewish one.
The current state of Palestine
To date, the largest cities in Palestine can be called Jerusalem (given its eastern part, given by UN decree to Palestine), Ramallah (the capital city), Jenin and Nablus. By the way, the only airport was located in the temporary capital zone, but was closed in 2001.
Modern Palestine looks depressing outwardly, moving across the famous wall, which is a military fence between the two countries, you find yourself in a world of complete devastation and "dead" silence. Dilapidated from the bombing of the house is bordered by the newly rebuilt. Many Palestinians, left homeless, live the life of refugees and equip stone caves for rooms. They build masonry in the form of walls to enclose the family territory. Despite the progress in various fields, poverty prevails over the number of jobs. Having traveled a little deeper in the country, we find ourselves in the last century, where there is no electricity or is supplied on certain hours. Many burn bonfires for warming directly on the floor of the former porches of the now destroyed houses. Some have not left the half-collapsed dwelling, they continue to make internal frames for resilience, because there is simply no possibility for major repairs - financial support does not allow you to spend so much money on an expensive restoration.
On the border of the two warring states, a thorough verification of documents is underway. If the bus is touristic, then the police may not drive everyone out onto the street, but simply walk around the cabin and check their passports. The fact of the matter is that Israelis are prohibited from entering Palestinian territory, in particular, into Zone A. Everywhere on the roads there is an indication of the zones, and warning signs that it is dangerous for the Israeli to be in this place. Although who will go there? But many Palestinians, on the contrary, have Israeli certificates and, accordingly, dual citizenship (if we take Palestine for a separate, separate state).
The local currency is the Israeli shekel. Which is convenient for tourists who suddenly find themselves in the western part of Jerusalem in the eastern. The central parts of the temporary capital and large cities look more modern and even have their own nightlife. According to the stories of tourists, people here are hospitable and always striving to help, but they cannot do without taxi driver fraudsters and street guides. Despite the close connection with Israeli culture, Muslim shrines are very honored by local Arab residents, so you need to dress accordingly for a trip to Palestine.
In recent years, another problem between Palestinians and Israelis has been the construction of Israeli settlements in the west of the Jordan River and in East Jerusalem. Formally, such settlements are prohibited and illegal. Some Arab families lost their private lands, which, however, promise to return in cash.
But there are Jewish houses for demolition on the west bank of the Jordan River, the resettlement of such people has been delayed for ten years, the reason for this is the reluctance of the Jews themselves to leave their territories. They build barricades and hold rallies. Palestinians are fierce opponents of any location of the Jewish commune on the lands of their state. Thus, the conflict drags on for even greater years, because Israel categorically refuses to listen to UN instructions, and the idea of creating two separate states is gradually becoming utopian.
Jordan River
There are only three rivers in the Palestinian state: Jordan, Kishon, Lahish. Of course, the Jordan River is the most interesting. And not by their attitude to Palestine or Israel, but from a spiritual point of view. It was here that the baptism of Christ took place, after which he was proclaimed the prophet Jesus, and it is here that pilgrims come to bathe, and many to accept the faith of Christianity. In ancient times, pilgrims took with them clothes that were completely saturated with the waters of the Jordan, and shipbuilders scooped up sacred waters with buckets for storage on the ship. It was believed that such rituals bring good luck and happiness.