Palestinians

(The neutrality of this article is disputed.)

Usage of the term Palestinian usually generally depends on one's views of Palestine, the Palestinian homeland, the Arab-Israeli conflict and related issues.

It is difficult to give a strict definition for the term Palestinian.

It is most common to describe the Palestinians as the descendants of the Arab inhabitants of the British Mandate of Palestine. This definition, then, would include:

Those who are citizens of Israel ("Israeli Arabs")
Those who live in West Bank and Gaza Strip; most are currently under the jurisdiction of the Palestinian Authority
Those who live in Jordan and identify themselves as "Palestinians"; many are refugees (or descendants of refugees) from the 1948 Arab-Israeli War and the 1967 Six-Day War. They were granted Jordanian citizenship.
Those who live elsewhere, in the Arab world (where many have never received a citizenship) and out of it (where many have).

Overall, there are about 4 million people belonging to groups (1) and (2); estimates indicate there are about 5 more million in groups (3) and (4).

Note that this definition excludes non-Arab residents of the British Mandate. Some writers use the term Palestinians to include all residents of the British mandate, and the term Arab Palestinians when speaking only of Arab residents.

The word Palestinian is a highly loaded term, being used in arguments and slogans implying that some or all of the British Mandate is the rightful property of Arabs rather than Jews (see Arab-Israeli conflict, etc.).

Most writers deem Palestinians to be Arabs. However, some Palestinians are members of Arab ethnic groups that stretch far beyond the borders of historic Palestine; on the other hand, numerous divisions among them persist, in language, religion and culture. However, most Palestinians believe in a common joint identity. In the opinion of many, this is enough to qualify them as a unique nationality, and by the way of romantic nationalism makes them eligible for statehood. Many others disagree with opinion (see proposals for a Palestinian state).

Palestinians are nearly all Muslim, but there are some Christians as well. A very small number of Palestinians are humanists, atheists or agnostics. Over the past few years, many Palestinian Christians have moved to Europe and North America, citing the rise of Islamic parties and accompanying intolerance and discrimination in the major cities of the West Bank (see: Palestine/Christian), including by the Palestinian Authority itself.

See: Palestinian exodus, British Mandate of Palestine