PALESTINE
(The state of Palestine, is located on east coast of the Mediterranean South of Lebanon and to the northeast of Egypt (Gaza Strip).)

The area known as Palestine, got various geographical and political connotations eventually. In the following discussion the difference between (a) history of area till the twentieth century is carried out; b) Palestine as the territory under the British administration since the end of 1917 until the beginning of 1948; and c) Palestine as the territory which is under authority of the Palestinian National Authority since 1994 also known as the West bank and the Gaza Strip.

Palestine since ancient times was the intersection between Asia, Europe and Africa. Its climate droughty. The southern half - Negev - the desert, but in the north is several fertile areas. The main source of water is the Jordan River which flows on the South through the lake Tiberias to the Dead Sea.

By the end of the nineteenth century the commercial bourgeoisie consisting of Muslims, Christians, Jews and the German Templars played an important role in integration of economy of Palestine into world economic system. There was a significant growth in cultivation of export goods which included wheat, barley, sesame, olive oil and oranges. Small enterprises released textile products, soap, oil and objects of religious purpose.

Palestine as modern political education resulted from disintegration of the Ottoman Empire in World War I. Though Arabs of the region considered themselves by distinctive group, between them and the Turkish establishment there was no serious conflict before the beginning of the twentieth century. The Palestinian elite of the nineteenth century approved and benefited from efforts on reform of the Ottoman Empire (Tanzimat, from 1839 to 1876), and many of them held influential positions in a ruling institution in Constantinople. Several people served in parliament; It was supposed that Nablus especially was pleasant to the Sultan Abdulkhatit II.

Ten years later, within further efforts on opening of dialogue with the United States and hoping to take diplomatic benefit from an intifada against the Israeli occupation which was called in December, 1987 on the West bank and in the Gaza Strip, representatives at the twentieth meeting the National council of Palestine in Algeria in November, 1988 published the symbolical statement for independence of Palestine. At the same time they officially approved the approaches "the earth to the world" and mutual recognition which are contained in the resolution 242 UN Security Councils of November, 1967 - the resolution in which text there are no mentions of Palestinians or their rights. Then the chairman of OOP Yasser Arafat published several prepared statements condemning use of terrorism by all parties and meaning that future Palestinian state will exist nearby, but not instead of the Jewish State of Israel. The last step of Arafat led to opening of dialogue with OOP with the United States.