Pal·es·tine (p l -st n ) Often called "the Holy Land." A historical region of southwest Asia at the eastern end of the Mediterranean Sea and roughly coextensive with modern Israel and the West Bank. Occupied since prehistoric times, it has been ruled by Hebrews, Egyptians, Romans, Byzantines, Arabs, and Turks. A British League of Nations mandate oversaw the affairs of the area from 1920 until 1948, when Israel declared itself a separate state and the West Bank territory was occupied by Jordan. The West Bank was subsequently annexed (1950) by Jordan and occupied (1967) by Israel. In 1988 the Palestine Liberation Organization under Yasir Arafat declared its intention of forming an Arab state of Palestine, probably including the West Bank, the Gaza Strip, and the Arab sector of Jerusalem. The Palestinians achieved limited self-rule in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank in 1993 and 1994.
Pal es·tin i·an (-st n - n) adj. & n. |
Palestinian Adjective
of Palestine, an area in the Middle East between the Jordan River and the Mediterranean
Noun
an Arab from this area, esp. one living in Israel or Israeli-occupied territory or as a refugee
ThesaurusLegend: Synonyms Related Words Antonyms
| Noun | 1. | Palestinian - a descendant of the Arabs who inhabited PalestineArab, Arabian - a member of a Semitic people originally from the Arabian peninsula and surrounding territories who speaks Arabic and who inhabits much of the Middle East and northern Africa |
| Adj. | 1. | Palestinian - of or relating to the area of Palestine and its inhabitants; "Palestinian guerrillas" |
TranslationsPalestinian [pælɪsˈtɪnɪən] adj,
n →
palestino(a) m/f Palestinian [pælɪsˈtɪnɪən] Palestine
adj →
palestinien(ne)