While some believe that historical land claims bear no relevance to the present conflict, others feel that they establish the legitimacy of current claims. For example, a letter dated 10/06/64 from 13 Arab countries to the U.N. Security Council, states that the rights of the Palestinian people "stem from the universally accepted principle that a country belongs to its indigenous inhabitants..."

The purpose of our Israeli / Palestinian history, therefore, is to identify the various peoples and powers that inhabited and controlled the land of Israel / Palestine and the surrounding area over the last 12,000 years.

Note: There is no single definitive history of the region. Scholars differ regarding the interpretation of the data, therefore, we have tried to incorporate the work of more than one scholar for any given time period.

The time periods are determined according to a "significant change" in the controlling power(s) of the region.

To view our map-history, click here.