Introduction

Palestine is a historical and geographic region in the Middle East with a complex history. The modern political entity of “Palestine” as envisioned in international terms traces its origins to the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) and subsequent agreements. Here’s an outline of its formation:

Historical Palestine:

The term “Palestine” has been used for centuries to describe a geographic area. It dates back to the Roman Empire when Emperor Hadrian renamed the region “Syria Palaestina” in 135 CE after suppressing the Bar Kokhba revolt.

Modern Political Development:

After the fall of the Ottoman Empire in World War I, the region was placed under British control as the British Mandate for Palestine (1920–1948).

In 1947, the United Nations proposed a partition plan to create separate Jewish and Arab states, but it was rejected by Arab states, leading to the 1948 Arab-Israeli War.

Israel was declared a state in 1948, while the West Bank was annexed by Jordan and Gaza came under Egyptian administration.

Emergence of Palestinian Identity:

The Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) was founded in 1964 to advocate for Palestinian statehood.

The Palestinian Declaration of Independence was issued by the PLO on November 15, 1988, in Algiers, declaring the establishment of the State of Palestine.

State of Palestine:

The State of Palestine is recognized by over 130 UN member states. In 2012, the United Nations General Assembly upgraded Palestine to a non-member observer state status.

Conclusion

So, while “Palestine” as a concept and region has ancient roots, the modern political entity associated with it was officially declared in 1988.