For decades, the Palestinian Issue has been at the heart of one of the world’s most bitter and enduring conflicts. To outsiders, the Palestinian cause is often portrayed in simple slogans—calls for freedom, justice, and self-determination. But behind the chants, flags, and media campaigns lies a far more complicated reality. The identity of the Palestinians, the nature of their leadership, and the true objectives of their political and militant movements reveal a story that is less about peace and coexistence, and more about a relentless struggle against the very existence of the State of Israel. In the following article I will explore the origins of Palestinian-hood and examine what do Palestinians really want. While perceived as peaceful people who battle for self-determination and statehood, what defines them is rejection, violence, no compromises and the goal of eliminating another country rather than building their own.

The Birth of a Political Identity in the 1960s

The term “Palestinian” was not widely used until the 20th century. Before 1948, it often referred to Jews living in the British Mandate of Palestine (e.g., The Palestine Post was a Jewish newspaper, the Palestine Airways was a Jewish airline). Many Arab families who identify as Palestinian today trace their origins to waves of Arab migration during the Ottoman Empire or under the British Mandate, attracted by economic opportunities created by Jewish development. The Arab population of the land was not ancient and uninterrupted, but a mix of groups from Egypt, Syria, Jordan, and beyond.

Palestinian national identity, as a distinct political force, is relatively recent. Unlike what is told by the well orchestrated propaganda – suggesting the Palestinians are indigenous to the land – it only emerged in the 1960s, largely under the umbrella of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO), founded in 1964. From the outset, the PLO’s founding documents rejected coexistence with Israel. The 1968 Palestinian National Charter explicitly labeled the creation of Israel “entirely illegal” and declared “armed struggle” the only path to “liberation.” From its inception, Palestinian politics were defined not by compromise but by the ambition of replacing Israel with a Palestinian state in its entirety.

The Hamas Charter: Uncompromising Hostility

Hamas, the dominant Palestinian group in Gaza, makes this rejectionism explicit. Its 1988 Charter calls not for statehood alongside Israel, but for Israel’s eradication. Article 7 cites a hadith glorifying the killing of Jews. The Charter defines all of “Palestine” as Islamic waqf land (waqf means an endowment made by a Muslim to a religious cause), forbids negotiation, and frames jihad as a divine command. Hamas, as the most popular force within Palestinian society to-date, refused recognition of Israel’s legitimacy, with a very clear message and action which has never changed: compromise is betrayal, elimination of the Jewish entity is the goal.

Repetitive Rejections of Peace Offers

The Two-State Solution is not a new idea. It emerged back in 1937 when the British offered to divide the land under the British Mandate between a Jewish state and an Arab state. Since then there were quite a few opportunities where the Two-State Solution was put back on the table, but resulted in Arab rejection.

• 1947 – UN Partition Plan (Resolution 181): Jewish leaders accepted the partition; Palestinian Arabs and Arab states categorically rejected it, launching a full scale war instead. The Arab-Israeli War of 1948 broke out when five Arab nations invaded territory in the former Palestinian mandate, immediately following the announcement of the independence of the state of Israel on May 14, 1948.
• 1967 – After the Six-Day War: Israel signaled willingness to trade land for peace. The Arab response, shaped by Palestinian factions, was the Khartoum “Three No’s”: No Peace, No Recognition, No Negotiations with Israel.
• 1993–1995 – Oslo Accords: Israel and the PLO signed mutual recognition agreements. Yet as negotiations advanced, waves of Palestinian suicide bombings by Hamas, Islamic Jihad and Fatah-linked brigades escalated, killing hundreds of civilians in Tel Aviv, Jerusalem and across Israel. The goal was clear: rather than building confidence, violence was weaponized to sabotage the peace process.
• 2000 – Camp David & Clinton Parameters (for a permanent settlement to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict): Israel offered an unprecedented two-state plan: all of Gaza, 94% of the West Bank with land swaps, and East Jerusalem as the Palestinian capital. Yasser Arafat (the father of Terrorism) walked away without a counteroffer. Instead, the Second Intifada erupted – characterized by mass suicide bombings, hitting Israelis on buses, in nightclubs, restaurants and markets across Israel. Civilians were targeted daily, precisely as diplomacy collapsed.
• 2008 – Olmert Proposal: Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert offered Mahmoud Abbas a Palestinian state on 95% of the West Bank, land swaps for the rest, a divided Jerusalem and symbolic recognition of refugee claims. Abbas declined to sign, citing “details not ready.” The opportunity collapsed. Since then, violence surged or threats of violence increased. Instead of creating an atmosphere of reconciliation, militant groups doubled down on their “armed struggle” and “no compromise” agenda.

In each case, the pattern is unmistakable: when compromise is on the table, Palestinian leadership either reject it outright or answer with a violent escalation. The direct link between a prospect of peace and a violent escalation is unmissable.

The Terror Network: Global Reach, Local Command

Palestinian terrorist groups have not confined their violence to Israel. From the Munich Olympics Massacre (1972) to airplane hijackings (a total of 28 terror attacks between 1968 and 1986 including the Sabena Flight 571 and the well known Operation Entebbe) and assassinations across Europe and the Middle East, Palestinian terror groups have a global footprint. Today, Hamas dominates Gaza; Islamic Jihad remains heavily armed with Iranian support; Fatah-linked brigades operate in the West Bank; and remnants of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP) and Abu Nidal (“Father of Struggle”) Organization remain active abroad. All have histories of carrying out lethal attacks against Israelis and Jews. Their networks stretch beyond Gaza and the West Bank into Lebanon, Syria, Jordan, and diaspora cells. There are multiple Palestinian terrorist groups, some operating primarily in Gaza, some in the West Bank, and some with leadership abroad (in Lebanon, Syria, Qatar, etc.). They all share hostility toward Israel and reject permanent peace.

Have you ever wondered how many terror organizations were nurtured in your own country? Most likely the number is zero. But in Palestine, the list of terror organizations is longer than the number of political parties in any democratic country. Here’s a list of past and present Palestinian terrorist groups, which tells a story of an inhuman kind:

1. Hamas (Harakat al-Muqawama al-Islamiya) – Gaza’s ruling faction; openly calls for Israel’s destruction and an Islamic state. Responsible for suicide bombings, rocket fire, and the October 7, 2023 massacre.
2. Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ, aka Islamic Jihad Movement in Palestine) – Iran’s direct proxy in Gaza; smaller than Hamas but highly militant, focuses on armed struggle and rejects any political compromise.
3. Al-Qassam Brigades (Izz ad-Din al-Qassam) – the military wing of the Palestinian nationalist Sunni Islamist organization Hamas.
4. Mujahideen Brigades – Smaller Islamist militia aligned with Hamas.
5. Army of Islam (Jaish al-Islam) – Gaza-based Salafi-jihadist group, at times tied to Al-Qaeda/ISIS factions.
6. Al-Aqsa Martyrs’ Brigades – Armed wing of Mahmoud Abbas’s Fatah party, responsible for shootings and bombings, especially during the Second Intifada.
7. Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP) – Marxist-Leninist group; infamous for airline hijackings in the 1970s and terror attacks.
8. Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine (DFLP) – Marxist offshoot of PFLP; smaller, still conducts sporadic attacks.
9. Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine – General Command (PFLP-GC) – Syrian-backed faction involved in cross-border attacks.
10. Palestinian Popular Struggle Front – Another PLO faction that has used terrorism historically.
11. The Palestinian Liberation Front (PLF) – known for their hijacking of the Italian ocean liner Achille Lauro in 1985.
12. Palestinian Democratic Union (FIDA) – Small leftist faction, occasionally linked to militant activities.
13. Abu Nidal Organization (ANO, aka Fatah – Revolutionary Council) – Extremely violent splinter group from Fatah, responsible for international assassinations and massacres in the 70s–80s.
14. Force 17 – Fatah’s “Presidential Guard” which engaged in terror attacks.
15. Black September Organization – Responsible for the 1972 Munich Olympics massacre – where Palestinian militants took Israeli athletes hostage, resulting in the deaths of eleven Israeli team members.
16. Sheikh Omar Hadid Brigade – Gaza faction aligned with ISIS.
17. Ansar al-Din Front – Jihadist coalition operating partly in Gaza.
18. Jund Ansar Allah – Salafi-jihadist group clashing even with Hamas at times.

Are Palestinians Peaceful People?

Well, that sounds like a rhetorical question – given there are so many terrorist groups among them. I have never heard anyone claiming that they are peaceful, including Palestinians themselves who are proud of their armed struggle. The only exception may be the recent wave of Woke Activism by the uneducated Gen Z and the pro-Palestine movement. Which makes you wonder – why do Palestinians get so much support from the public opinion. The myth is that Palestinians are simply a peaceful, oppressed people yearning for freedom. How can you explain the highly unusual number of terrorists among them? Their supporters call it Resistance, but sending young men with 20 kg of explosives to suicide bomb themselves on a bus full of women and children, or at the entrance to a packed nightclub where young adults line up – that is not resistance, that’s the definition of Terror and Brutality. The truth is while there my be ordinary Palestinians who desire peace and normal lives (let me know if you find them), the society they live in has been deeply radicalized by decades of incitement from Hamas, the Palestinian Authority, Fatah and other groups. Children are taught to glorify martyrs, schools name classrooms after terrorists, and TV broadcasts praise attacks on Jews. Polls show that large portions of Palestinian society support violence against Israelis rather than coexistence.  

Collectively, Palestinian politics, education, and media have been dominated for decades by messages of rejection, glorification of violence, and demonization of Israel. The Palestinian Authority still rewards terrorists – using the so-called “Martyrs Fund”—a program providing regular stipends to families of Palestinians killed, imprisoned, or wounded while carrying out attacks against Israelis – and promotes anti-Israel indoctrination, while Hamas openly calls for Israel’s destruction and wages war from within civilian areas. The prevailing political culture in both Gaza and the West Bank nurtures hostility, making Palestinian society as a whole far from peaceful in practice. Evidently, while some Western countries open their gates for immigration from Gaza and the West Bank, none of the Arab countries agree to take them onboard, most notably Egypt and Jordan who share a border with them. What do they know that others don’t?

The hard truth is this: Palestinians, as a society, are far from being peaceful people. For decades, their leaders have cultivated a culture of violence, hatred, and victimhood rather than one of coexistence. Children are raised on textbooks and TV programs that glorify “martyrs” who murder Jews, while the Palestinian Authority literally pays salaries to terrorists and their families. Hamas, ruling Gaza with an iron fist, is proudly dedicated to the elimination of Israel through jihad, and when it butchered over 1,200 Israelis on October 7, 2023—including babies, women, and the elderly—polls showed that the majority of Palestinians, especially in the West Bank, cheered and called it justified. These are not the actions or attitudes of a people yearning for peace—they are the marks of a society poisoned by decades of incitement, where violence against Jews is celebrated and compromise is condemned. Until Palestinians reject this culture of death and embrace genuine coexistence, nothing will change.

Let’s Talk about Gaza

Gaza is a narrow strip of land along the Mediterranean Sea, historically part of the territory known as Mandatory Palestine under British rule until 1948. After Israel’s War of Independence, Egypt occupied Gaza from 1948 to 1967, using it as a base for fedayeen (Arab guerrillas) attacks against Israel but never granting its residents citizenship or independence. Following the Six-Day War in 1967, Israel captured Gaza and administered it, building settlements and maintaining security control while offering autonomy proposals that Palestinian leadership rejected. In 2005, Israel unilaterally withdrew, dismantling all settlements and removing its military presence in the hope of reducing friction and opening the door to peace. Palestinians were given a chance to develop Gaza and turn it into a gem on the Mediterranean Sea. However, rather than leading to stability, Hamas—a jihadist movement openly committed to Israel’s destruction—won the Palestinian legislative elections in 2006 and seized full control of Gaza in a violent coup against the Palestinian Authority in 2007.

Since Hamas violently seized control of Gaza in 2007, Hamas (often joined by other militant factions like Palestinian Islamic Jihad) has used Gaza as a base for launching thousands of rockets, building terror tunnels, and waging repeated wars against Israel, while diverting international aid to its military infrastructure. The result is a territory effectively ruled as an armed Islamist enclave, with its people caught between Hamas’s authoritarian grip and ongoing rounds of war and with Israel. Here’s a clear breakdown of the main conflicts:

2008–2009: Operation Cast Lead
Triggered by years of rocket fire and the breakdown of a ceasefire, Israel launched a three-week military campaign against Hamas. The fighting included heavy Israeli airstrikes and a ground invasion aimed at stopping rocket attacks and weakening Hamas’s military infrastructure. Over 1,000 Palestinians (many militants, but also civilians) were killed, alongside 13 Israelis.

2012: Operation Pillar of Defense
After a sharp escalation of rocket fire into southern Israel, Israel killed Ahmed Jabari, Hamas’s military chief, and carried out an eight-day campaign targeting rocket launchers, weapons caches, and leadership figures. Hamas responded with hundreds of rockets, including some reaching Tel Aviv and Jerusalem for the first time. Egypt brokered a ceasefire.

2014: Operation Protective Edge
One of the longest and deadliest wars, lasting 50 days. It began after Hamas dramatically escalated rocket attacks following the kidnapping and murder of three Israeli teens and subsequent Israeli crackdowns. Israel discovered Hamas’s vast tunnel network built for infiltrations into Israeli communities. Thousands of rockets were launched at Israel, and the IDF carried out extensive airstrikes and ground operations. Around 2,000 Palestinians were killed (including many civilians, as Hamas embedded in populated areas), along with 73 Israelis.

2021: Operation Guardian of the Walls
Tensions in Jerusalem (Sheikh Jarrah evictions and clashes at Al-Aqsa) escalated into a Hamas barrage of rockets, including toward Jerusalem. Israel responded with 11 days of heavy airstrikes targeting Hamas infrastructure. Over 4,000 rockets were fired at Israel. More than 250 Palestinians were killed, alongside 13 Israelis. The fighting ended with an Egyptian-brokered ceasefire.

2023–2024: Ongoing War (triggered by the October 7 massacre)
Hamas launched an unprecedented cross-border attack on October 7, 2023, massacring over 1,200 Israelis (mostly civilians), taking more than 250 hostages, and firing thousands of rockets. Israel responded with a massive military campaign to dismantle Hamas’s military and governing capabilities. Fighting included widespread airstrikes, ground operations in northern and southern Gaza, and the discovery of Hamas’s extensive tunnel system – which is bigger than the London Tube system and used by Hamas militants to hide the Israeli hostages, store food they have stolen from humanitarian aid coming into Gaza, and shelter from the Israeli air strikes – while none of the Gazan civilians are allowed in. As of 2025, the war is still ongoing, marking the longest and most devastating conflict yet between Israel and Hamas.

In addition to these major wars, there have been many smaller escalations (2009, 2011, 2018, 2019, 2022) often lasting a few days, typically involving Islamic Jihad but always with Hamas’s approval or participation. Nevertheless, even in recent polls conducted in both Gaza and the West Bank, the vast majority of Palestinians support Hamas and its agenda, leading to the question – what do Palestinians really want going forward, post the October 7 war.

So, What Do Palestinians Really Want?

Judging by the record: Founding charters reject Israel’s existence. Negotiation history shows rejection of every major statehood proposal when it involved recognizing Israel. Violence patterns reveal deliberate escalation whenever compromise was possible. While ordinary Palestinians may express desires for dignity, freedom of movement, and sovereignty, their leadership and dominant factions have consistently prioritized the uncompromising goal of eliminating Israel. “Liberating Palestine” has rarely meant building a state alongside Israel—it has meant building a state instead of Israel.

Polling and political realities suggest that most Palestinians today do not genuinely believe in or want peace with Israel, at least not in the form of a two-state compromise. The Palestinian Authority has long promoted hostility through school textbooks, media, and its policy of rewarding convicted terrorists and their families—sending a clear message that violence, not coexistence, is honored. Hamas, for its part, rejects any recognition of Israel outright and remains committed to armed struggle until an Islamic state replaces Israel.

Public opinion reflects this indoctrination: In the immediate aftermath of the October 7 massacre, 72 percent of Palestinians said Hamas was “correct” to carry out the massacre of Israeli civilians – a popular approval and justification of the massacre, with particularly strong support in the West Bank—an endorsement of violence by all means. As for Gazans, some of them literally participated in the massacre as evidence shows they were part of the second and third waves of the attack – looting, raping, murdering and kidnapping Israeli civilians. A definite approval to those saying “there are no innocent civilians in Gaza”.

A recent survey found low approval of the PA, while satisfaction with Hamas stands tall – alongside strong resistance to disarmament of Hamas and a prevailing belief that it will remain in control of Gaza post-war. These figures suggest that Hamas retains considerable popular support—even amid Gaza’s devastation—while the PA is increasingly viewed as ineffective and unpopular across both territories. It is expected that if there were elections in the West Bank today, Hamas would win it, overtaking the moderate Palestinian Authority, indicating the Palestinian people choose extremism and violence, continue to back its “resistance” narrative rather than reconciliation, and have no sincere pursuit of peace alongside Israel.

What is the End Game for Palestine

While Israel has repeatedly pursued peace, Palestinian leaders have rejected every deal that required them to end the conflict and recognize a Jewish state alongside a Palestinian state. Instead of compromise, they chose violence: the Second Intifada suicide bombings after Camp David, the Hamas takeover of Gaza after Israel’s full withdrawal in 2005, and waves of rockets and terror attacks whenever negotiations faltered. Israelis, despite being attacked time and time again, have elected leaders willing to trade land for peace; Palestinians, despite endless suffering, have elevated Hamas, Islamic Jihad, and leaders who glorify bloodshed. While Israelis mourn every civilian casualty, Palestinians celebrate them with candy in the streets and posters of “martyrs” plastered on walls. The contrast is undeniable: Israel consistently moved toward peace, while Palestinians consistently choose war. Even the destruction of Gaza post the October 7 war will NOT make them change their minds.

• Palestinians are NOT interested in the Two-State Solution, even though the Western world continues to push for it while, as always, blaming Israel for the repetitive failure.

• Palestinians insist on a Jihadist fundamentalist FOREVER WAR against Israel, over any a recognition of the Jewish state, even 77 and counting years since it was founded.

• Palestinians FAIL to understand that the state of Israel is not going anywhere, but instead of loving their children in a hope for a better future, they send their own children to become Shahids (Islamic martyrs) in the name of Allah.

• Palestinians consistently choose TERRORISM over Peace. The end game for Palestinians is “No Compromise”, until the elimination of the Jewish state, even at the price of continuous struggle and No State at all.

In the wake of the October 7 attacks and Israel’s response, Ismail Haniyeh – chairman of the Hamas Political Bureau – welcomed and celebrated the deaths of ordinary Palestinians in Gaza, saying: “As I have said repeatedly, the blood of children, women, and the elderly should not make you cry out! Rather, we need this blood to awaken the revolution, to awaken stubbornness, to awaken and move forward.”

With so many useful idiots around the world supporting the so-call Palestinian Cause, it only fuels the conflict to unprecedented levels, taking it further away from any form or shape of a peaceful settlement. The only resolution Palestinians seek is a One-State Solution: the destruction of the State of Israel and the establishment of an Islamic State between the Jordan River and the Mediterranean Sea. Then and there, they could slaughter the Jews uninterruptedly, knowing the rest of the world would not shed a tear.