Who are the Palestinians
Reader comment on item: Pipes criticises Middle East leaders
in response to reader comment: Who are the Palestinians

Submitted by Peter (Australia), Mar 16, 2007 at 08:27

Actually,the Arabs who call themselves "Palestinians" are not related historically to the Philistines.The original Philistines were of Greek extraction,as is evidenced in their weapons of war(found on coinage), their pottery,jewelry,culture and,above all,language.They arrived in Israel,after first being repelled from Egypt.

It is fitting that they were called "Philistines",which derives from the Hebrew,meaning invader,thief, usurper,foreigner.They were destroyed mostly under king David,and disappeared from history. As for the arab linkage to the Philistines,after which was refuted time and time again by archaeology etc, now its the Canaanites.Nevertheless,I find it amusing that arabs identify themselves as "Philistines"(foreigners).

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