However, some parts are governed by Palestinian authority. The status of these territories is not yet determined.
Jewish claims to this land are based on a few principles - the biblical promise to Abraham and his descendants; on the fact that this was the historical site of the Jewish kingdom of Israel (which was destroyed by the Roman Empire); and the need to dwell where they are separated from European anti-Semitism. However, Arabs' claims to the land are based on continuous residency in the country for hundreds of years and the fact that they represented the demographic majority. Essentially, they reject the idea that a biblical-era kingdom constitutes the basis for a valid claim today. However, if the Arabs engaged in a biblical argument, they would argue that since Abraham's son Ishmael is the forefather of the Arabs, then God's promise of the land to the children of Abraham includes Arabs as well. Overall, they do not believe that they should surrender their land in order to compensate Jews for the crimes that Europe has committed against them. .
Throughout history, the territory was ruled by outside governments such as Persians, Syrians, Rome, and the Byzantine Empire; from the 1400's to 1917, by the Sultans of the Ottoman Turkish Empire. During the Ottoman rule, the land was divided into two provinces. Britain was given the League of Nations" mandate over the Southern province, named Acre from its principal town. The British named the territory Palestine because of the possible affiliations with ancient Philistine inhabitants.
During the 20th century two nationalist movements Zionism and Arab nationalism sought to make Palestine home. Zionism was the first to develop political activism on a multi-national scale. The goal was for Jews to immigrate into Palestine and build a new nation. The concept of Zionism succeeded and what used to be a region of sand dunes has evolved into the city of Tel-Aviv.
