Old name for the Middle East ern area which is now Israel ,
supposedly derived from "Philistine ," a biblical-era name for a
part of the region. In 1948 a United Nations mandate divided the
area between Arabs and Jews -- the Palestinian leaders and
leaders of surrounding countries (who were all Arabs) did not
accept this and have several times since then invaded or
attacked Israeli territory. In the process of fighting back,
Israel actually gained about 80% of the territory originally
divided about equally between the two groups. The Gaza Strip and
the West Bank are some of these areas; they are now partially
ruled by the Palestinians native to the areas but are still
overall under Israeli control. Many Palestinians, both those
who've left the area and those who've stayed, are part of
resistance movements with the goal of regaining some or all of
the territory once called Palestine back from Israel.