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The Palestinians

1 July 1998

In 1918 Christian and Muslim Arabs formed over 90 per cent of the population of Palestine. Fifty years later, those left were a powerless minority in their own land, while most were refugees outside Palestine. Since 1967, Israel has been an occupying force in Gaza and the West Bank, expropriating for example over 60 per cent of the West Bank’s land area, dispossessing many Palestinians.

While Israel’s actions have been condemned in United Nations Security Council and General Assembly resolutions, Israel continues its actions largely unchecked. Within Israel, Palestinians are systematically discriminated against in almost all areas of society. While condemning the Israeli government’s policies, the Report also discusses the abuses of the newly-established Palestinian Authority.

Please note that the terminology in the fields of minority rights and indigenous peoples’ rights has changed over time. MRG strives to reflect these changes as well as respect the right to self-identification on the part of minorities and indigenous peoples. At the same time, after over 50 years’ work, we know that our archive is of considerable interest to activists and researchers. Therefore, we make available as much of our back catalogue as possible, while being aware that the language used may not reflect current thinking on these issues.

Download (1987 edition, PDF, English)
Download (1997 edition, PDF, English)

Author(s)

David McDowall