What does 'ceasing responsibility for life' mean?

You are actually delusional and now trying to re-write history.

Palestine was stolen from Palestinians in 1948. It was a country where Palestinian Muslim, Christians and even some Jews had loved for generations.

for anyone who actually is interested in reality and wants to understand what happened in 1948 I recommend you watch the movie ‘Farha’ on Netflix. Israel tried to get it banned because it actually explains how the State of Israel was formed by terrorist groups forcibly expelling people from the lands and homes they’d lived in for centuries to make way for the current racist apartheid state that is currently occupying it.

born in Gaza is another one worth a watch on Netflix.

When talking about people whose ancestry traces back to the Levant (Syrians, Palestinians and Jewish), they are the same ethnicity within what is known as the Semitic peoples. The Semitic peoples lived in Mesopotamia, Levant, Arabian peninsula and parts of N. Africa (not Egypt). Each one has distinct DNA.

Today’s categories of Jew/Arab in Israel are really labels based on religion and language, not ethnicity as demonstrated by DNA. It’s also to psychologically associate the Palestinians to when the religion of Islam appeared and spread through the region by the Islamic caliphate and conquest circa 8th century AD.

The Palestinians did not come with Islam as colonisers though, Islam came to them as they were already there. DNA has shown their presence dates back as far as the presence of the Jewish people. They’ve not always been called Palestinians of course, earliest name for them was the Canaanites.

That's interesting, but the BBC article states 60% of Israel's water is supplied by the West Bank's mountain aquifer in addition to the sea of Galilee. It also states the 67 war gave Israel exclusive control of waters of the West Bank, and that 80% of the aquifer's flow is diverted to settlements and to Israel. It's from 2010 so perhaps you will know if the situation has changed? I'll link it. as it poses an interesting point. If Israel finds providing water to Gaza a burden, why not give full control of water in the west bank to the west bank, so they can supply Gaza?Obstacles to Arab-Israeli peace: Water - BBC News

Check out EcoPeace, an Israeli, Palestinian and Jordanian organisation.

In terms of terminology: Until 1948, the word "Palestinian" applied exclusively to the Jewish inhabitants of the area.
Source? Because many Palestinians now living in other countries are not, and never were Jewish but they and their family that lived there before 1948 all have official identity documents saying they are Palestinian.

Palestinians are not Arabs? But Syrians, Lebanese and Jordanians are?
If they are not arab then what are they? In what way is a Palestinian (I don't dare say arab) ethnically different from a Syrian or Lebanese Arab?

Yes mandate was from 1917, but the currency and official documents saying Palestine date from 1927. The people there from 1917-1927 had British OT citizenship and British passports. There was a 1925 law that undid this Britishness.

Israel gets most of its fresh water from the Sea of Galilee. It's transported south via the national water carrier:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Water_Carrier_of_Israel

From the southere there it is (or was) supplied to Gaza too, I believe.

Gaza has some desalination facilities, but they need fuel which Israel now won't allow because it's used to make rocket propellent by terrorists.

Take a look on Google maps at Gaza, and the area to the south in Egypt. Look at the lush vegetation of the Israeli Kibbutim, and the Gazan farmers fields.

Now look at the barren soil on the Egyptian side of the border.

The soil is the same: the only difference is water.

Now that Israel has decided to withdraw support to Gaza, which side do you think those Gazan fields are going to look like in a couple of years time?

What a pity.

Yes I do, I just think that twenty years of this- all the trappings of a country called “Palestine” put in place by the British would have seeded a national identity amongst the people being born, growing up and living there during the mandate years.

Yes, I know the coins do say Palestine on the front in English and Arabic and then on the back the short hand for Palestine Land of Israel in Hebrew on the back.

So to me, a lot of this question of a Palestinian national identity goes back to how the British drew lines on maps then named regions, how they designed snd issued currency, birth certificates, and other official documentation.

interesting historial snippet, it was the Romans who changed the name following the expulsion of the Jews based on the Philistines who lived on the coast yes you are absolutely right, the Romans did and another interesting historical snippet is that todays Palestinians are not descended from the Philistines! Two very different peoples. Palestinians are also ethnically different from Arabs…yet are called Arabs by the Israeli government and often by themselves due to Islamic religious affinity.

Is nobody using the water or any of its tributaries then? That seems an enormous waste and possibly something international aid could address, thus supplying West Bank and Gaza with usable water, independent from Israel. I did see a BBC article about water shortages in the region, may dig it out later if I have time. I believe that ensuring water supplies to all parties in the region would be significant for peace.

True. My Dad was a Palestinian, born under the British mandate.

You do realise that this was British produced? There was no independent Palestine, it was the British who did it. Palestine was only the name for the territory (interesting historial snippet, it was the Romans who changed the name following the expulsion of the Jews based on the Philistines who lived on the coast)

Also, British mandate was from 1917-1948, not 1927

By the way, do you see the Hebrew writing on the coin and on the banknote?
Do you know what it says? It says Palastina (EY). Ey = Eretz Yisrael = Land of Israel. So you're saying that Palestinian coins recognised that Palestine was also the Land of Israel. I agree - good point!

I saw a sign at the demonstration in London, it said something like "land you have to kill for isn't yours. Land you have to die for - is."

To some extent, I agree.

The Arabs tried to take away the land from the Jews in 1948. The Jews won, and the Arabs lost. Enough Jews died for that land that it's now Jewish land.

Maybe there needs to be a complete re-run of the War of Independence. Hopefully the Jews will win again.

In terms of terminology: Until 1948, the word "Palestinian" applied exclusively to the Jewish inhabitants of the area. There was Arab nationalism, but it definintely wasn't know as Palestinian nationalism.

The Palestine Electric Company was a Jewish company - it became the Israel Electric Company upon independence, in 1948. It has been privatized since, but it's still there.

The Palestine Philharmonic Orchestra - was a Jewish orchestra - it became the Israel Philharmonic. It still plays.

The Palestine Post - was a Jewish (English Language) newspaper. It became the Jerusalem Post. It's still published.

In 2011, Palestinian Authority President Abbas admitted it was a mistake for Palestinian leaders to reject the 1947 United Nations partition plan.

There actually is a Palestinian state already. It's called Jordan. 80% of the population is ethnically indistinguishable from any other Palestinian area.

The British created the state of Jordan in 1922 out of thin air, using 80% of mandate Palestine. Since 1948 the Palestinans have wanted the other 20%. The Jews said then, and still say: they can't have it.

In 1947, British India was partitioned into India and Pakistan. 14 million people crossed the India/Pakistan border, in both directions, to set up new lives in a state of their choice.

There's no reason that a Palestinian state couldn't have been created in 1922, or in 1948.

It's now - too late.

This is an interesting snapshot in time from the NY Herald, 17 June 1917.
Its an article plus drawing of Palestine.
Shows the rampant anti-semitism in the West.

http://www.midafternoonmap.com/2013/09/birth-of-palestine.html

Some national identity would have coalesced during the mandate era- 1927-1948. The region was called Palestine and they had their own currency.
sample coin
https://en.numista.com/catalogue/pieces5483.html

sample banknote
https://en.numista.com/catalogue/note234885.html

@Reallifelurker
Palestinians were living there. Some refugees, some not.
Jordan annexed the WB and gave the Palestininas Jordanian citizenship. Egypt not.

I don't think the push for a Palestinian state is any less legitimate because it happened relativly recently. The Palestinians now have a strong national identity and should have the right to self-determination.

But, yes, undrstanding the history is important to understanding the current mess.

Sorry for all the typos it’s this bloody phone. Edit functions vanished again.

But that's teh point - they weren't Palestinian, it was Jordan and Egypt who occupied them 1948-1967. The idea of a Palestinian state is one of the last few decades. The Arab armies did not invade Israel in 1948 to establish a Palestinian state, their plan was to carve up Palestine between them. For example, Jordan held on to the West Bank and annexed it.

Israel had no one to offer the territories to at that point - the Arab league came up with the three nos of khartoum to make it clear to israel that land for peace was not an option, that they did not accept even Israel's right to exist

So were the Palestinians (by which I mean the Arabs who lived in Palestine ) in all this?
If it was Jordon and Egypt who were the main enemies at the time and the Palestinian state was never established then I’m not sure why it would be considered a state now? Cracking on with being self-governing and sorting its own water supplies etc. It’s not real wonder the territories ended up so messed up if they’ve been unstable for that long.

I would like to thank you for your honest and heartfelt reply. It has been quite eye opening to see the situation from the perspective of an Israeli who can see the wrongs of their government

Like you I also see both sides going more to the right but who knows. Maybe some peace solution can eventually be reached for the prosperity of all people in the region

Swim with caution, don't boat in areas with scum, keep pets away and....don't drink the water.

The Jordan River is not what it used to be. Once fast flowing....now the opposite.

So, desalination plants required.

There's a famous quote attributed to Moshe Dayyan (a celebrated Israeli general during the six day war) that he was "waiting for a telephone call" from the Arab leaders. They naively believed that now they could exchange land for peace. It didn't happen, there was no phone call.

But that's teh point - they weren't Palestinian, it was Jordan and Egypt who occupied them 1948-1967. The idea of a Palestinian state is one of the last few decades. The Arab armies did not invade Israel in 1948 to establish a Palestinian state, their plan was to carve up Palestine between them. For example, Jordan held on to the West Bank and annexed it.

Israel had no one to offer the territories to at that point - the Arab league came up with the three nos of khartoum to make it clear to israel that land for peace was not an option, that they did not accept even Israel's right to exist.