Fact check: When did the people from Palestine started calling themselves Palestinians?

1. Summary of the results

Based on the analyses provided, the emergence of Palestinian identity as a distinct national concept occurred gradually over several decades in the late 19th and early 20th centuries:

• The term "Filastini" (Palestinian) first appeared in 1898 to describe the region's Arab inhabitants ^[1]
• Palestinian national identity emerged in the early 20th century, particularly after World War I ^[2]
• The concept developed around 1917 during Britain's occupation of Palestine, with Palestinian political consciousness emerging on the eve of this occupation ^[3]
• Initially, "Palestinian" was a regional term used until the late 19th century, referring to any person born in or living in Palestine regardless of ethnic, cultural, linguistic, and religious affiliations ^{[4] [2]}
• The term evolved to exclusively refer to Arabs of former Mandatory Palestine who did not become citizens of the State of Israel ^[2]

2. Missing context/alternative viewpoints

The analyses reveal several important perspectives and contexts missing from the original question:

• Geopolitical influences: The Soviet Union invested in Palestinian leaders as part of a proxy war with the US, using Palestinian nationalism to undermine Israel and expand Soviet influence in the Middle East ^[5]
• Opposition to Zionism: Palestinian nationalism initially emerged in opposition to Zionism and was later internationalized and attached to other ideologies ^[1]
• Transnational connections: Palestinian national identity had roots in local, regional, and transnational debates and exchanges between Palestinians and Arabs ^[3]
• Cultural expression: Palestinians have used culture creatively to express themselves politically and have become adept at starting anew repeatedly ^[6]
• Self-determination context: The Palestinian people have been denied the right to self-determination for over a century ^[7]

3. Potential misinformation/bias in the original statement

The original question appears neutral but the analyses reveal significant bias in some sources:

• One source explicitly argues that "the concept of a Palestinian people is a base political strategy invented not to build a state but to destroy a neighboring one" and claims Arabs of Palestine "did not identify themselves as a distinct people until the mid-20th century" ^[4]
• This contradicts other sources that provide earlier dates for Palestinian identity formation, suggesting potential bias in dismissing Palestinian national identity as purely strategic rather than organic
• The framing benefits certain political narratives: Those who benefit from questioning Palestinian legitimacy would favor arguments that Palestinian identity is a recent political invention, while those supporting Palestinian rights would emphasize the historical continuity of Palestinian identity
• Missing acknowledgment of complexity: The question doesn't account for the gradual, multi-faceted nature of identity formation, which typically involves both organic cultural development and political mobilization