Palestine is a name which has been widely used since Roman times to refer to the region between the Mediterranean Sea and the Jordan River.[1] Other terms that have been used to refer to all or part of this area include Israel, "Greater Israel" (Hebrew Eretz Yisrael), Southern Syria, Greater Syria, Arabistan, Canaan, and the Holy Land.
In the broad geographical sense, Palestine refers to an area that includes contemporary Israel and the Palestinian territories, parts of Jordan, and parts of Lebanon and Syria.[1][2] In the narrow sense, it refers to the area within the boundaries of the former British Mandate of Palestine (1920-1948) west of the Jordan River.
Today, Palestine may also refer to the State of Palestine proposed by the Palestinian National Authority.[3]
Within the context of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, the term Palestine has weighty political connotations and arouses fierce controversy