The State of Palestine is a legally recognized but partially acknowledged independent state situated in the Middle East, currently in the process of establishment. By the end of July 2019, 138 out of the 193 United Nations member states had officially recognized the sovereignty of the State of Palestine.
The name of this state derives from “Palestine Syria,” which was once a province within the Roman Empire. This region was originally known as Judea but was renamed by the Roman Emperor Hadrian in 135 AD.
The purpose of this renaming was to erase the historical connection to the Kingdom of Judah, following the suppression of a Jewish uprising against Rome. The term “Palaestina” is rooted in “Philistia,” which was the name of the Mediterranean coastal area in present-day Israel that was inhabited by the Philistines in ancient times.
