What is in a name?

While reading this section please keep in mind that a number of political decisions have caused the world major problems in terms of long term security, maturity and financial well being. Some of the decisions of the past need to be readdressed and when possible corrected.

The term "Phalashet" is a word in the Hebrew Bible (the Old Testament), which is usually transcribed into English as ‘Philistine’. The literal meaning of the root word (“phalash”) would be ‘moving’ or ‘rolling’ relating to a group of migratory people and their fighting style. These people conquered a region known as ‘Philistia’ which is simply just the flat lands along the Mediterranean coast. The original Philistines came from islands near ancient Greece; they were polytheists without any direct connections ethnically, linguistically or philosophically to the Arabs or the Jews.

With the subsequent conquests of the Holy Land by the ancient, polytheistic Roman Empire and the early Christian Byzantine Empire, the Philistines disappeared from history: either wiped out as a race or absorbed into the invading cultures. So for the last two thousand years the original Philistines have disappeared with little if any trace.

Before WWII, people living in the Holy Land primarily identified themselves in terms of religious beliefs: Muslims living there would have felt much stronger connections with Arabic speaking Muslims in other parts of the world rather than with the Arabic speaking Christians living in the same area. This is still evident to a lesser degree today.

Shortly after WWI ended, the British created the term, ‘Palestine’ for the whole geographical area between the Mediterranean Sea and the Jordan River, an area much larger than ancient Philistia. The new Palestine included the coastal areas as well as all the inland areas and mountains from the Negev desert all the way up to the “Sea of Galilee” (which is actually a lake). Furthermore, the term 'Palestine' was a new, secular concept of nationhood alien to the Muslims. 'Palestine' was also a way of saying Holy Land, Terra Sancta, Land of Israel or Eretz Yisrael, all of which were Christian or Jewish concepts, considered highly suspicious (or even despised) by the Muslims initially.

At the same time, the British began calling all the people living in the Holy Land: ‘Palestinians’ even though these people (Muslims, Christians, Jews and Druze alike) were monotheistic.

The ideology of nationalism in the Middle East came from Europe (mainly Britain and France); and nationalistic forms of government were (and to some degree still are) resisted because of their democratic and secular nature which were almost completely foreign to Arab Muslims until then.

Many Arab Muslims abhorred the term 'Palestine'. At that time the Muslims in the Holy Land declared their loyalty to the leadership in Southern Syria. It was only after an assassination in Syria in the early 1920’s (which destroyed that loyalty) and often repeated British rhetoric (propaganda) started to catch on that the new Arab leadership adopted the idea of creating an “independent Palestinian state”. Theoretically that state could have been a single United Semitic Nation composed of the United Tribes Of the Patriarchs Ishmael, Israel and Associates (UTOPIIA).

The ideas of 1) who or 2) what makes a nation, 3) what it is called and 4) where the boundaries should be… need to be questioned carefully, responsibly and compassionately instead of just assuming that the names and borders are divinely inspired or naturally pre-existing.

Many other names, identities and alignments were considered with Egypt, Jordan, pan Arabia and Syria. Various options continued to compete with the Palestinian ones for decades after it was first mentioned, but the latter reigns nearly supreme and has almost completely swept the others aside. Unfortunately this name and identity has little if any connection to the descendents of Ishmael, the highly esteemed Patriarch of the Arab nations who were also blessed by God. Furthermore this new identity can change the image of these people and break their troubled associations with conflict, refugee camps and occupation. I believe it is time to set the Arabs living in the Holy Land free and a new name could do just that!

Fortunately the name of Ishmael (Ismaeel in Arabic) has much more positive associations, with a longer, uninterrupted spiritual history. Ishmael is a very popular name in Arab and Muslim cultures because Ishmael was Abraham’s first son, and an ancestor of the Prophet Muhammad. Ishmael was also taught in the traditions of the monotheistic God of Abraham and was one of the original builders of the Ka’aba. Plus Ishmael and Israel were half brothers who were able to work cooperatively and symbolically together once they matured. As a family, large or small, it would be helpful for all of us to work together; to know and respect each others' interests; and to protect each others' rights.

The post modern State of Ishmael filled with Ishmaeli Christians, Druze and Muslims could realistically and symbolically start a new chapter in Middle East relationships allowing the dawning of a new era of peace, wealth and well being.