Palestinians are White: A Historical, and Genetic Perspective

The question of racial classification is often used in political debates, and the identity of Palestinians is no exception. While many Israelis and Jews argue, without basis, that Palestinians immigrated to Palestine in the 20^th century from the Arabian Peninsula, the truth is Palestinians are native to Palestine and share more genetic ties with Southern Europeans than ethnic Arabs, which is why they and other Levantines Arabs are considered white.

Genetic Evidence of Palestinian Origin:

1. Genetic Overlap with Southern Europeans, Not Arabs- Studies of Middle Eastern and Mediterranean populations show that Palestinians have genetic overlap with Southern Europeans, including Greeks, Sicilians, and other Mediterranean groups. This connection stems from geography and thousands of years of migration, trade, and intermarriage.
2. Ancient Shared Ancestry - Palestinians descend from ancient Canaanites, with genetic ties to Anatolians (Turkey) and Europeans. Genetic research suggests that modern Palestinians, Lebanese, Syrians, and many Jordanians, share a common Mediterranean ancestry that is different from the Arabs of Saudi Arabia and other countries of the Arabian Peninsula.
3. Hellenistic and Roman Influence - Following Alexander the Great's conquests, Palestine became deeply intertwined with the Greco-Roman world. Greek settlers and Roman colonization left a genetic imprint on Palestinians.
4. Crusader Genetic Influence - During the Crusades (1095-1291), European settlers established long-term settlements in Palestine, intermarrying with local populations. Modern Palestinians carry traces of European ancestry from this period.
5. Mediterranean Genetic Continuity - The Mediterranean has historically been a region of cultural and genetic exchange. Palestinians exhibit genetic ties to the broader Mediterranean world, reinforcing their connection to Southern European groups.

The Racial Classification of Palestinians in U.S. Legal History

In the United States, Palestinians and other Middle Eastern people have been officially classified as white since the late 1800s and early 1900s. This classification was reinforced through court cases that determined the racial status of Palestinians, Syrians, and other Middle Eastern immigrants.

• Dow v. United States (1915) - A Syrian immigrant, George Dow, successfully argued in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit that Syrians were legally white and eligible for U.S. citizenship under the Naturalization Act, which restricted citizenship to "free white persons."
• United States v. Cartozian (1925) - The Supreme Court recognized that Armenians, who share genetic and historical ties with Palestinians, were white under U.S. law.
• Ex parte Mohriez (1944) - A federal court ruled that Arabs, including those from Palestine, were legally white.

These rulings cemented the legal classification of Middle Eastern people, including Palestinians, as white in the U.S., despite shifting social perceptions over time.

Palestinians share deep historical, genetic, and legal ties with Europeans. Acknowledging this fact is an important step in ensuring that Palestinian identity is understood in its full complexity, free from political distortions and misrepresentations. This is important because those who want to ethnically cleans the Palestinians from their ancestral home of Palestine, often rely on the falsehood that the Palestinians came from the Arabian Peninsula in search of work.

By Karen Schwartz