The legitimacy of Palestinians in Mandatory Palestine is rooted in historical context and the Palestinians' indigenous presence. Here are key points that shape our perspective:

1. **Indigenous Coexistence**:
- Before ethnonationalism, Palestine had an indigenous form of religious coexistence.
- Ussama Makdisi's book "The Age of Coexistence" highlights this ecumenical frame, emphasizing shared spaces and cultural exchange.

2. **Colonial History**:
- Mandatory Palestine emerged after World War I, with British administration.
- Palestinians (Muslim, Christian and Jewish) inhabited the land for centuries, and their identity was and still is deeply tied to the region.

3. **National Aspirations**:
- Palestinians sought self-determination and statehood, similar to that of Syria, Lebanon and Jordan in the Fertile Crescent
- The UN Partition Plan in 1947 aimed to create separate Jewish and Arab states by partitioning Palestine the vast majority of whose population was Arab Muslim and Christian even after massive immigration of Jews from Europe took place as facilitated by the British, but it faced challenges.

4. **Complexity and Struggle**:
- The desire for independence from British rule among Palestinians led to the 1936–1939 Arab revolt against the British. In 1944–1948 Jewish-Zionist settler-colonial violence led to the Nakba.
- Palestinians were terrorized and violently driven out and dispossessed during this period, creating the refugee camps now being bombed in Gaza and others in neighboring Arab countries.

Palestinians' legitimate claims, their presence on their own land, their aspirations, and resilience are here to stay. 😊