Palestine’s Legitimate Citizenry

Abstract

Abstract For its democratic legitimacy whatever state rules historic Palestine must have a legitimate citizenry. A legitimate citizenry must include all people significantly, seriously, or existentially affected by the rules of the state ruling the territory in question. Palestinians now residing in historic Palestine are obviously thus significantly affected by the rules of Israel. This paper argues that the roughly half of the Palestinians residing outside the borders of historic Palestine, as well, are significantly enough affected to justify a claim of citizenship in whatever state rules the territory, which can undoubtedly be called their homeland. Israel does not fulfil this necessary condition for democratic state legitimacy, but a state comprised of all Palestinians, after many of them exercise their right of return, as well as all others now residing in historic Palestine, would.