Trying to erase 3,000 years of Palestinian presence
JVL Introduction
The Britain Palestine Project held a conference “Recognition is the Beginning” on June 2nd with several excellent speeches which can now been viewed on YouTube and listened to on Spotify. This is the 5th of the videos and spotify posts; we shall post more in the days to come.
Here we post a powerful lecture by William Dalrymple about the long history of Palestinian presence in the land. In addition to memories and writings can now be added the DNA evidence showing that modern Palestinians – and, indeed, Mizrahi Jews – derive most of their ancestry from Bronze Age Levantine populations. The claim that Palestinians have no legitimate connection to the land is nonsensical but the work to erase that connection has helped lead us to the horrors of Gaza and in the West Bank – the Nakba continues.
Furthermore, Dalrymple reminds us of Britain’s terrible role and responsibility for building the Palestinians catastrophe and our ongoing complicity. Britain has a particular role in dismantling the catastrophe.
This article was originally published by Britain Palestine Project on Tue 2 Jun 2026. Read the original here.
Recognition is the Beginning Conference: William Dalrymple - Palestine’s place in history
Historian, author and Britain Palestine Project patron William Dalrymple opens the Recognition is the Beginning conference with a sweeping exploration of Palestinian history, identity and Britain’s historic role in the region. Drawing on archaeology, genetics, historical records and personal testimony,
Dalrymple challenges narratives that deny Palestinian continuity and traces the story of Palestine from the Bronze Age to the present day. Beginning with the story of the village of Isdud (modern-day Ashdod), he examines how communities endured for millennia before being displaced during the Nakba of 1948.
The keynote explores: The historical continuity of Palestinian communities over more than 3,000 years. Archaeological and genetic evidence linking modern Palestinians to ancient Levantine populations. The shared ancestral heritage of Palestinians and many Israeli Jews. The origins and enduring history of the name “Palestine” from the Bronze Age to today. Palestine’s role as a centre of trade, culture, religion and scholarship throughout antiquity and the medieval world. The impact of the Balfour Declaration and the British Mandate on Palestinian self-determination. Britain’s historic and contemporary responsibilities regarding Palestine. Why recognition of Palestine is only a starting point and must be accompanied by meaningful action.
Dalrymple argues that understanding the depth of Palestinian history is essential to understanding the present crisis and to building a future based on justice, accountability and equal rights. He concludes by reflecting on the humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza and the importance of transforming recognition into practical support for Palestinian self-determination.
About the Speaker William Dalrymple is an award-winning historian, broadcaster and bestselling author whose books include The Anarchy, The Last Mughal, White Mughals and From the Holy Mountain. He is co-host of the hugely popular Empire podcast and a patron of the Britain Palestine Project. His current research focuses on the history of Palestine from the Neolithic period to the Nakba.
The British Palestine Project could have wished for no better patron than the brilliant author of The Anarchy about the Honourable East India Company which – like the Balfour Declaration and its repercussions – another shameful chapter in Great British history . I am keenly awaiting his upcoming book
Palestine from the Neolithic period to the Nakba.