The loss of land in Palestine between 1946 and 1999 (2003)

This map is one of the most popular ones used on the Internet throughout the 21st century to discuss the conflict between Palestine and Israel. It first appeared in the book A Puppy Dies, published in 2003 by Anglican Reverend Timothy Biles. In the book, the author cites the British organisation Palestine Solidarity Campaign (PSC) as the source of the map, although this has never been verified.

This is a propaganda map showing a particular view of land ownership by Palestine and Israel, most likely based on the sequence of maps created by Paul J. Pugliese for Time magazine in 1980. The major difference between this sequence of maps and Pugliese's is the assertion that in 1946 practically all the land belonged to Palestinians, when the reality was much more complex. The territory belonged de facto to the United Kingdom, although it is true that a significant part of the territory was in Palestinian hands, though not much more than that which was in Jewish hands. This other map shows ownership of the territory in 1945.

Although not the author's direct intention, this map ended up becoming popular in neo-Nazi and anti-Semitic forums, not out of sympathy for Palestine, but out of hatred for Zionism. This led to the map receiving strong criticism from various sectors, mainly from the Israeli state and Zionist movements. Although some of the criticisms have more historical and documentary basis than others, it is nonetheless true that the propagandistic nature of the map is evident.

Sources

• Palestinian Loss of Land 1946–1999
• A Puppy Dies: And Other Stories from the Holy Land