Palestinian Jews = Contradiction?

Today is the big election day over in Israel. I've got lots to say about that, but for now, I'm gonna write a bit about something somewhat related. Insha Allah I'll write about the elections after they're done... but, on another note, heres something i've had on my mind for a few hours:

What exactly is it that defines a Palestinian? What makes a Palestinian a Palestinian? Are Palestinians a race? Are they a culture? Is it in reference to the speakers of a language or a dialect?

Is the term "Palestinian" in reference to an ethnic tribe that belongs to a particular religion, like the Maronites in Lebanon or the Coptics in Egypt?

Or is it an umbrella term in reference to the citizens of a currently non existent state? But, there never was a "Palestinian State" per say. It was always a province or colony of a greater nation or empire, that being the Caliphate, the Ottoman or the English amongst others, sort of like saying “I’m a Floridian” if you lived in Florida. Back in the Ottoman days, it was more in reference to where you were born and lived, not as much your race or ethnic background, because they didn't think of people in terms of race. But when the empire split, England just called it a colony. They didn't think of the "Palestinians" as a different ethnic group as lets say the Kuwaitis, they just split it that way to better administer the colony.

Is it fair to compare Arabic speaking Palestinians with the citizens of the German speaking nation of Austria? That being a non existing state that was created simply for political reasons. Or is it more like the modern Assyrians, who are an ethnic-religious group that is without a nation state of their own.

Or maybe they're like the medieval Jews...

Can you be a Palestinian Buddhist? Or a Palestinian Christian? There have been people classified as "Palestinian Christians" in the past, such as Dr. George Habash, the founder of Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine. Does it even matter what religion you are, or is it the race and tribe you belong to? Or is it where you're born?

Can you be a Palestinian if you are of Palestinian parents born in Hungary? Does that make you a Palestinian-Hungarian? Or does it just make you Hungarian?

Or how about if you were of Malaysian parents but were born and raised in Palestine, does that make you a Palestinian, a Malaysian or a Malaysian-Palestinian?

You must be wondering why I am asking these ridiculous questions, aren't you? Here’s the big question I’ve been building up: Can you be a Palestinian Jew or is that an oxy-moron?

I personally think its possible, because I think of a Palestinian as a person who is of an ethnic Palestinian background (that being a mixture of Philistine, Babylonian, Persian, Byzantine and Arab) no matter where they are born or what religion they are, but also a person who is born in the area currently referred to as "Palestine". If your parents were Japanese, but you were born and raised in Palestine, its safe to assume you'd call yourself a Japanese-Palestinian, correct? So, in theory, you could be a Palestinian Muslim, Buddhist, Samaritan, Christian or even, yes, Jew.

This shouldn't be a conflict, but, unfortunately, it is, at least with someone I spoke to today. It was a Palestinian born and raised in America of the Muslim faith whom I told about a group of Jews who live in the Palestinian territories, and have done so since even before the Crusades, but refuse to live in Israel or call themselves Israelis. In essence, Palestinian Jews.

This person informed me that was an oxy-moron, because any Jew living in what was once Palestine is called an "Israeli". But to me, "Israeli" refers to the citizens of the state of Israel, and not a race or religion. Consider all the hardcore, orthodox Jews in the Lower East Side of Manhattan who refuse to move to Israel. If these people don't have Israeli citizenship, refuse to call themselves "Israelis" and were born and raised in the US, does that make them any less American? So, how about if theres been a sizeable Jewish community in Palestine for thousands of years, but when the modern state of Israel was created, they refused to leave, does that make them any less Palestinian?

Any look at them will reveal that they have at least some ethnic and cultural ties to the people of Palestine.

But my friend basically said that "Palestinian" also refers to the religion itself, but, how does that explain the aforementioned Dr. George Habash, who was a Greek Orthodox Christian? He fought for years for Palestinian independence and referred to himself as Palestinian. So, what does that make him?

Of course, my friend had no answer to that and in so many words said that Jews are all Israelis and Israelis are all Jews no matter where they were born or if they had any other ethnicity in their blood.

Conspiracy theories aside, there actually ARE non Jews in Israel. At the end of 2003, of Israel's 6.7 million people, 76.7% were Jewish (by religion), 15.8% were Muslim, 2.1% were Christian, 1.6% were Druze and everyone else was "unclassified" (atheists, agnostics, Buddhists, etc.).

So, if these 15.8% of Muslims are Israeli citizens, live in Israel and even serve in the Israeli armed forces, does that make them non Israelis?

Under this person’s logic: yes, because Israelis can only be Jews and Jews can only be Israelis. There are no exceptions and no other way around. "Israeli", "Israeli", "Israeli".

Is this foolish? Yes... especially considering that these page I linked this person was about Palestinian Jews who were against the state of Israel (in other words, the Palestinian's allies) and refused to call themselves "Israelis".

Basically, this person I know was being, and you must excuse me if you read this, a bigot and an elitist. They’re making being Palestinian some sort of elite privilege obtainable only by virtue of faith and not of thousands of years of peaceful co-existence, intermixing and cultural exchange.

They suffered and even fought side by side against invaders and helped their neighbours when they could for as long as the Palestinian Muslims have been in the place we call Palestine and seeking to erase their history and their contributions because of an ugly political situation by Zionist Jews from Europe is shameful and requires a great deal of reflection and rethinking by your part friend.

I think they’ve earned the privilege by now, don’t you think?