May 1947 Arabs View Palestine as part of Syria
As late as May 1947, Arab representatives reminded the United Nations in a formal statement,
“Palestine is a … part of the Province of Syria … Politically, the Arabs of Palestine were not independent in the sense of forming a separate political entity.”
Source: Howe and Gershman, Ed., ISRAEL, THE ARABS AND THE MIDDLE EAST; http://www.agsconsulting.com/articles/peace2.htm