Black Palestinians

Black Palestinians are black people who live in or have family from Palestine. They are also called Afro-Palestinians because many have ancestors from Africa. In history, many black people were forced to go to Palestine as slaves by the Ottoman Empire. Some of them were also enslaved by Palestinian Bedouins. There are also Black Palestinians who came as immigrants from Africa. Today, they still face discrimination because of their race as well as occupation by Israel. One neighborhood in Gaza with many Black Palestinians is known by an insulting name for slaves. A minority of African Palestinians which number around 350-450 reside in an African enclave (Hai al-Afaarika) around the Bab al-Majlis, the northern gate, contiguous to the Haram al-Sharif, in the Muslim Quarter of Jerusalem, which also contains several micro-communities composed of Indians, Domari Gypsies, Afghans, and Moroccans.