Answer:

This is the map offered by Israel at the Taba negotiations, 2001. The area of Israel in this map is approximately 20% of the land originally designated by the League of Nations as the Jewish National Home. The remaining 80% were taken away during the 20th century variably by wars or politics, the results of which were nevertheless always accepted by the Israelis and rejected by the Arabs. The following maps represent the main landmarks of this process.

Important note on the geographical distribution of populations: All areas ever designated as the "Jewish National Home" and eventually Israel have always had mixed Jewish and Arab populations with equal rights. Conversely, all areas chopped off and given to the Arabs were cleansed of Jews.


1. The League of Nations Mandate for Palestine, 1920-22

This is Palestine, created and defined by the League of Nations in 1920-22 as the Jewish National Home, and mandated to the British for temporary administration. No other geopolitical entity called Palestine had existed since Roman times (by the early twentieth century, different parts of the country had belonged to different Ottoman provinces).

The name "Palestine" is the European one, now adopted also by the Arabs. The traditional Hebrew name, made official even under the British, was and is "Eretz Israel" (Land of Israel), hence eventually "State of Israel".

In 1921, the Islamic movement in Palestine starts a campaign of terror against the Jews of Palestine (and in fact also the Jews of Egypt), who as yet have no means of defence and rely on the British authorities.



2. British alteration of the mandate, 1921-3

The British, placating Arab violence, in 1921 chop Transjordan off Palestine and give it to the Arabs (which in fact was a violation of the mandate given to the British by the League of Nations; so much for observing international law).

Reactions: Most Jews accept. Most Arabs reject.

The rejectionist Arabs intensfy the campaign of terror against the Jews.



3. British partition plan of 1937

The British partition plan of 1937 leaves the Jews a tiny fraction of the already reduced "Jewish National Home" as shown above, and allocates the rest to the Arabs.

Reactions: Nobody is too happy.

The rejectionist Arab party continues the campaign of terror against the Jews as well as against those Arabs who wish to coexist with the Jews. The Jews begin to react militarily. Civil war in Palestine.

1939-1945 – the civil war is interwoven with WW2, since the Arabs of Palestine are in League with Nazi Germany (see also here). Palestinian Arabs even serve in the German army in Europe, notably at Bosnia. On the other hand, the Palestine Brigade of the British army is composed entirely of Palestinian Jews (including my own uncle).

4. United Nations Partition plan 1947 (UN General Assembly Resolution 181)

This plan shows what should have been the legal borders of Israel according to United Nations resolution of 1947, which recommended partitioning western Palestine between a Jewish state and an Arab state.

Reactions: The Jews accept, the Arabs reject.

Armies of the neighbouring Arab countries invade Palestine, take over the areas designated by the UN as Arab Palestinian state, and have a go at the areas designated Jewish state (Israel). Israel's War of Independence. There are battles everywhere, and the result is the next map.



5. Armistice lines 1949

Ceasefire lines at the end of the War of Independence, 1949.

Reactions: Israel accepts. The Arabs insist that these are mere ceasefire lines, rather than final international borders, and declare to their own people that "the Zionist entity" (their name for Israel at that time) will eventually disappear.

This is why Israel is created without internationally agreed legal borders. In 1951 the Jordanians annex Judea and Samaria, from that time called "the West Bank". This annexation is illegal. Nobody agrees (except Britain and Pakistan), but nobody objects either.

Refugees, 1947-1956: Arabs from Israel to the Arab lands: about 500,000 - 900,000 (UN's original figure was 500,000, revised over the years to about 900,000). Jews from Arab countries to various other countries: over 1,000,000, of whom about 800,000 settled in Israel. In fact, practically no Jews remain in Arab lands, including the Arab parts of previous Palestine. Many Arabs remain in Israel as citizens.

1949-1967 - The Arabs continue the campaign of terror against the Jews, this time across the ceasefire lines.

6. Ceasefire lines following 1967 war

May 1967 – Egypt orders UN peacekeeping force to leave, moves army towards its ceasefire line with Israel, and closes waterways to Israel. This is seen by all in the world as casus belli. June 1967- Israel deals a preemptive strike and, in reaction to Jordanian and Syrian bombardment (which I experienced personally on the Israeli side of the then West Bank border), does the same in those directions. The Arab armies are repelled, and lose hell of a lot of real estate (hereafter "occupied territories").

The UN adopts resolution 242, in essence: Israel will give back land occupied in 1967 from Egypt, Jordan and Syria, in return for "secure and recognized borders" to be recognized by the Arab countries. This is the origins of all future "land for peace" negotiations.

Reactions: Israel accepts; the Arabs reject.

Because of the Arab rejection, resolution 242 is not implemented at that stage. Years later, Egypt and Jordan accept 242, and consequently receive back everything they agree to receive, see next map.



7. Israel borders and ceasefire lines, 1993

1978 – Egypt agrees to Resolution 242, and consequently receives back everything lost in 1967. Hence Israel's first ever real border, seen in this map on the Egyptian side, as opposed to all the rest which remain ceasefire lines.

Egypt declines, however, the Gaza strip. Syria never agrees, and receives nothing.

1993 - Jordan signs a peace treaty with Israel but gives up the West Bank (held by Jordan illegally 1949-1967), which from that point onwards will be the subject of negotiations between the local Arabs (who still call themselves "Palestinian") and the Israelis. Same for the Gaza strip, declined by Egypt.

This is when the chapter of interference by neighbouring Arab countries ends, and the situation reverts to that prior to 1949, that is, a continuation of the various partition plans originally rejected by the Arabs. Naturally, conditions and populations changed in the meanwhile, hence the new negotiations of the 1990s.

1993 – Oslo accord: a new partition plan, agreed between Israel and the Palestinian Arabs, to be implemented in stages. The principle: Israel will give land; the Arabs will cease hostilities and incitement against Israel. Israel implements the first stages of its part of the deal, creating the Palestinian Authority. The Arabs never implement any of their part of the deal. Incitement and terror attacks continue almost immediately.



8. Return to the first map posted here - Final status plan presented by Israel at Taba, 2001

The latest partition plan was formulated by Israeli PM Barak and US President Clinton in 2000. The above map is the version presented at Taba in 2001. As can be seen, the areas offered to the new Palestinian Authority include practically all those declined by Egypt and Jordan in the respective peace accords. These are the areas known worldwide as "the occupied territories".

Reaction: Despite, the Oslo accords and the offer of 2000-2001, the Palestinian authority still rejects any partition. At least, this is what they tell their own people; see Here 

2000 onwards - As a reaction to this new partition plan, the Palestinian Authority opens the present campaign of terror, marked primarily by suicide bombing against civilians in Israel. Israel hits back, often with excursions against terrorists into the areas already given to the Palestinian Authority.

Summary:
All this may be summed up in the famous words of Abba Eban:
"The Arabs of Palestine have never missed an opportunity to miss an opportunity".