HISTORICAL OVERVIEW EXAMINES THE ORIGIN OF THE SLOGAN OF A DEMOCRATIC STATE BY THE FATAH IN 1969; THE REJECTION OF THE DEMOCRATIC FRONT PROPOSAL THAT THE PALESTINE COVENANT BE AMENDED TO INCLUDE THE GOAL OF THE DEMOCRATIC STATE AS A PRINCIPLE; AND THE DEFINITION OF THE DEMOCRATIC STATE BY THE PALESTINIAN EIGHTH NATIONAL ASSEMBLY RESOLUTION IN 1971. ACCORDING TO DISCUSSIONS BY PALESTINIAN ORGANIZATIONS, SUCH A STATE WOULD BE ARAB AND AFFILIATED TO AN ARAB FEDERATION. JEWS WOULD CONSTITUTE A MINORITY, ALTHOUGH CITIZENS WOULD HAVE EQUAL RIGHTS REGARDLESS OF CREED. JEWS WOULD NOT HAVE CORPORATE POLITICAL RIGHTS BUT ONLY THE RIGHTS OF A CULTURAL MINORITY. THOSE JEWS PERMITTED TO REMAIN IN THE STATE WOULD BE REQUIRED TO RENOUNCE ZIONIST IDEAS. THE DEMOCRATIC STATE WOULD BE ESTABLISHED AFTER THE DESTRUCTION OF THE ZIONIST STATE, WOULD TAKE THE PLACE OF THE ZIONIST STATE, AND WOULD BE NONSECTARIAN. THE REDUCTION OF THE JEWISH POPULATION WOULD BE BROUGHT ABOUT BY THE POSSIBLE RETURN OF PALESTINIANS TO THE HOMELAND, THE EXPECTED EXODUS OF SOME JEWS TO THEIR COUNTRY OF ORIGIN, THE NATURE OF THE STRUGGLE, AND THE TENTH PALESTINIAN NATIONAL ASSEMBLY RESOLUTION WHICH PROVIDES A BASIS FOR EVICTING JEWS FROM PROPERTY THAT ONCE BELONGED TO ARABS. THE RELATIONSHIP OF THE DEMOCRATIC STATE AND ARTICLE 6 OF THE PALESTINIAN COVENANT IS DISCUSSED. DIFFERING POLITICAL OBJECTIVES AND VIEWS ON SUUCH A STATE ARE GIVEN FOR THE DEMOCRATIC FRONT, POPULAR FRONT, AND ARAB LIBERATION FRONT. FOOTNOTES ARE PROVIDED. (AOP)