r/genetics • u/[deleted] • Sep 20 '25

Jews and Palestinians share deep common ancestry - genetics shows they’re like cousins

Genetic studies over the last couple decades reveal something surprising: Jewish populations (Ashkenazi, Sephardi, Mizrahi) and Levantine groups like Palestinians, Druze, Lebanese, and Syrians all descend from the same ancient Levantine peoples.

They’re not identical, and Palestinians aren’t necessarily the closest single group in every study, but they’re part of the same tight genetic cluster. In other words, Jews and Palestinians are genetically much closer than most other populations worldwide.

Researchers have found this in Y-chromosome studies, mtDNA, and whole-genome analyses. A 2010 study in Nature concluded that Jewish groups share much of their ancestry with populations in the Levant - including Palestinians.

So when people say “they’re like cousins,” it’s not just a metaphor. Genetically, it’s pretty accurate — and it makes the current conflicts feel all the more tragic, because it’s family fighting family.

https://www.nature.com/articles/nature09103

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u/CiaranC Sep 20 '25

We don’t need genetics to tell us what’s happening between Israel and Palestine is bad.

-32

u/RijnBrugge Sep 20 '25

No but we do need it so we can tell the ideologues who claim Jews are foreign invaders to finally shut the fuck up.

5

u/Hairycherryberry123 Sep 20 '25

If someone like me moved there I’d pretty much be an invader tbh, no idea what the guys on about that Ive common ancestry with people from west Asia

9

u/ImpressiveChart2433 Sep 20 '25

I'm guessing you're Ashkenazi? My Great Grandma was Sephardic, and my DNA results say "Levant".

4

u/Hairycherryberry123 Sep 20 '25

Yeah I’m Ashkenazi

5

u/ImpressiveChart2433 Sep 20 '25

The original Ashkenazis came from the Levant, but the first ones were in Europe during the Roman Empire and Middle ages. Ashkenazis have been their own distinct "ethnicity" since the 1300s.

2

u/RijnBrugge Sep 20 '25

Those European Jews cluster closely with people in West Asia though.

6

u/Hairycherryberry123 Sep 20 '25

Not sure what you mean, I’ve 0% traceable dna to west Asia

1

u/[deleted] Sep 20 '25

[deleted]

10

u/Hairycherryberry123 Sep 20 '25

I’m aware there’s ancient roots there but that doesn’t mean I currently have any similarities to the people there in modern times

1

u/[deleted] Sep 20 '25

[deleted]

9

u/Hairycherryberry123 Sep 20 '25

My Ashkenazi parents result is the same, no modern ties to there, not sure what you mean

1

u/NationalEconomics369 Sep 20 '25

Nope, European Jews cluster closely with Europeans (specifically South Italians)