 In Finkelstein 's doctoral thesis , he examined the claims made in Joan Peters 's From Time Immemorial , a best @-@ selling book at the time . Peters 's " history and defense " of Israel deals with the demographic history of Palestine . Demographic studies had tended to assert that the Arab population of Ottoman @-@ controlled Palestine , a 94 % majority at the turn of the century , had dwindled towards parity due to massive Zionist immigration . Peters radically challenged this picture by arguing that a substantial part of the Palestinian people were descended from immigrants from other Arab countries from the early 19th century onwards . It followed , for Peters and many of her readers , that the picture of a native Palestinian population overwhelmed by Jewish immigration was little more than propaganda , and that in actuality two almost simultaneous waves of immigration met in what had been a relatively unpopulated land . 
 In Finkelstein <a href='null_genetive' title='1'><mark>'s</mark></a>doctoral thesis , he examined the claims made in Joan Peters <a href='null_genetive' title='2'><mark>'s</mark></a>From Time Immemorial , a best @-@ selling book at the time . Peters <a href='null_genetive' title='3'><mark>'s</mark></a>" history and defense " of Israel <a href='uninflect' title='4'><mark>deals</mark></a> with the demographic history of Palestine . Demographic studies <a href='been_done' title='5'><mark>had</mark></a> tended to assert that the Arab population of Ottoman @-@ controlled Palestine , a 94 % majority at the turn of the century , <a href='been_done' title='6'><mark>had</mark></a> dwindled towards parity due to massive Zionist immigration . Peters radically challenged this picture by arguing that a substantial part of the Palestinian people <a href='uninflect' title='7'><mark>were</mark></a> descended from immigrants from other Arab countries from the early 19th century onwards . It followed , for Peters and many of her readers , that the picture of a native Palestinian population overwhelmed by Jewish immigration was little more than propaganda , and that in actuality two almost simultaneous waves of immigration met in what had been a relatively unpopulated land . 
In Finkelstein  doctoral thesis , he examined the claims made in Joan Peters  From Time Immemorial , a best @-@ selling book at the time . Peters  " history and defense " of Israel deal with da demographic history of Palestine . Demographic studies done tended to assert that tdaArab population of Ottoman @-@ controlled Palestine , a 94 % majority at the turn of the century , done dwindled towards parity due to massive Zionist immigration . Peters radically challenged this picture by arguing that a substantial part of the Palestinian people was descended from immigrants from other Arab countries from the early 19th century onwards . It followed , for Peters and many of her readers , dat the picture of a native Palestinian population overwhelmed by Jewish immigration was little more than propaganda , and that in actuality two almost simultaneous waves of immigration met in what had been a relatively unpopulated land .