Should Tribal Identities prevail over individual rights?

I was discussing the Israeli-Palestinian issue with someone.

We were largely taking past each other ... he was insisting that "the Palestinians think this ..."- what, all 4.5 million individuals? You've interviewed them all personally? - and, "1948, that" - you know that 95% of the people you are talking about weren't alive then, right?

Then I realized that he couldn't see individuals, only identity groups, whereas I was just interested in individuals.