Palestine was a flourishing and culturally rich region, part of the Ottoman Empire for nearly 400 years.
Its population was beautifully diverse, made up of Arabs, Jews, Christians, and others, all coexisting peacefully. Arabic was the predominant language, with Islam as the dominant religion, though Judaism and Christianity also thrived. A unique symbol of this interfaith harmony was the practice where the imam held the keys to the church and would open it for Christian worshippers, while Christian leaders extended similar gestures of mutual respect.
Palestine was a land where religious and cultural diversity was not just tolerated but celebrated.
Between 1947 and 1949, approximately 800,000 Palestinians were expelled from their lands by Israeli forces. This event, known as the Nakba, which means "catastrophe" in Arabic, is the ethnic cleansing of Palestinian Arabs through their violent displacement and dispossession of land, property, and belongings, along with the destruction of their society and the suppression of their culture, identity, political rights,
and national aspirations, which led to the creation of Israel, an apartheid state. The Nakba never ended.
Under the brutality and crimes committed by The IDF (Israel Defense Forces) created in 1948,
and the IOF (Israeli Occupation Forces) created in 1967, the Palestinian resistance movement emerged in 1987.
It is important to note that the Palestinian resistance movement is not recognised as a terrorist organisation everywhere.
It is also important to remember that, under international law, an occupying power does not have the right to self-defense, but the occupied population has the right to resist. Many seem to forget this.
The Palestinians are facing horrible crimes, and the cause has never been the resistance movement, but rather the pursuit of creating a Greater Israel. And it’s not just about territorial ambitions. The vast Palestinian gas and oil reserves, estimated to be worth $524 billion, along with the strategic access to the Suez Canal, one of the most strategically significant waterways in the world, are also key factors.
Understanding what is truly happening in Palestine is essential to grasp why a portion of the global population is fighting for Palestinian freedom. The Palestinian people have been enduring profound injustice, crimes against humanity, and humiliation for the past 76 years. They are facing genocide, one that we are witnessing live on our phones—something unprecedented in human history. 44% of the people killed in Gaza are children, with the majority being between 5 and 9 years old.
"It's like we're watching Auschwitz on TikTok," — Dr. Gabor Maté.
History of the Colonisation of Palestine
British Mandate (1920–1948)
After World War I, the Ottoman Empire collapsed, and Palestine came under British control as part of the League of Nations Mandate system.
The colonisation of the land of Palestine all began with the Balfour Declaration, issued on November 2, 1917, by Arthur Balfour, the British Foreign Secretary. This declaration expressed support for the establishment of a "national home for the Jewish people" in Palestine, while also promising to protect the rights of the existing non-Jewish communities, including Palestinians. But the use of the sentence "a land without a people for a people without a land" was often attributed to early Zionist discourse and reflects the perception of Palestine as underpopulated or empty, despite the presence of a significant Arab population. The notion of "a land without a people for a people without a land" denied the existence of the indigenous people already living there.
Zionism
The Zionist movement formally emerged in the late 19th century with the goal of establishing a Jewish homeland, specifically in the historic region of Palestine. Theodor Herzl is considered the father of modern political Zionism, organising the First Zionist Congress in 1897 in Basel, Switzerland. It is important to understand that Zionism has faced consistent opposition from various Jewish groups. These groups challenge Zionism on the basis of religious beliefs, political ideologies, or ethical concerns, particularly regarding the treatment of Palestinians. Therefore, Zionism is not representative of the entire Jewish community far from it. President Biden stated, 'You don't have to be Jewish to be a Zionist.' Zionism is an ideology rooted in nationalist and colonialist ambitions, often criticised for embodying aspects of white supremacy and imperialism. It reflects ideologies of racial superiority, as it prioritises the establishment of a Jewish state over the rights of the indigenous Palestinian population.
Greater Israel
Zionists believe that the land of Palestine was promised to them, but that's not their only goal. They have consistently stated that their aim is to establish a Greater Israel. The colonisation of Palestine is seen as the first step toward achieving this objective.
The concept of Greater Israel (Eretz Yisrael HaShlema) refers to a notion found in some Zionist and religious circles that envisions an expanded territory for Israel based on biblical references. The borders of Greater Israel include land beyond the current boundaries of the State of Israel, extending into several modern-day countries.
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