The title of this article is not merely an eye-catching headline; it is the most recent statement by the head of Gaza’s Health Ministry, Dr Munir Al-Bursh, warning the world about the dire humanitarian disaster in the Palestinian territories, particularly in the Gaza Strip. Contrary to the view of most people in the West, this did not begin after October 7th, 2023, which was also a false flag operation that provided Israel with an excuse for pre-emptive self-defence against Palestinian civilians. The Zionist state of Israel has been carrying out the blatant genocide of Palestine for about 77 years. The present Palestine-Israel conflict has deep-rooted historical connections between political ideology, geopolitics, and the absurd religious claims of the Zionists. This article seeks to explore the historical roots, as well as the future implications, of this assault against humanity.
The Birth of Zionism as a Political Ideology and the First Zionist Congress
Zionism can be defined as one of the forms of Jewish nationalism, according to which Jews possess a separate identity as a nation and deserve international recognition and rights, just like any other nation in the world. More literally, Zionism also takes its roots from “Zion”, a hill in Jerusalem, the Holy Land for all three Abrahamic religions. Zionism emerged as a particular form of Jewish nationalism resulting from the rapidly changing political ideas in Eastern Europe, particularly in the European regions under Russian influence, during the 1880s. Zionism arose as a political alternative to other systems, such as liberalism and socialism. Thus, according to Zionist ideology, Jews possessed a cultural and political identity that could only be realised by forming a separate homeland of their own.
This specific form of Jewish nationalism was met with a lot of scepticism, not just from others but also from Jews themselves, who opposed the idea of a separate Jewish state. Nevertheless, this Zionist ideology eventually transformed into a settlement and nation-building project on the land of Palestine after exploring various options for suitable lands. The state of Israel was founded on the ancient tradition and religious belief of Zionists that Jews hold a right over Palestine as their homeland. The “Lovers of Zion”, or pro-Zionism groups, sent several small groups of settlers from Eastern Europe to purchase land, mostly in the Jaffa region, marking the first wave of immigration, called the First Aliyah. However, they were very disorganised. Hence, the first organised manifestation of this occupation and settlement project was observed in Central Europe, where Theodor Herzl emerged as the most important pro-Zionist settlement figure. He convened the First Zionist Congress in Basel, Switzerland, in 1897. This organised convention served as an impetus to what would become the most savage and inhumane settlement in the upcoming twentieth century.
The Balfour Declaration
As the First World War proved to be a turning point for the European nations in terms of territorial autonomy and nationalism, the British government saw it as an opportunity to shape the fate of Zionists and Palestinians by issuing a piece of paper. The Balfour Declaration, issued in 1917, was named after Arthur James Balfour, a British statesman who also served as Prime Minister from 1902 to 1905. He wrote the public statement in which he announced the support of the British government, a major stakeholder in changing global affairs and a colonial superpower, for the establishment of a “national home for the Jewish people in Palestine”. The Balfour letter proved a critical juncture in Middle Eastern history, clinching the land for foreign settlers and changing the map of the Holy Land of Palestine forever. Therefore, the present genocide of the Palestinians did not begin after 1947 but had already formed roots right after the British granted legitimacy to this Zionist agenda.
Nakba
What began as a settlement on Palestinian lands, shared with natives, including Muslims, Christians, and Jews, soon turned into a full-fledged ethnic cleansing campaign, as the immigrants transformed into illegal occupiers to establish the Zionist state of Israel. Nakba, meaning “catastrophe”, is known to be the first systematic manifestation of this genocidal project by the newly organised Israeli army. It marks the first violent mass evacuation of Palestinians from their homes during the establishment of Israel between 1947 and 1949, displacing three-quarters, or 750,000 people, out of the entire native population of 1.9 million from Palestine. Since then, Israel has not looked back in brutally targeting unarmed civilians, including children, mocking every statute of international law and every single charter of human rights. It has been receiving complete moral, political, financial, media, and logistical backing from North American and European governments, linking this as their religious responsibility to provide unconditional support to Israel, preparing for the Great Armageddon. Not only that, some Arab states, such as the United Arab Emirates, have also been engaged in trade with the Zionist state, which further empowered Israel in murdering innocent civilians in Palestinian territories.
Conclusion
The world continues to witness the horrors in Gaza and other Palestinian regions, which stand on the brink of being wiped out completely, without taking any action. The Arab and larger Muslim world are limited to issuing condemnation statements, which are obviously just lip service. The leaderships need to wake up from their deep slumber of self-interest and finally unite against the genocide in Palestine before it’s too late.