Ethnic cleansing was part of Zionism long before 1948
JVL Introduction
Trump’s appalling “plan” for expelling people from Gaza is not a new idea. The idea of “population transfer” or rather ethnic cleansing is rooted in the earliest ideas of Zionism, long before 1948 or the rise of Nazism. Here reference is made to many early zionist leaders who called for the removal of Palestinians, including:
“…Theodor Herzl, the father of modern Zionism, wrote in this diary in 1895: “We shall try to spirit the penniless population across the border by procuring employment for it in the transit countries, while denying it any employment in our own country.”
David Ben Gurion, the first Prime Minister of Israel “saw population transfer as a key point of the plan and added: “With compulsory transfer we [would] have a vast area [for settlement]. I support compulsory transfer. I don’t see anything immoral in it.””
And “In 1940, Zionist leader Ze’ev Jabotinsky wrote that ‘the world has become accustomed to the idea of mass migrations and has become fond of them. … Hitler – as odious as he is to us – has given this idea a good name in the world.’”. While this predated ‘the final solution’, it is surely still a terrible indictment.
It is important that we remember this when told that the displacement(s) were necessary because of the attacks on Israel.
LL
This article was originally published by Ha'aretz on Wed 12 Feb 2025. Read the original here.
'The Zionist Dream in Essence': The History of the Palestinian Transfer Debate, Explained
Donald Trump has returned to the public debate a word that was once too shocking to say. It turns out that transfer plans for the Palestinians have deep roots in Zionist history
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So many, so long ago , rationalising ethnic cleansing or as it should be described: “mass ethnic expulsion by whatever means necessary”.
“Transfer” of the Palestinian population and colonisation by Jews is just one action in End-of-Times theology that will pave the way for the Second Coming of the Messiah, Jesus. Another action is the (re) building of the Third Temple on “Temple” Mount for which funds have been raised and plans drawn up. Whatever will become of the third-most Holy Shrine in Islam ? The Dome of the Rock and Al Aqsa mosque currently dominate “Temple Mount”. Perhaps when WWIII / Armageddon has broken out, these will just be a casualty of war and ethnic cleansing / genocide, like ancient structures in Gaza have been. This may not be a good time for Western powers to embrace Zionism and End-of-Times theology, making an enemy of all of Islam. Palestinian populations may be interned or killed, but many Palestinian sympathisers and believers in fundamental human rights may not be prepared to side with Zionazism, which makes for a very uncertain future. The End of the world may indeed be nigh. Religion may again result in a “war to end all wars”.