Best of 2025 - Gaza under siege: The continuation of Zionist demographic cleansing policies since the 19th century |
Israeli propaganda tries to present the war on Gaza as a “defensive reaction.” Yet the historical record tells a very different story: systematic genocide, the destruction of civilian life and deliberate attempts to uproot entire populations. All of this is a direct continuation of Zionist colonial policies that began in the late 19th century.
A repost from 31 October 2025
These policies have always aimed to create a racially pure Jewish state at the expense of the Palestinians, through forced displacement, economic blockade and deliberate wars. This article traces the historical roots of these policies and shows that Gaza is not an exception, but a primary target of this ongoing colonial strategy.
Historical roots of the conflict: Zionism and the idea of forced transfer
From the beginning of the Zionist movement, Palestinians were seen as a “demographic obstacle” to the establishment of a Jewish state. In 1895, Theodor Herzl, founder of political Zionism, wrote in his diary:
“The removal of the Arabs from Palestine must form part of the Zionist plan. The poor population can be transferred across the border by denying them employment. This must be done quietly and carefully.”
Likewise, in 1938, David Ben Gurion, who became Israel’s first prime minister, described “compulsory transfer” as a moral and necessary step to preserve the Zionist project. These were not abstract ideas but the foundation of what later became known as “Plan Dalet” in 1948, which historian Benny Morris described as a “necessary ethnic cleansing” to secure a Jewish majority in the emerging state.
The 1948 Nakba: Mass expulsion and the transformation of Gaza into camps
In 1948, Israel expelled around 750,000 Palestinians from their homes and seized 78% of historic Palestine. Gaza’s population rose from 80,000 to........