The Ethnic Cleansing of Palestine by Dr. Ilan Pappe - Part 1

http://www.ilanpappe.org

The present dismal reality unfolding in the Middle East has clear historical roots and a journey into the past may help to illuminate what lies behind the destructive policies of Israel in both Palestine and Lebanon.

Zionism arrived in Palestine in the late 19th as a colonialist movement motivated by national impulses.

The colonisation of Palestine fitted well the interests and policies of the British Empire on the eve of the First World War.

With the backing of Britain, the colonisation project expanded, and became a solid presence on the land after the war and with the establishment of the British mandate in Palestine (which lasted between 1918 and 1948).

While this consolidation took place, the indigenous society underwent, like other societies in the rest of the Arab world, a steady process of establishing a national identity.

But with one difference. While the rest of the Arab world was shaping its political identity through the struggle against European colonialism, in Palestine nationalism meant asserting your collective identity against both an exploitative British colonialism and expansionist Zionism.

Thus, the conflict with Zionism was an additional burden. The pro-Zionist policy of the British mandate there naturally strained the relationship between Britain and the local Palestinian society.

This climaxed in a revolt in 1936 against both London and the expanding Zionist colonisation project.

At the end of November 1947, the UN offered to divide Palestine into two states almost equal in their territorial space. The Jews were only one third of the population by 1947 and most of them had arrived in Palestine only a few years earlier.

The categorical Palestinian refusal to go along with this deal, backed by the Arab League, allowed the Zionist leadership to plan carefully the next step. Between February 1947 and March 1948, a final plan for ethnic cleansing was prepared.

The Zionist leadership defined 80 percent of Palestine (Israel today without the West Bank) as the space for the future state.

This was an area in which one million Palestinians lived next to 600,000 Jews.

The idea was to uproot as many Palestinians as possible. From March 1948 until the end of that year the plan was implemented despite the attempt by some Arab states to oppose it, which failed. Some 750,000 Palestinians were expelled, 531 villages were destroyed and 11 urban neighbourhoods demolished.

Half of Palestine's population was uprooted and half of its villages destroyed. The state of Israel was established in over 80 percent of Palestine, turning Palestinian villages into Jewish settlements and recreation parks, but allowing a small number of Palestinian to remain citizens in it.

The June 1967 war allowed Israel to take the remaining 20 percent of Palestine.

This seizure defeated in a way the ethnic ideology of the Zionist movement. Israel encompassed 100 percent of Palestine, but the state incorporated a large number of Palestinians, the people who Zionists made such an effort to expel in 1948.

The fact that Israel was let off easily in 1948, and not condemned for the ethnic cleansing it committed, encouraged it to ethnically cleanse a further 300,000 Palestinians from the West Bank and the Gaza strip.

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[PChord1]

Israel, a nation born of terror, continues the legacy. Only Israelis can stop Zionist fascism and make Israel a true democracy for ALL.

[hussameldin2550]

Isreal has never and cannever stand on it's own without the U.S. and britians support isreal will get it's ass kicked just as it deserves.

[shinokiba]

@kizilbasi Wait, I am confused. Was that before or after we removed every Jew from the Gaza Strip and 4 settlements in the West Bank.

[kizilbasi]

@PRIMALRAGE11 Yeah, it's oh so reasonable to say 'a pox on both your houses', but the fact is the US and the EU are supporting Israel, which is already the stronger party in this conflict, with billions in financial aid, with weapons and with a diplomatic shield. So by not changing that we are already taking sides.

[kizilbasi]

@shinokiba And then you will take half of that half and while we are negotiating about the remainder you will continue to build settlements on that.

[kizilbasi]

@shinokiba Yeah, so stop all US aid to Israel, currently about $7 million a DAY.

[kizilbasi]

@shinokiba The plan was to have a clear majority in the part of Palestine that was to become Israel. So no the plan succeeded.

[kizilbasi]

@MrLamalo1 Bullshit, the refugees fled BEFORE the 4 armies invaded. And those 4 armies combined were outnumbered by the zionist militias/Israeli army. As for Husseini and his collaboration with the nazis: the zionists and especially the revisionists offered their services to the nazis too. The nazios just thought Husseini was of more use to them.

[crazykid567]

This happening makes me sick to my stomach. White Phosphorus shells are the most inhumane way to kill a population. The most demonic entities have possessed the leaders of this world. While Israel denies and dismisses what theyre doing to those poor people, its still happening RIGHT NOW. Imagine a bulldozer in front of your house and soldiers come drag you and your family out. Then starts to destroy your house with your belongings and sometimes even family members. The people of Israel with pay.

[crazykid567]

Its funny how Isreali Jews think they have the "RIGHT" to be there. And to use their Bible to jusitfy their actions against humanity. The Bible youre into led you to be with the Devil himself. The whole Zionist movement is the AntiChrist at work. David Rockellfer and the Rothchilds have ties with these demons. They kill children and torutre them for the Devil. Its heartbreaking to see these children go thru this. I have little brothers and sisters, everytime I look at them , I cry.

[MrLamalo1]

WE NEED 2 REMEMBER THAT ON THE ARAB`S SIDE,ITS LEADERSHIP DEVISED A DIFFERENT PLAN FOR THE JEWS...NOT DISPOSSESSION BUT ANOTHER FINAL SOLUTION.Please look it up..Haj Amin El Husseini.

Most Arabs fled after the conflict in which 4 armies tried 2 `liberate` them,by annihilating new born Israel.The same 4governments later, were not interested in resolving the displaced refugees issue but rather use is as a card.

[shinokiba]

@dontchastop Well, what can you do. I say let them work it out for themselves.