الارشيف · الرئيسيه · سياسة · غزة · فلسطين · مقالات بلغات أخرى

The Palestinian Cause from the Roots The Truth Before Occupation and Distortion

بواسطة حواديت مصرية · نُشر: يوليو 03, 2025

آخر تحديث: يوليو 03, 2025 · ليست هناك تعليقات

This article addresses the Palestinian cause and the distortion of facts

To truly understand the Palestinian cause in all its dimensions, we cannot begin with today’s scenes, the Palestinian uprisings, or even with the establishment of Israel and the Nakba. We must go back to the true beginning—before the British occupation of Palestine—to understand the deep roots of the conflict, how the distortion of facts began, and how the historical narrative was manipulated in favor of the occupation.
This article is an attempt to shed light on those beginnings, on the pivotal stages that shaped Palestinian history, and to expose the false narratives that have sought to erase Palestinian rights over the decades.

The story dates back to the 16th century when there were about 5,000 Jews in Palestine, with no land ownership. Their numbers increased due to persecution in Europe, including Spain, Germany, Russia, and Romania.

By 1881, the Jewish population in Palestine had grown to about 25,000, mostly living in Jerusalem, Hebron, Safed, and Tiberias. They relied on charity and foreign aid and did not own any land at that time. The situation began to change thereafter.

In 1897, the first Zionist Congress, led by Theodor Herzl, was held in Basel, Switzerland. Herzl sought to convince wealthy Jews to fund the establishment of a national homeland foوr the Jews, regardless of its location.

The proposal at the congress included several countries, not just Palestine, such as Argentina and Uganda. When they chose Palestine, they created reasons and justifications to convince public opinion and the great powers that it was a legitimate and logical right.

The congress resulted in the establishment of the World Zionist Organization to implement Herzl's plan for a Jewish homeland in Palestine. This led to politically motivated Jewish immigration in multiple waves.

Under the World Zionist Organization, the Jewish population reached 55,000 by 1900, with Britain playing a key role in facilitating this. In 1916, the secret Sykes-Picot Agreement divided the Levant region between England and France.

In addition, it defined areas of influence in Western Asia and divided the vast territories and properties of the Ottoman Empire in the East.

In 1917, two major events negatively impacted Palestine and its people, marking official steps in the Palestinian cause.

First, the British mandate (occupation) of Palestine began unofficially, with British forces entering Jerusalem under General Edmund Allenby.

The mandate (occupation) became a reality in 1920 during the San Remo Conference.

Secondly, related to the first event, in the same year of 1917, British Foreign Secretary Arthur Balfour sent the "Balfour Declaration" letter to Lord Rothschild.

This was a political quid pro quo, with Lord Rothschild's financial support exchanged for a promise to establish a Jewish homeland during Britain's economic crisis. At that time, Jews made up about 75,000 people, or 3 to 5% of Palestine's population.

After the Ottoman Empire lost World War I, its territories were divided between England and France according to the Sykes-Picot Agreement. Palestine became the responsibility of England and was officially placed under British mandate, facilitating Jewish immigration to the region

The grant of Palestinian citizenship to Jewish immigrants ensured the establishment of a Jewish homeland. Jerusalem served as the mandate's capital, housing the British governor and government institutions. From 1920 to 1930, Jewish immigrants increased from 75,000 to 170,000.

Since then, the numbers began to increase significantly, reaching 440,000 by 1938. In 1936, the Great Palestinian Revolution occurred against British rule, demanding independence and an end to Jewish immigration, lasting for three years.

In 1948, the Haganah, along with the British occupation, carried out the "Deir Yassin" massacre and other atrocities aimed at intimidating Palestinians and suppressing the revolution and its popular support. The death toll exceeded 5,000, with around 15,000 injured.

In 1947, the United Nations formed a committee to address the Palestinian-Jewish conflict and adopted Resolution 181, which called for the partition of Palestine into two independent states: one Jewish and one Arab, with a unified economic framework.

The resolution granted Jews, who made up about 33% of the population, two-thirds of the land (approximately 55%), while the remaining third was allocated to Palestinians, who constituted around 58% of the population. Jerusalem was designated as an international zone.

In 1948, the British mandate (occupation) ended, and the state of Israel was proclaimed based on the "Balfour" Declaration.

David Ben-Gurion announced the establishment of the state of Israel.

After U.S. President Harry Truman and the Soviet Union recognized Israel, the 1948 war broke out, with seven Arab nations (Egypt, Jordan, Syria, Iraq, Lebanon, Saudi Arabia, and Palestine) mobilizing their armies.

The war was a tragedy, with only 24,000 Arab soldiers facing over 70,000 Jewish fighters backed by England, Europe, and the U.S. It ended with a ceasefire in March 1949 after the defeat of the Arab armies.

The war became known as the Nakba. Afterward, the UN approved Israel's membership on May 11, 1949. Following the Arab defeat, Zionists seized about 77% of Palestinian land.

Around 58% of Palestinians were displaced from their land while the world watched in silence. Before 1948, Jews owned at most 5% of Palestinian land. Claims that Palestinians sold their land are false, as they lost it after the Arab defeat in 1948.

The Zionist entity in Palestine was established on the blood of Palestinians, according to Yosef Weitz, Director of the Settlement Department of the Jewish National Fund. Since then, the Palestinian people have been fighting for the liberation of their land.

In 1967, the setback occurred due to escalating tensions between Egypt and Israel. Egypt closed the Strait of Tiran in the Red Sea and demanded that UN peacekeeping forces leave its borders. The Arab countries announced their readiness for a decisive battle to liberate Palestine.

But on June 5, 1967, everyone was surprised when the Zionists destroyed the air forces at Egyptian, Jordanian, and Syrian airports. Around 10,000 Egyptian soldiers, 6,000 Jordanian soldiers, and 1,000 Syrian soldiers were martyred.

In six days, a new Arab catastrophe unfolded, worse than the 1948 Nakba. The Zionists occupied the rest of Palestine, the Sinai Desert, and the Golan Heights. The Arab regimes focused only on reclaiming the land lost in the 1967 war, the West Bank and Gaza.

This represents only 23% of occupied Palestine, with an implicit readiness to give up the 1948 land. Egypt and Syria entered a war of attrition with the Zionists in 1970, during which the Palestinian armed struggle also began.

In 1973, Egypt and Syria fought the first war against the Zionists, achieving an upper hand. They regained some occupied land and destroyed the formidable "Bar Lev Line" using water cannons.

The myths the Jews referred to, similar to their claims about the Iron Dome, boosted Arab and Muslim morale, especially among Palestinians, while undermining the Israeli army's confidence. However, comprehensive American support for the Zionists prevented Egypt from holding out.

Egypt agreed to the UN Security Council's ceasefire resolution, and in 1978, it signed the "Camp David" peace agreement with Israel under U.S. sponsorship. This led to Palestinians losing hope in Egypt's support for their cause, as Egypt entered a state of peace with Israel.

In 1987, the first Palestinian intifada, known as the "Stone Intifada," began on December 8 after the martyrdom of four Palestinian workers at the hands of the Zionists. The incident sparked widespread protests after dawn prayers, leading to a significant number of martyrs.

During the same period, Hamas was founded and issued its first statement on December 14 of the same year.

In 1993, the "Oslo Accords" were signed between Yasser Arafat's Palestine Liberation Organization and Israel's Isaac Rabin, facilitated by U.S. President Bill Clinton. The official signing took place on September 13, 1993.

The Oslo Accords led the PLO to recognize Israel's right to exist and its occupation of 77% of Palestine, while renouncing armed resistance, making Palestinians' fate dependent on Israeli actions.

The Palestinian Authority does not have responsibilities for external security or borders. No one can enter Palestinian areas without Israeli permission, and the Authority is not allowed to form an army. Additionally, police weapons can only enter with Israeli approval.

The Israeli entity can veto any Palestinian Authority legislation during the transitional period, and the agreement does not recognize Palestinian rights to the land, designating the West Bank and Gaza Strip as disputed territories.

In 2000, the second Palestinian Intifada, or "Al-Aqsa Intifada," began on September 29 and lasted five years, challenging Israeli security and economy while emphasizing Palestinian commitment to their rights and religious sites.

The second intifada was triggered by Ariel Sharon's provocative visit to the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound on September 28, 2000, under heavy security. He stated that the holy site would remain an Israeli area.

Just two days after the uprising, on September 30, 2000, the child "Muhammad al-Durrah" was killed by intentional fire from the Israeli occupation forces, becoming a symbol of Palestinian resistance.

During the Second Intifada, Palestine lost significant leaders, including:

Yasser Arafat, who died under mysterious circumstances on November 11, 2004.

Abu Ali Mustafa, assassinated by Israeli forces in 2001.

During this period, several Hamas leaders were martyred:

Jamal Sleem and Jamal Mansour (2001)

Salah Shehada (2002)

Ismail Abu Shanab (2003)

Abdul Aziz al-Rantisi (2004)

The greatest loss was the assassination of Sheikh Ahmed Yassin, the founder of Hamas, on March 22, 2004.

In 2002, Israelis started building a separation wall in the West Bank to protect against Palestinian resistance. From 2000 to 2005, they committed numerous massacres and atrocities against Palestinians.

The Palestinians conducted suicide attacks, notably killing the Israeli tourism minister, which significantly harmed Israel's tourism sector. A key result of this period was the Israeli withdrawal from the Gaza Strip in September 2005.

In 2005, conflict erupted between Fatah and Hamas, resulting in a division of the Palestinian Authority: Fatah controlled Ramallah and the West Bank, while Hamas governed Gaza. This period also saw the U.S. promoting its narrative of a "war on terror.

These events negatively impacted the Palestinian cause and its global support, with internal divisions between Fatah and Hamas worsening. By 2005-2006, Fatah held the presidency while Hamas governed, exacerbating the rift.

In 2015, the third intifada, known as the "Al-Quds Intifada," began, characterized by stabbing attacks between Palestinians and Israelis, resulting from repeated violations of Al-Aqsa Mosque and against Palestinians by Israeli forces and settlers.

In 2017, President Trump declared Jerusalem the eternal capital of Israel on December 6, amid silence from the Arab and global communities. He reduced aid to Palestinians and moved the U.S. embassy to Jerusalem in 2018.

This led to Palestinian protests that were violently suppressed by the Israeli occupation. In 2020, Trump announced his "Peace Plan," known as the "Deal of the Century," on January 28, 2020, which included the key provision that Jerusalem would be entirely under Israeli control.

The Palestinian people rejected the plan and protested, with some Arab countries condemning it and others supporting the American initiative undermining the Palestinian cause. This issue is a humanitarian crisis affecting children who die daily under Israeli bombardment.