The bride is beautiful, but she is married to another man

The quote which serves as the title to this article has been attributed to a member of a Zionist fact finding mission who visited Palestine during the 1890s when Theodor Herzl and the Zionists were searching for a land to occupy and become a Zionist State. Herzl also looked at other destinations in the north and south of America and in Azerbaijan. However with Herzl’s death in 1904, and the rise of his successors, Zionism homed in on Palestine and the Zionists, though wishing to establish a secular State, saw the Bible as an even greater asset than before as proof of a divine Jewish right to the land of Palestine.

In the annals of history, the tale of Palestine is not one of emptiness awaiting cultivation and colonisation but a rich tapestry of diverse cultures and traditions on the cusp of modernisation. Before the rise of Zionism, Palestine was a land inhabited by a thriving population, with Muslims, Christians and Jews coexisting peacefully within its borders. The vast majority being Muslim Arabs. There is a false assumption, often propagated in some Zionist western media, that Palestine was nothing more than an empty desert with no national identity when the first Zionists began to occupy it. Nothing could be further from the truth.

Records from the Ottoman era before Zionism was established in 1897 reveal a populace numbering in the hundreds of thousands, with Muslims forming the majority, followed by Christians and Jews. These communities lived in villages and cities, each with its own distinct identity and way of life. The land was far from barren; it was a fertile region poised for progress and development.

The emergence of Zionism in the late 19th century transformed Palestine's trajectory. What began as a Christian project of colonisation evolved into a Zionist endeavour, fueled by a convergence of ideologies — Zionism, Protestant millenarianism, and British imperialism. Under British auspices, the infrastructure for a Zionist state took shape, protected by military might and political alliances.

The British campaign against the Ottoman Turks in World War I marked a pivotal moment in Palestine's history. The subsequent British military occupation ushered in an era of upheaval and oppression, as Zionist aspirations clashed with the indigenous Palestinians’ rights and sovereignty.

People move a car next to buildings destroyed during Israeli bombardment in Khan Yunis, on the southern Gaza Strip. — AFP

Central to the Zionist narrative was the biblical claim to the land of Palestine, a narrative that served political ends rather than religious conviction. Theodor Herzl, the movement's atheist founder, envisioned alternatives to Palestine, yet the allure of biblical legitimacy to both Christian Zionists and Jews proved too powerful to resist. With Herzl's successors, the focus on Palestine intensified, intertwining the Zionist project with divine providence.

However, this vision of divine sanction masked a darker reality — the displacement and dispossession of the Palestinian people. Zionism's push for Jewish settlement in Palestine served not only as a means of fulfilling religious prophecy but also as a solution to Europe's "Jewish question." European anti-Jewish sentiment culminated in the Nazi Holocaust and without this it is unlikely that Israel would have attracted sufficient numbers of Jews to establish itself in Palestine. The expulsion of Jews from Europe and their resettlement in Palestine served dual purposes – alleviating Europe of its Jewish population while fulfilling a biblical prophecy of the Jews' return to the promised land.

Yet, this narrative of divine providence obscured the suffering inflicted upon the Palestinian people. Dispossessed of their land and livelihoods, they bore the brunt of colonial ambitions and geopolitical interests.

In conclusion, the history of Palestine is a testament to the intertwining of religion, politics and power. The Zionist project, borne out of colonial aspirations and religious fervour, reshaped the fate of a nation and its Palestinian people. As we reckon with the legacy of Zionism and the current genocide taking place in Palestine, it is essential to confront the myths and narratives that justify Zionist oppression and injustice, and strive for a future Palestine grounded in justice, equality, and peace for people of all races and religions.