Israel's Latest Desperate Attempt to Depopulate Gaza Falls Flat as Palestinians Refuse to Leave
In a brazen attempt to further its decades-long campaign of ethnic cleansing, Israel has been flying hundreds of Palestinians from the besieged Gaza Strip to South Africa, where they are forced to pay exorbitant fees for their own deportation. The latest flight, which carried 153 passengers, was allowed to land in Johannesburg after a 12-hour wait, on humanitarian grounds, following a long night of negotiations with the South African authorities.
The Palestinians on board had paid anywhere from $1,500 to $5,000 to Al-Majd Europe, a company run by Palestinian collaborators, to leave Gaza. This is not an isolated incident; at least two other such flights have taken place since June this year, as part of Israel's ongoing effort to rid the territory of its population.
The root of this plan goes back to the early 20th century, when Zionists began viewing Palestinians as a demographic obstacle to establishing a Jewish state. Theodor Herzl, one of the founding fathers of Zionism, wrote in the late 19th century that the displacement of Arabs from Palestine was an essential part of the Zionist plan. This vision has continued unabated, with key figures like David Ben-Gurion supporting forced "relocation" and ethnic cleansing.
In 1948, over 700,000 Palestinians were forcibly displaced from their homes in what Israeli historian Benny Morris calls "necessary" ethnic cleansing. Since then, Israel has continued its efforts to displace Palestinians, including the forced transfer of tens of thousands of Palestinians and Palestinian Bedouins to the Sinai Peninsula or Gaza.
Israel's most recent scheme, which involves making Palestinians pay for their own deportation, is a desperate attempt to further deplete the population of Gaza. The plan relies on exploiting desperation, as Palestinians are coerced into leaving in exchange for money and travel arrangements. The catch: once they leave, they are never allowed to return.
The scheme has been met with resistance from many Palestinians, who are refusing to give up their homes and identity. Despite two years of genocide and economic subjugation, the Palestinian spirit remains unbroken, and the people are determined to hold onto their land. As one author noted, "We are not flying out; we are here to stay."
In a brazen attempt to further its decades-long campaign of ethnic cleansing, Israel has been flying hundreds of Palestinians from the besieged Gaza Strip to South Africa, where they are forced to pay exorbitant fees for their own deportation. The latest flight, which carried 153 passengers, was allowed to land in Johannesburg after a 12-hour wait, on humanitarian grounds, following a long night of negotiations with the South African authorities.
The Palestinians on board had paid anywhere from $1,500 to $5,000 to Al-Majd Europe, a company run by Palestinian collaborators, to leave Gaza. This is not an isolated incident; at least two other such flights have taken place since June this year, as part of Israel's ongoing effort to rid the territory of its population.
The root of this plan goes back to the early 20th century, when Zionists began viewing Palestinians as a demographic obstacle to establishing a Jewish state. Theodor Herzl, one of the founding fathers of Zionism, wrote in the late 19th century that the displacement of Arabs from Palestine was an essential part of the Zionist plan. This vision has continued unabated, with key figures like David Ben-Gurion supporting forced "relocation" and ethnic cleansing.
In 1948, over 700,000 Palestinians were forcibly displaced from their homes in what Israeli historian Benny Morris calls "necessary" ethnic cleansing. Since then, Israel has continued its efforts to displace Palestinians, including the forced transfer of tens of thousands of Palestinians and Palestinian Bedouins to the Sinai Peninsula or Gaza.
Israel's most recent scheme, which involves making Palestinians pay for their own deportation, is a desperate attempt to further deplete the population of Gaza. The plan relies on exploiting desperation, as Palestinians are coerced into leaving in exchange for money and travel arrangements. The catch: once they leave, they are never allowed to return.
The scheme has been met with resistance from many Palestinians, who are refusing to give up their homes and identity. Despite two years of genocide and economic subjugation, the Palestinian spirit remains unbroken, and the people are determined to hold onto their land. As one author noted, "We are not flying out; we are here to stay."
israel's gotta stop playing games with ppl lives they're basically selling ppl out to south africa for a price 
and it's still not enough people are talking about the historical trauma of 1948 and how it affected entire generations of Palestinians this is not just about gaza it's about an ongoing campaign to erase a culture and identity 
. its wild that ppl are actually paying 2 leave tho... $1,500 to $5,000? thats more than i'd pay 2 escape the in-laws lol 
. seriously though, this is just another example of how israel's got a whole lot of nerve 
.
I mean, who comes up with this stuff? It's like a bad episode of The Sopranos or something. And let me get this straight, Israel is basically offering them a one-way ticket and a hefty fee for the privilege of leaving their homes behind? That's just not cool, man. 
The whole thing is just sad... Israel's been trying to get rid of Palestinians for ages, and it's like they're running out of ideas 
. Making them pay to leave their own homes? That's just cruel 
. I don't get why Israel can't just negotiate with the Palestinians like a normal country? 
.
the fact that israel can't even be honest with itself about its intentions & has to resort to things like this makes me really sad for the future of our people, i hope we never give up on our right to return to our homes 
It's like they're tryna make a profit off people's suffering. Newsflash: it ain't workin'! Palestinians r standing strong, refusin 2 b intimidated by this scheme.
they're refusing to give up their homes and identity, and i am HERE. FOR. IT 
it shows that even in the darkest times, there's still hope and defiance. and lets be real, who gets 2 choose how they r treated by another country? 
it just ain't right 
The fact that they're making them pay for their own deportation is just cruel and it's going to take a toll on the mental health of these people. I mean, who pays $1,500 to $5,000 to leave their home? It's like they're being treated as refugees in their own country 
. We need 2 remember that displacement n genocide are never solutions to conflicts 
.
. We need to be speaking out against Israel's actions and supporting the Palestinian cause 
.
But at the same time, it's amazing to see people come together and resist this oppression in such a powerful way 
. And let's be real, South Africa's gotta do better than just letting Israel fly Palestinians around 
.