When Herzl envisioned a Jewish state in Palestine, his vision was shaped through rose-tinted lenses. He imagined a refuge where Jews could live without fear under a political system based on equality for all. Herzl’s vision, at its core, was rooted in idealism, grounded in hope and persistence. His public stance on the Palestinians was that he encouraged jews to live alongside them. In a response to a letter from Yussef Ziah el Khaldi, he affirmed, “But who would want to expel them? Their well-being and individual prosperity will increase as we bring in our own.” His view was simple: not only was his ideology guided by a commitment not to displace the indigenous Arab populations, but also to assure them an increased quality of life.  

When the State of Israel was established in 1948, Zionism ceased to exist solely as an aspiration for the Jewish people. It became a state ideology that........

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