History illustrates population displacement exacerbate conflicts: Speakers at Cairo conference on Gaza - Foreign Affairs

Al-Ahram Weekly

26-02-2025

Speakers at the "Gaza and Future of Peace and Stability in the Middle East" Conference in Egypt emphasized that the history of Africa, Europe, Asia, and the Middle East illustrates how populations' displacement from their original lands exacerbates conflicts and expands them to broader arenas.
The second session of the conference, organized by the Egyptian Center For Strategic Studies (ECSS), showed how all successful post-World War II reconstruction efforts have prioritized the security of local populations and the development of their homelands.
'In the case of Gaza and the West Bank, there seems to be no distinction between forced displacement and so-called voluntary migration, as both lead to depopulation and loss of homeland,' the session highlighted.
Speakers also underscored that US and Israeli projects to displace Palestinians from their land date back to the founding of Israel, describing them as a longstanding Zionist concept.
This concept is centred on the return of Jews to their "promised land," Israel, and the expulsion of Palestinians from their homeland.
Nakba: An ongoing catastrophe
In his speech, Sobhi Essaila, head of the Public Opinion Programme at ECSS, stated that displacement lies at the core of the Palestinian cause.
'No Zionist-Israeli project can exist without the uprooting of Palestinians from their land,' he expressed.
Essaila emphasized that the forced displacement of Palestinians has been a fundamental target since the inception of the Zionist project, with over one million Palestinians displaced in 1948 and another half a million in 1967.
These efforts continue today through discriminatory policies and laws, he continued.
'The 1948 Nakba was not merely a historical event but an ongoing catastrophe. Israel continues to displace Palestinians and deny them the right of return through killings and racist legislations, worsened by international support for resettlement projects outside Palestine,' Essaila stated.
He further stressed Egypt's unshakable stance, rejecting numerous displacement schemes that targeted the Palestinian people throughout the decades.
Palestinians will not allow a new Nakba
Additionally, Professor of Political Science Jihad Al-Harazin said Palestinians will not allow a new Nakba after over 70 years of suffering since the first Nakba in 1948.
He emphasized that Israel seeks to turn the Palestinian cause into a demographic issue as part of a long-term strategy that aims at Israeli demographic dominance at the expense of the Palestinian population.
'Palestinians reject any resolution to their cause that comes at the expense of Arab nations and grants Israel a free pass for expansion at the cost of the Palestinian people and the region,' Al-Harazin added.
He also called for a unified Palestinian vision aligned with Egyptian and Arab efforts to reaffirm that the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) remains the sole legitimate representative of the Palestinian people, as recognized regionally and internationally.
Re-engineering of the Middle East
Director General of Al-Quds Centre for Political Studies Oraib Al Rantawi highlighted in his speech the Jordanian perspective on the risks of Palestinian displacement.
'Displacement is not just an attempt to liquidate the Palestinian cause; it is a prelude to the re-engineering of the Middle East,' Al Rantawi noted.
He added that although the Arab stance is commendable, it remains insufficient. The Abraham Accords and the consequences of implementing the displacement plan must be balanced.
Moreover, Al Rantawi said the displacement project poses an existential threat to Jordan's identity, society, state, and future.
'Jordan firmly rejects displacement and considers it a direct threat to its security and stability, especially given the presence of millions of Palestinians on its territory. This stance aligns with Egypt's position, which serves as a barrier against any attempts to implement the displacement plan, whether from Gaza or the West Bank,' Al Rantawi asserted.
He described what is happening in Gaza as merely a trial for a larger displacement scheme in the West Bank.
Forced deportation of Palestinians equals the liquidation of the Palestinian cause, Al Rantawi affirmed.
"Despite the Palestinian and Arab resilience which has pushed the displacement plan back, particularly from Jordan and Egypt, the idea has not been entirely eliminated. It can be awaiting new circumstances to revive it. Thus, continued Arab vigilance and coordination to safeguard Palestinian rights is a must," he said.
Gaza depopulation serves as a "test run," which, if successful, would pave the way for a much more dangerous and far-reaching displacement from the West Bank, especially given that nearly 700,000 Palestinians in the West Bank hold Jordanian documents, he noted.
Displacement impact on Egypt-Israel Peace Treaty
Any attempt to displace Palestinians into Egyptian territories would violate the Egypt-Israel Peace Treaty and put regional peace at risk, ECSS Deputy General Manager Mohamed Ibrahim Eldawiry said in his speech.
He added that confronting these 'dubious schemes' and preventing them from becoming a reality is crucial, as they would only lead to further catastrophes and the dismantling of the Palestinian cause.
'Egypt's clear stance since the beginning of the Gaza war has been a fundamental barrier against the implementation of displacement schemes. Cairo has drawn a firm red line against any attempt to liquidate the Palestinian cause, closing all avenues that would make Sinai part of such schemes,' Eldawiry stated.
Egypt has not only rejected displacement but also worked on a plan to rebuild Gaza without displacing its people or endangering the Palestinian cause, he stressed.
He clarified that this plan will be presented in full at the 4 March emergency Arab summit, marking a critical step in addressing both Gaza's humanitarian disaster and the Palestinian cause.
"The Arab region is facing one of its most difficult times in modern history," he said.
'What is happening in Gaza does not endanger it or the Palestinian cause alone — it has broader and direct implications on Egyptian and Arab national security,' he affirmed.
Eldawiry further emphasized that eliminating the Palestinian cause is the ultimate goal of Israeli displacement plans, whether in the past or now, a stance evident in Israel's longstanding rejection of any political solution, especially the two-state solution.
European settler-colonial model
Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank are not merely fighting for liberation but for survival, Executive Director of the Egyptian Council for Foreign Affairs Ezzat Saad said.
'The conflict in Gaza and the West Bank mirrors the European settler-colonial model of the early 19th century, which sought to eliminate indigenous populations,' Ambassador Saad said.
He also stressed that the 7 October events have been exploited as a pretext to complete what the Zionist movement failed to achieve in the 1948 Nakba.
He added that Egypt's approach to the Palestinian cause has focused on three key pillars: an immediate ceasefire, ensuring humanitarian aid flow to Gaza, and preventing forced displacement of Palestinians.
In addition, Saad asserted that the upcoming emergency Arab summit must strongly support South Africa's stance in the International Court of Justice regarding Palestine and stress Arab countries' appreciation for this position.
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