They scream 'Free Palestine' - but there is one detail they probably missed | Alex Nahumson

In the Western world, anti-Israel demonstrations under the slogan 'Free Palestine' have been increasing in recent years. But what is this 'Palestine' that the protesters are calling to 'free'? Historically, a sovereign state named Palestine has never existed in the territory between the Jordan River and the sea.

Some of the protesters are demonstrating out of solidarity with the suffering of the citizens of Gaza, but it is hard to ignore a broader phenomenon: many of them do not know the complex history of the region. Ignorance is a void, and into such a void, almost any content can be poured – including false and distorted content. Here, the 'red-green alliance', which connects Islamist elements and radical circles on the Western left, operates effectively.

To understand the reality, one must return to 1917. With the conquest of Gaza by the British Army, a new era began in the history of the Strip. Gaza was part of Mandatory Palestine. In 1948, after the establishment of the State of Israel, the Strip passed to Egyptian control, which lasted until the Six-Day War in 1967. In that war, Israel captured the Strip, and since then, Gaza was under Israeli control until the Oslo Accords and the establishment of the Palestinian Authority. Egypt adamantly refused to include Gaza in its territory and effectively blocked the border with it.

The Oslo Accords granted the Palestinians civil and security control over large parts of the Strip. However, the hope that the transfer of responsibility would lead to stability and reconciliation was disappointed. In 2005, Israel carried out the disengagement, expecting that the move would reduce friction and strengthen the chance for a settlement. The result was the opposite.

In 2006, Hamas won the Palestinian elections, and in 2007, it forcibly took over the Strip and ousted the mechanisms of the Palestinian Authority. Since then, Gaza has become a military base for an armed Islamist organization. Over the years, rounds of rocket fire and attacks on Israel occurred; Israel generally adopted a policy of containment until October 7, when Hamas attacked the southern communities, murdered and kidnapped civilians and soldiers, and ignited the 'Iron Swords' war.

The war changed the reality. Israel severely damaged Hamas's military infrastructure and seized large areas in the Strip. However, even after the war, the fundamental questions remain: who will rule Gaza, and most importantly – will Gaza once again be a military base threatening Israel?

From this, Israeli policy for the future must be derived. There will no longer be an armed Gaza capable of turning overnight into a base for attack against Israel. A future settlement, if and when it is achieved, must include the full demilitarization of the Strip from any military or militia force, the dismantling of terrorist infrastructure, and a reliable oversight mechanism that will prevent their reconstruction. Israel can agree to transfer civil responsibility to an agreed-upon Palestinian or international entity. But it must not compromise on its security. It must reserve the right to respond to any military or terrorist threat developing in Gaza.

The author is a member of the board of 'Mivtachim' – a forum of national commanders.