Israel is a country built on myths. Zionism has revolved around the claim of being the original, sole inhabitants of Palestinian territories. This notion, derived from biblical texts and echoed by Israeli leaders like Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, stands in clear contradiction with historical realities. Since facts on the ground contradict the founding myths of Israel, the Jewish leaders systematically erase history to perpetuate the myth of “A land without a people for a people without a land.” One method employed involves the manipulation of archaeological findings to create the impression of an ancient land waiting for its people. This fabricated narrative, replete with altered names and dates, is one of the key tactics serving Israel’s occupation agenda.
The close connection between archaeology and the nation stems from the role archaeological sites and artefacts play in determining the identity of the land, especially in making visible the historical narrative established between the land and the nation, that is, the legitimacy it bestows for historical land claims between nations. In this context, in places such as the Middle East and Central Europe, where conquests and peoples intermix and land disputes abound, archaeological data is commonly used to support land claims. Here, the archaeological data has an “essentialist” or “primordial” concept, as it helps determine which people first inhabited a region and whose historical claims are most compelling.
In modern states, the historicity established between the identity of the nation and that of the land is a critical factor in asserting control by turning the physically dominated land into a historical space. This historical bond between nation and land compels the actions of those claiming rights to a territory and the consent of those arbitrating claims of ownership. In other words, if you are good at erasing the past and rewriting it in line with your agenda, it means that you stand as the first social unit in this uninhabited land.
As we delve into recent history, it becomes apparent that the Zionist occupier mindset has embraced a strategy reminiscent of times past. A poignant illustration of this is the Forest of the Martyrs, where 6 million trees were planted in 1951 to honour Holocaust victims. This wooded expanse, now dubbed the Forest of the Martyrs, originally covered villages like Dayr ‘Amr, Khirbat al- ‘Umur, Kasla, Bayt Umm al-Mays, and ‘Aqqur until the 1948 Nakba. However, Israel is now engaged in obscuring its past by spotlighting the painful memories of suffering in civilised Europe, deflecting attention from the historical ties to these lands.
The endeavours of Zionist colonisation, which assesses history through artificial classifications like the Hebrew and Israelite periods resulting from archaeological site destruction, are a by-product of an approach initiated during the British Mandate era. During this time, the archaeology narrative, rooted in the Torah and spearheaded by American archaeologist William F. Albright, concentrated on specific neighbourhoods in and around Jerusalem, such as Hazor, Megiddo, and Masada. The objective was to authenticate the myth of Jews returning to their lands, drawing inspiration from the periods of conflict outlined in the Book of Joshua. In essence, a discerning archaeological research method was employed to derive findings exclusively tailored to support the myth of the Jewish nation-state.
The fabrication of a foundational myth through the manipulation of archaeological findings is further evident in the orchestrated evacuation of Palestinian settlements around the Old City for archaeological exploration aligned with the narratives found in the Torah. The key player in this scenario is the settler foundation known as IR David (Elad), a group attempting to legitimise their narrative of return by sidelining a 2000-year-old history covering the Roman period during tourist visits to the site near Silwan.
This myth of primacy, constructed through archaeological evidence in the process of building the Jewish state, distinctly reflects a mindset aligned with the sentiments attributed to Israel’s first Prime Minister, David Ben Gurion, who stated, “The old will die and the young will forget.” Furthermore, it resonates with the words of Prime Minister Golda Meir, who asserted, “There was no such thing as Palestinians, they never existed.” The attempt to establish uniqueness through archaeological artefacts aligns seamlessly with a thought process that categorically denies or dismisses the historical presence and identity of the Palestinian people in these lands.
In essence, the utilisation of archaeological discoveries and manipulation of historical truths seeks to authenticate the narrative of being the original inhabitants of these territories. It involves not just the obliteration of historical records but also a methodical endeavour to rewrite history in alignment with one’s distorted aspirations.
This article originally appeared in the opinion section of the TRT WORLD website.