The "carrot and stick" Policy Towards 1948 Palestenians

By Dr Johnny

 Mansour, Haifa

The Palestinians of 1948 found themselves facing a series of political and social dilemmas following October 7, 2023. The most prominent of these were the application of increased repression, tightening freedom of movement and normal activity related to the nature of life for Palestinians under Israeli rule since the Nakba of 1948, when Israeli identity was imposed on those Palestinians who succeeded in remaining in their homeland.

Successive Israeli governments adopted policies of social isolation and imposed various restrictions on those Palestinians, subsequently, they are viewed as a thorn in the state's side and a stumbling block to the completion of the Zionist project, which aims to cleanse the entire land of the "others” and subjugate it to the will of the Jewish state. As a result of the failure of that approach, the "carrot and stick" policy remains in place till this very day.

The goal of subjugating Palestinians of 1948 is to isolate them in Israel from their natural extension with their people spread across the West Bank, the Gaza Strip, and East Jerusalem (i.e., the rest of historical Palestine), as well as from any connection with neighboring Arab countries. From here, the plans of these governments were revealed to create a new Palestine without being organically linked to its Palestinian- Arab identity, nor completely linked to the structure of the Jewish state. 

The subjugation process, shaped and adopted by successive Israeli governments, sought to strip the Palestinians of their homeland, national and ethnic identity, and distant them from their historic  connection with Palestine, and convincing them that their connection with their people is impossible, and that this is a settled matter, as their connection is only with their state, "Israel,” without even recognizing that they are Palestinians, and a non-Jewish minority.

Despite the political transformations in the course of the relationship between Israel and the Palestinian leadership (PLO) leading up to the Oslo Accord, this course left a negative impact on the relationship between Israel and the Palestinians of 1948 within it, because Israel considers them to be citizens of a lower degree than its Jewish citizens, and because it considers them a non-Jewish minority (this is what was stated in the text of the Balfour Declaration in 1917).

 Israel`s policies operate on the basis of inequality in the budgets of Palestinian towns, and in the official institutions operating in the communities of Palestinians in Israel, such as schools, colleges, cultural and service centers of all kinds. This can also be seen through a cursory review of the budgets of each Palestinian town and then comparing it with a Jewish town that is equivalent in terms of its population.

These restrictive plans are being embraced by the current Israeli government, which is comprised of very extreme right-wing parties. This has created a reality of systematic and deliberate neglect, including the failure to provide the necessary and required services to local and municipal authorities and their institutions.

 This stance contributes to creating a foundation for further social cleansing and disparity, which incites crime, violence, and murder that is rampant in Palestinian society..

It has become clear that one of the most prominent plans of the current Israeli government, like its predecessors, is to seek to get rid of the Palestinians of 1948. This means that Israel’s methodology for liquidating the Palestinian cause is not one-sided, but rather multi-faceted and multi-tooled. At a time when it is carrying out genocide in the Gaza Strip, amidst almost overwhelming international silence, this government is carrying out liquidation operations in refugee camps in the West Bank, and considers the Palestinian residents of Jerusalem to be second-class citizens, despite its definition of this city as a unified city under the authority of Israel.

The Israeli government treats the Palestinians of 1948 differently from all other Palestinians in their various communities, because the Israeli government considers the Palestinians of 1948 to be its citizens, holding Israeli identity and citizenship. Therefore, it seeks to implement plans to dismantle Palestinian society internally and label it as a lawless, criminal, and violent society. This is evident through the Israeli government issuing eviction and demolition orders for Palestinian homes in Palestinian villages and cities inside Israel, which were built without official permits. This is not only a violation of applicable laws, but a long term policy. 

A careful look will reveal that the Israeli government, driven by its plans to reduce the Palestinian presence, does not approve structural plans that would allow for building permits for Palestinians, thus they are forced to build without permits, seeking to establish their lives and those of their offspring, and to maintain their survival in their homeland. Eventually, creating an excuse for Israel to demolish them, which results in a shrinking living space that would drive Palestinian citizens to abandon their land to live in Israeli cities, where they purchase a small, cramped apartment at an exorbitant price, or they may emigrate from their homeland to any other place in the world. We might call this worsening phenomenon "voluntary displacement."

Another unannounced plan is to pave the way for the spread of crime in Palestinian society in Israel. This community has been subjected for years to acts of violence against women and youth, as well as to unprecedented killings and violence. The death toll from the beginning during the first half of 2025 has reached approximately 122 victims, both criminal and retaliatory. All of this takes place under the watchful eyes of the police.

 Consequently, the phenomenon of violence and conflicts within a single town expands, forcing many families to leave to protect the lives of their children. Among these families, some have emigrated to Cyprus, Greece, and other European countries. 

Another new-old plan recently discussed is to empty the Negev, in southern Palestine, of its indigenous inhabitans; the Negev Bedouins. The Israeli government justifies this by stating that the Bedouins live in homes and on sites not recognized by the state, thereby violating the law. The government uses this as a pretext to empty the region of its inhabitants by expelling them from their historical centers of life, or at best, by concentrating them in narrow enclaves, on the condition that they relinquish their rights to their lands.

 This has been a long and bitter struggle since the establishment of Israel. Some Bedouin tribes have been forced to accept such plans, while the vast majority is lobbying for their survival and reco…