Like I said this is a falsehood. The Jews have maintained a continous connection with the land and were never completely removed from the land. They maintained their culture and even grew it during that 2000 years. For example
A common misperception is that the Jews were forced into the diaspora by the Romans after the destruction of the Second Temple in Jerusalem in the year 70 A.D. and then, 1,800 years later, suddenly returned to Palestine demanding their country back. In reality, the Jewish people have maintained ties to their historic homeland for more than 3,700 years. A national language and a distinct civilization have been maintained.
Large communities were reestablished in Jerusalem and Tiberias by the ninth century. In the 11th century, Jewish communities grew in Rafah, Gaza, Ashkelon, Jaffa and Caesarea. Many Jews were massacred by the Crusaders during the 12th century, but the community rebounded in the next two centuries as large numbers of rabbis and Jewish pilgrims immigrated to Jerusalem and the Galilee. Prominent rabbis established communities in Safed, Jerusalem and elsewhere during the next 300 years.
https://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jewish-claim-to-the-land-of-israel
Even Wiki acknowledges this. At one point they were even considering rebuilding the Jewish Temple which showed how much influence they had at the time and that their culture was still developing and strong. This could not happen if the Jews were supposedly absent from the land.
Emperor Julian (361–363) gave permission for the Jews to rebuild and populate Jerusalem.[97]In one of his most remarkable endeavours, he initiated the restoration of the Jewish Temple which had been demolished in 70 CE. Jews probably constituted the majority of the population of Palestine until some time after Constantine converted to Christianity in the 4th century.[100].
With return of the Byzantines in 628, the Byzantine Emperor Heraclius promised to restore Jewish rights and received Jewish help in ousting the Persians with the aid of Benjamin of Tiberias. According to one estimate, the Jews of Palestine numbered between 300,000 and 400,000 at the time. At this time there were Jewish communities scattered all over the country, including Jerusalem, Tiberias, Ramleh, Ascalon, Caesarea, and Gaza.
Benjamin of Tudela and Pethahiah of Regensburg, who visited Palestine around 1160 and 1180 respectively, found well-established Jewish communities in Ascalon, Ramleh, Caesarea, Tiberias, and Acre, with communities in other localities and scattered individual Jews living elsewhere.
Although the Jewish population declined greatly during Mamluk rule, this period also saw repeated waves of Jewish immigration from Europe, North Africa, and Syria. These immigration waves possibly saved the collapsing Jewish community of Palestine from disappearing altogether.[163]
Additionally, worried about a scheme which would invest excessive authority in a Jewish senate, possibly resulting in the first step toward the restoration of the Jewish state, the new Ottoman rulers forced Berab to flee Palestine and the plan did not materialize.[184] The 16th-century nevertheless saw a resurgence of Jewish life in Palestine.
In 1714, Dutch researcher Adriaan Reland published an account of his visit to Palestine, and noted the existence of significant Jewish population centers throughout the country, particularly Jerusalem, Safed, Tiberias, and Gaza. Hebron also had a significant Jewish community at the time. The 18th century saw the Jewish population slightly recover.
Throughout the 19th century up to the 1880s, Ashkenazi Jews from Eastern Europe as well as groups of Sephardi Jews from Turkey, Bulgaria, and North Africa immigrated to Palestine
en.wikipedia.org
So this is just some snippets of how the Jews remained in the land, at times having significant populations and even coming close to rebuilding the Temple and re-establishing a Jewish State. Of course in between these times many were dispossessed and persecuted and the population depleted. But it also rebounded many times all the while maintaining Jewish culture even growing it with additions to religious scholarship and the establishment of Jewish schools and synagogues.
The other point many don't realise is that when the land was depleted of Jews there were points where the land deteriorated and hardly anyone occupied it in some places. It was the Jews who cared for the land because of their deep connection.
There was no alternative culture or nation wanting or identifying with the land. Only the Jews. In fact even the Arabs admitted that there was no Palestine and that they were actually Syrian.
I don't think the Isrealis have a right to kick out those who may have lived there for a long time or can show they have a right to be there. But the situation is messy as well. I don't pretend to know all the details and we hear conflicting stories.
I agree but the problem is the extremist who continually put up road blocks. The Jews have compromised many times and been fair but the Arab powers like the PLO, PA and Hamas and I suspect powers in Iran don't want a Jewish or Isreal State.
But if we can remove these extremist out of the picture and allowed the Palestinians to have a democractically elected leader then there's a chance. Even
Rabin Isreals prime minister in the 90's tried help the Palestinians transition to democracy as he knew this would help the peace process. But Hamas eventually took control.
Many say the Abraham Accord is the best hope as its designed to include all Arab nations to agree to peace like we do in the South Pacific nations. I think the UAE, Jordan and another couple of Arab nations have signed up recognising Isreal and also supporting a Palestinian nation. In that way it isolates any radicals because they are not just out of line with Isreal but with all Arab nations. It also has the benefit of isolating Iran as we know they are the real threat.
