Israel has become the monster it was once afraid of, and once promised never to be.
I am sorry to inform you that it never promised that. On the contrary, from its outset Zionism has been a colonial project fundamentally premised on the displacement, dispossession, and ultimately genocide of the Palestinian people.
The language of colonialism hadn't gone out of style yet when they started, so Zionist writing in the 19th and first half of the 20th century was much clearer about it:
[It is the] iron law of every colonizing movement, a law which knows of no exceptions, a law which existed in all times and under all circumstances. If you wish to colonize a land in which people are already living, you must provide a garrison on your behalf. Or else – or else, give up your colonization, for without an armed force which will render physically impossible any attempts to destroy or prevent this colonization, colonization is impossible, not “difficult”, not “dangerous” but IMPOSSIBLE! … Zionism is a colonizing adventure and therefore it stands or falls by the question of armed force. It is important to build, it is important to speak Hebrew, but, unfortunately, it is even more important to be able to shoot – or else I am through with playing at colonialization. - Ze’ev Jabotinsky
Note also that from the beginning there has been strong Jewish opposition to Zionism, starting with opposition by Jews who were living peacefully there and wanted nothing to do with the project.
I am sorry to inform you that it never promised that. On the contrary, from its outset Zionism has been a colonial project fundamentally premised on the displacement, dispossession, and ultimately genocide of the Palestinian people.
The language of colonialism hadn't gone out of style yet when they started, so Zionist writing in the 19th and first half of the 20th century was much clearer about it:
See also Jewish Colonisation Association, Palestine Jewish Colonization Association, Jewish Colonial Trust, Zionism as settler colonialism, …
Note also that from the beginning there has been strong Jewish opposition to Zionism, starting with opposition by Jews who were living peacefully there and wanted nothing to do with the project.