Is it possible to create an AppleID on iOS 10.3+ (or macOS 10.12.4+) WITHOUT giving Apple your private phone number permanently for 2FA

Simple privacy question regarding my iOS 10th gen iPad (iPadOS 17.6.1).
Q: Is it even possible to set up a new iOS (or macOS) device WITHOUT 2FA?
   <https://support.apple.com/en-us/102660>
A: ?

If the answer is yes, then the next logical question is...
Q: How?
A: ?

Note that Apple was sued for not letting people remove 2FA.
https://www.macrumors.com/2019/02/09/apple-two-factor-authentication-lawsuit/
Which, at that time 5 years ago, Apple said you had 2 weeks to remove it.

However.... I created an AppleID today on my new 10th generation iPad.
And it will NOT let me remove the 2FA that is *automatically* created!

The way I created that AppleID was simple:
a. A few weeks ago I set up the iPad as a dumb device
   <https://www.novabbs.com/computers/article-flat.php?id=16597&group=misc.phone.mobile.iphone#16597>
b. That means there was no Apple ID at that time
c. Today, I wanted to install Google Voice from the App Store
d. Given iOS is a dumb terminal, I had to log into App Store servers
e. Which means I had to create an AppleID (despite not wanting to do so)
f. On the iPad I tapped the settings first entry at the left
g. With this, I added an AppleID with *required* a valid phone number
h. There was NO OPTION to skip this involuntary step
i. So I gave it that "verification phone number" which it accepted
j. But now it has *PERMANENT* 2FA (which it won't let you get rid of)

In creating that new @icloud.com AppleID, Apple insisted on me losing my
privacy by giving Apple a "verification" phone number (which had no way of
not giving to Apple if you wanted to create the Apple ID).

Worse... much (much) worse, is that Apple unilaterally forced two-factor
authorization after having created the AppleID.

Worse, (even more worse), you can't get RID of that involuntary 2FA as far
as I can tell. But maybe I'm wrong. Maybe you know something I don't know.

Didn't Apple get sued for not letting people opt out of 2FA.

It used to be 2 weeks where you can remove the Apple ID verification phone
number before Apple forced you to use 2FA for the rest of your life.

I only created that AppleID today and it unilaterally added 2FA.
It won't let me REMOVE the 2FA. (I don't have passkeys.)

Note: I didn't create a password, nor any gimmicky biometrics, and I didn't
add any security questions (it never asked for them).

Q: Is it even possible to set up a new iOS (or macOS) device WITHOUT 2FA?
   <https://support.apple.com/en-us/102660>
A: ?

If the answer is yes, then the next logical question is...
Q: How?
A: ?