OPINION: Gazans against Hamas defy fear and spark debate among Jewish allies
As rare mass demonstrations erupt in northern Gaza denouncing Hamas, Jewish and pro-Israel communities grapple with what the protests mean
As soon as spontaneous protests began in northern Gaza against the war and against Hamas’s fascistic and dictatorial rule over the coastal enclave, a large number or pro-Israel, Jewish and self-identifying Zionist accounts began taking notice of this intriguing event.
As the protest expanded in scope in numbers, reach, slogans, significance, scope, a wide array of opinions began spreading within the Jewish online community about the nature of these demonstrations.
Some believed these were a hopeful sign that the wall of fear has collapsed, and Gazans are finally able to speak their minds against a ruthless terror organisation that ruled with an iron fist.
Others cast doubt on the sincerity of Gazans in the coastal enclave questioning their true motives and only now coming out against Hamas and attributing the protests to a shift in calculus away from a losing organisation rather than a genuine change in hearts and minds.
Scenes of Gazans chanting in the tens of thousands that “Hamas is a terrorist” should give pause to anyone who refuses to see the humanity of a beaten population
A few took it to an extreme dehumanisation end and claimed that these anti-Hamas protests are merely staged by the terror organisation in an attempt to deflect attention and focus away from its dismal failure and losses in the war.
What is critical for Jewish allies to understand is the immense risk and cost associated with speaking out against an armed, violent, terrorist organisation and why it has been so immensely difficult for Gazans to demonstrate against the Islamist group.
It is also critical to compartmentalise the various issues associated with Gaza and understand that the transformation of the narrative and public opinion of the population is going to be a journey and not merely something that is captured in a single event such as mass demonstrations.
Opposition to Hamas far pre-dates the war and 7 October; something I have said repeatedly for the better part of almost two years
Yes, Gazans are experiencing a horrendous chapter that is the deadliest in Palestinian modern history and unlike anything they have ever been through, partially prompting the mass demonstrations against Hamas in the Strip.
However, opposition to Hamas far pre-dates the war and 7 October; something I have said repeatedly for the better part of almost two years. The incessant dehumanisation of Gazans as all being Hamas, participants in 7 October or joyous murderers, is part of an unhelpful narrative that is widely circulated “pro-Israel” communities without critical thinking or a true understanding of Gaza’s people or population.
As difficult as it might be, for some, given the horrendous atrocities of 7 October and the criminality of Hamas it is critical to remember that the Palestinian people are human beings with normal human aspirations that are not alien or extraterrestrial.
Gazans want dignity, freedom, life, and the ability to provide for themselves and their families without Islamist ideology holding them hostage to a nefarious, failed and deadly armed resistance narrative and project.
Scenes of Gazans chanting in the tens of thousands that “Hamas is a terrorist” should give pause to anyone who refuses to see the humanity of a beaten population that is speaking out for itself and is refusing to be sidelined or ignored.
I call on all Jewish allies and partners who want to see a different path forward between Palestinians and Israelis the scenes of Palestinian children in Gaza screaming, we want to live, we don’t want to die, or of tribal elders talking about their commitment to non-violence and peace should be flagrant and obvious signs to all that the public opinion of Gazans and Palestinians in the coastal enclave is elastic and subject to change.
Ahmed Fouad Alkhatib is an Gazan writer and analyst, head of the Realign For Palestine project at the Atlantic Council in Washington DC and a senior resident fellow
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