OPINION: ‘Why won’t the environmental organisations speak out against Hamas?’

Israel continues to live in a nightmare. More than 1,200 people, mainly civilians, were indiscriminately murdered in the 7 October Hamas attacks, many in their homes or while enjoying a music festival.

Hamas and other designated terrorist organisations, like Palestinian Islamic Jihad, then seized roughly 240 hostages who were taken into captivity in Gaza. Among the hostages are the citizens of more than 30 countries and the adherents of various faiths – Christian, Muslim, Jewish, Buddhist and Hindu.

Although some of the innocent hostages, including babies, women, children and elderly people, have been released, most remain captive, somewhere in the dark tunnels under Gaza. In addition, Hamas and other terrorist organisations in Lebanon, Yemen and Syria, continue to shoot rockets and missiles at Israel on a daily basis, sending thousands of civilians running to bomb shelters.

This is, no doubt, a global humanitarian crisis, perpetrated by terrorist organisations. But too many international humanitarian organisations have been silent about the death and suffering in Israel, and on the hostages in Gaza. The environmental movement, a cause I deeply respect and which is essential to the future of humanity, is among those whose silence, with few exceptions, is deafening.

I have watched in recent years as the global environmental movement has supported issues outside of its core focus. Recent examples include calling for Russia to end its war in Ukraine and offering support for the Black Lives Matter movement. But I see nothing of this type of widespread outcry directed at Hamas.

Rather, with statements about standing with Gaza, many environmental leaders are sending unclear messages. For example, the well-known climate change activist Greta Thunberg posted on social media a photo of herself with a sign proclaiming  “Stand with Gaza.” I can relate to sympathy for civilians in Gaza, but statements like hers are tremendously lacking in context and problematic. What does it mean to stand with Gaza?

Gaza is currently ruled by Hamas, which shows zero concern for the civilian population there (or to the environment, for all that matter). In fact, Hamas uses civilians and civilian infrastructure, including hospitals, schools and mosques, as a base for planning attacks, storing weapons and even hiding some of the hostages. These actions are all war crimes, leading directly to the murder of people in Israel. Meanwhile, even as Hamas has investments and bank accounts worth more than $500 million, most civilians in Gaza live in poverty and struggle to obtain food, water and other necessities.

How can Thunberg and others simply ignore these facts?

It is also true that there have been some flashes of hope. The German branch of Thunberg’s climate movement Fridays for Future has condemned the Hamas attacks and called for the return of all hostages in addition to expressing solidarity with Israel. But such examples are too few and far between. They should be the norm, not the exception.

More significantly, with the hostage deal that was done, it is becoming more clear that international pressure on Hamas, as well as mediaries like Qatar and Egypt, can indeed be productive. All international organisations that claim to fight for human rights should make note of this and add their voices and any influence they have to the quest to free the remaining hostages.

If it really cares about humanitarian causes and protecting life on this planet, the global environmental movement needs to condemn Hamas and call for the return of the hostages, now. As more days, weeks and months of silence go by, the movement is losing its legitimacy in my eyes, and surely in the eyes of many others. For the future of humanity, the environmental movement needs to raise its voice. This is not about Israel or the Palestinians. It is about supporting human rights in the face of evil.

Daphna Nissenbaum is the CEO and co-founder of TIPA Corp, a leading developer and manufacturer of compostable packaging