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Palestinians Protest Hamas—and More
In a rare demonstration of rage and frustration, the Palestinians finally took to the streets to protest the war in Gaza, and in particular, the Hamas forces. Palestinians have been reluctant to protest since Hamas has retaliated with beatings and arrests in the past. But the Palestinians have finally had enough. They spoke to reporters using only their first names, for fear of retribution:
‘Hamas is not taking us into account. It has 2 million people in Gaza who need to live,’ said Ibrahim. He called on Hamas to release the Israeli hostages it is holding.
‘People are fed up with displacement. There are no more safe places for people to go,’ said Mohammed. ‘So people spontaneously went to the streets and demanded the fall of Hamas rule in Gaza, to surrender. People want to live in peace and security.
The Palestinian Islamist militant group has not tolerated open dissent in nearly 18 years of ruling Gaza.
Yet Hamas did not take action against the protests nor did it make arrests.
The protests are not being ignored by local media:
Hamas did not officially comment on the protests, but some media outlets in Gaza, including those associated with the terror organization, published photos and videos from the events under the framing ‘demonstration for stopping the war’ without mentioning the calls for the terror group’s downfall.
It appears that Israel’s escalation of the war may be effective. And the Palestinians are tired: tired of being shuffled from one part of Gaza to another, tired of living in chaos, and tired of being hungry.
The question is: are they tired enough?
Published in Terrorism
May God be working in the hearts of these poor Palestinians to have the courage to change their culture. How can we assist this movement? If somehow the Palestinians can change their hearts just a little. They don’t have to love Jews but if they can just give up enough of the hate to live respectfully next to the Jewish state…everyone will benefit.
I don’t know how it will all work out, Brian, but the protests are one giant step in the right direction. We’ll have to wait and see…
Beatings and arrests? I seem to recall Hamas celebrated their electoral victory in 2007 by shooting the opposition.
Maybe Hamas no longer has the manpower to maintain control over their subjects. Maybe the subjects have gathered up enough firepower to put the result of a crackdown in question.
May the Lord have mercy on us all, I cannot believe what I am seeing in this video. I am praying that their hearts are truly changed.
Sorry but I tend to believe that they supported Hamas until it started to hurt, but they would support Hamas again at the drop of a hat. (“ANY hat,” to borrow from Star Trek.)
I will take any or all of the above. I rest in hope.
Hopefully Hamas will never have the chance.
I’m skeptical about hearts being changed at this point. But only G-d knows…
The problem is, even if the current Hamas goes under, people like that would create a new one.
Let’s hope that the Palestinians wouldn’t be stupid enough to vote for them again.
Indeed, I am giving this time to germinate before I get too excited. Are these the same people who were cheering on October 7, 2023?
Certainly possible. I’m cautiously optimistic, and that may be an overstatement. I’m just appreciating the moment. And there’s always hope…
I doubt it is 100% risk free for them to speak out now. When the baby takes her first steps, the parents don’t shove her back to the floor saying, “That’s not real walking.” They find ways to encourage and support the behavior.
No.
One wonders if they are angry at Hamas for overselling its ability to destroy the Jewish state, and picking a fight with an adversary whose capabilities and resolve were misjudged. It’s possible the protestors have always chafed under Hamas rule, and are emboldened now to speak; it’s possible they’d be passing out sweets if Hamas landed a rocket on a settlement.
What comes after Hamas is the interesting question.
It seems to be a precept of islam that islam cannot be defeated. Despite previous engagements with Israel etc, but as has been pointed out they tend to have a younger population so maybe nobody in Gaza now remembers any of that.
But now, having seen their own homes reduced to rubble, perhaps they’re taking a second look.
I do still think, though, that they would turn again, “on a dime,” if there was any suggestion that they might just win.
Perhaps it’s like the quote apparently mistakenly attributed to Churchill. “The Hun is always either at your throat or at your feet.”
Maybe these protestors were triggered by the sight of well-fed Hamas terrorists emerging from their exclusive tunnels in shiny new jeeps, having left the civilians to take their chances on the surface?
Ya think? Seriously, that indeed may be a factor. They know Hamas will use them for shields.
When they start lynching Hamas members and leadership in the street I’ll be interested in what the protesters are saying. Until then it’s just noise.
There is no model for a democratic modern Islamic state. Turkey was close but they tossed it in favor of authoritarian rule claiming to be conveniently justified by religious imperatives.
The original Islamic Brotherhood movement was based on a recognition that Western political structures depend on Western cultural elements and that was perceived as cultural domination. Elected leaders in business suits, women in new roles, and pernicious secularism were inimical. Their problem is the same one faced by Soviet Communism– Western culture works and people tend to prefer what it offers.
So reactionary, absurd caliphates, subjugated covered women and futile terrorism keep erupting followed by unsuccessful, unproductive reflection. Rinse. Repeat.
It’s a good start; I will be happier if they did not expose their kids to the anti-jew haters in schools and programming
Hamas TV Children’s Show Encourages Killing of Jews | MEMRI
That would be a very favorable outcome, Glenn. Stop the early programming!
Forgive me if I am a bit skeptical about their sudden conversion to anti-Hamas. I am sure that they are less than happy with their old leaders, but they elected them and allowed them to rule for quite some time. This isn’t an indication that they will be any less hostile to Israel or to the Jews. More likely they are looking for leadership that will be more effective and less concerned with filling their own pockets and bellies at the expense of the masses. There is a good reason no other nation among their Arab and Muslim neighbors wants anything to do with the Palestinians. They are a nest of vipers.
I’m thinking more about the near term, Eugene. Maybe their actions will help bring the war to an end. Then we can see what happens.
I can’t help thinking that the idea of rebuilding and the jobs and new lives that project will generate in the Gaza strip, together with increased access to the Internet providing exposure to other ideas than the closed-society ideas spread by the terrorists–all of these things may be coming together for people. The median age in the Gaza strip is very young. The people were easily influenced until the sun came out. Even the increased contact with the Israelis over the past two years has had an effect.
I believe that our western values have endured because they play well to the human heart. They are ideas that connect to people.
We’ve seen change happen throughout history, and I think we’re witnessing it here. True, sometimes it’s been change for the worse, but sometimes it has been change for the good.
I hope those who want to stay and help get rid of the war debris and build a beautiful place will get the chance to do so.
It could possibly go that way, but I don’t think Hamas is the problem long term. The real problem is the Palestinians themselves. Shutting down Hamas may buy some time, but just as October 7th happened another storm seems inevitable. As silly as I thought Trump’s idea was, it is, very likely, the only solution that would end this endless conflict.
One major Gaza employer pre-Oct 7 was an Israeli businessman whose daughter was slaughtered along with other innocent young people of different nationalities at the concert that day. If people want a violent eighth century religious culture they deserve an eighth century economy. Turning on a few corrupt, treacherous current leaders is not a great moral and cultural conversion. Maybe make Gaza a disarmed theme park to show the joys of shariah.
That would definitely put some skin in the game. However, even violently overthrowing Hamas does not prove they wouldn’t turn around and kill any Jew they could get their hands on.
Indeed. They could actually be upset that Hamas just didn’t get the job done.
We do know for a fact that many of the hostages were held in captivity by “just people” (not Hamas members), and despite cash bounties being offered for information or release of hostages, not a single “Palestinian” came forward.