Message From a Gazan to Campus Protesters: You're Hurting the Palestinian Cause

[Deep State Witch]

https://www.newsweek.com/message-gazan-campus-protesters-youre-hurting-palestinian-cause-opinion-1894313

By Hamza Howidy
Palestinian from Gaza City

Protests are spreading across the United States at college campuses, where university students are gathering in the name of Palestinian rights and occupying campus spaces with tents. Sadly, not everyone who purports to support Palestinians is truly interested in safeguarding our rights.

It pains me to say this as a Palestinian from Gaza. As my home is destroyed and too many killed, I never thought I would find myself criticizing those speaking up. And yet, I cannot be silent about what I am seeing. The truth is that the manner in which many gather to voice their support for Palestinians does more to hurt our cause than help it.

You know what would help the Palestinians in Gaza? Condemning Hamas' atrocities. Instead, the protesters routinely chant their desire to "Globalize the Intifada." Apparently they do not realize that the Intifadas were disastrous for both Palestinians and Israelis, just as October 7 has been devastating for the people of Gaza.

They should be speaking up for the innocent victims of Hamas—both Palestinian and Israeli. Instead, they endorse Hamas's ideology with posters announcing resistance "by any means necessary" and chants of "from the river to the sea," effectively glorifying the Al-Qassam brigades, Hamas' military wing, whose ideology is entirely based on the elimination of more than 6 million Israelis from the land.

[Frasier Balzov]

1. Can't help thinking the protests help Trump.

In a way, this seems like 1968 all over again. The convention is a big magnet for physical confrontation.

November 1968: Richard Nixon was elected.

[elias7]

2. There's definitely unseen organization out there. I've read that Putin/Russian and Iranian want to elect Trump

And this would certainly count as an effective wedge being thrown in the traditional Biden voting blocs

[Frasier Balzov]

5. Nikki Haley's voters must fill in the fissures on the left.

Maybe she's waiting until after the RNC convention to endorse Joe.

[mymomwasright]

27. Not likely

Because, Kamala!

[PufPuf23]

17. Netanyahu wants to elect Trump too.

Why does AIPAC give money to more GOP members of Congress than Democratic members of Congress (granted more money given to Democrats but less individuals receiving money.

Why is this not an issue?

[LenaBaby61]

29. "Can't help thinking the protests help Trump."

That's what putin and Bibi are banking on .....

[yardwork]

3. Curious to hear a response to this...

[markodochartaigh]

36. Back in November

I posted that I didn't think that it was a coincidence that Hamas' attack occurred on Putin's birthday. I said that Hamas and Iran are known allies, as are Iran and Russia. I said that, in my opinion, the two sides are not Israel vs Palestine, but the authoritarians (Netanyahu, Putin, Trump, Hamas leadership, Iranian mullahs, etc. vs the civilians (Israeli and Palestinian). I said that it is known that Tiktok, and other social media, are easily controlled by authoritarians, q.v. Cambridge Analytica. I said that most of the protesters probably couldn't have found Gaza on a map of the Middle East and I asked where were these protesters when Saudi Arabia was using US weapons to commit atrocities in Yemen. I was roundly criticized here and I gave up posting about it.

[yardwork]

38. I've posted similar thoughts and I still agree.

[Vinca]

4. The protesters are not all that interested in doing anything to actually help in Gaza - as is Chef Andres -

they're trolling for likes and hits and attention from the media because they're from the bubble wrapped "me me me" generation. In the end, some will be arrested, some will be expelled but still owe the student loan debt and all will be explaining to future employers why the videos of them on the Internet aren't really about anti-Semitism.

[yardwork]

6. Kick. Comments?

[BonnieJW]

16. If one of my kids got expelled from college

for protesting in favor of hamas, they would have to repay their loans without my help. If they wanted to enroll in a different school, it would be on their Dime.

I watched the interviews of some of these kids and their answers were do cavalier when asked about being expelled. They are spoiled brats, not even considering what their parents had invested to send them to college.

We sent three kids to school and later paid off their loans so they could get ahead without debt. They were very grateful.

[betsuni]

7. "OFFICIAL RULING: The #FreePalestine movement in America is officially become a proHAMAS cult.

They refuse individuals to even discuss in public what they stand for." Malcolm Nance.

Article's author is correct. "I assumed individuals who initiated these slogans were uninformed about what they were advocating for. I saw the LGBTQ flag frequently flown among people chanting lines from Hama's charter, and I initially wanted to educate them ... ." But they're not interested in being educated about reality. A fantasy world just like the pseudo-socialist anti-establishment revolution fantasy, and just like that one, anybody not a member is an enemy: immoral, racist, evil.

Assume someone will try Kill the Messenger and whine about Newsweek being right-wing media fake news.

[Deep State Witch]

8. I Hesitated To Post It

For that very reason. Newsweek has a RW bias. However, I think that the author of this article is making a very good point - the college kids that are cosplaying Gazans have no idea what reality is like under Hamas rule. I had a good friend who is transmasc, and is constantly posting things like "From the River to the Sea." Mind you, they are not Palestinian, but of Greek nationality. I told them to look up how LGBTQ people are treated in Gaza - especially trans people. They kind of ignored me. I eventually unfriended them.

[TheRickles]

10. To be thorough, what do we know about the author of this article?

Only a very brief ID is given, nothing about his background. Just asking....

[Richard D]

37. Google can be your friend.

A lot of info about him is available. He is anti-Hamas and was detained and tortured for his stand. A lot more as well.

[betsuni]

13. Kill the Messenger to shut down discussion is really annoying.

As if the above Malcolm Nance quote turns into right-wing fake news depending on who retweets it. That's just stupid! Yet people try trolling this way all the time.

At least we don't have to hear every five minutes about Jeff Bezos personally oligarching every single article in The Washington Post and how everything's a corrupt corporate media industrial conglomerate complex so don't read or watch anything, just get emotional and mad at capitalism or whatever the game was. That was very popular for awhile.

People should just read the damn words, or listen, and discuss what the author says instead of obsessing about purity tests or that they heard the person yelled at a puppy once. That would require thought, though.

[Cha]

20. Excellent Message and What Many of Us have been talking

about for quite awhile!

Of course there will be those who don't like the message so they will try to "Kill the Messenger" so to speak

I'm Grateful you posted! It needs to be out there.

[LenaBaby61]

28. "OFFICIAL RULING: The #FreePalestine movement in America is officially become a proHAMAS cult."

True, because yelling "We are Hamas!!" doesn't just border on but is fucking insane

And you know Putin has skin in the game with his bot farms, propaganda pushers and provocateurs out in force, blending in with those who yell "We are Hamas!!" Like Hamas is a 'good guy' here? .

[ripcord]

9. Why would they call out Hamas

When they are using their chants and fly their flag? It is obvious where their sympathies lie.

[AZLD4Candidate]

11. They aren't pro-Palestinian. They are anti-Jewish.

[ShazzieB]

19. I think it's much too broad a generalization to say ALL Palestinan supporters are antisemitic.

But I think that it's equally inaccurate to insist that NONE of them are. Painting all the people involved in these protests with such a broad brush doesn't help anyone.

I guess I'll probably be flamed for insinuating that everyone on the pro-Palestinian side isn't a perfect angel, but if so, that's too bad. I am nowhere near ready to give out halos OR sets of horns wholesale to such a huge and varied swath of humans. I'm sure some of them have noble intentions, but they are all humans, and humans are a mixed bag. I don't see why these folks would be any different.

[BannonsLiver]

21. Absolutely agree

[ShazzieB]

14. I wish I could recommend this 100 times!

Thanks for posting this, Deep State Witch.

[IronLionZion]

15. I condemn Hamas. There, no need to kill any more Palestinians.

That was easy.

[NickB79]

24. The author said condemning Hamas would HELP end the violence, not cure it

Because what comes after condemning Hamas is a concerted drive by the global community and the Palestinians themselves to rid the world of Hamas terrorists. There can be no two-state solution and a true ceasefire, for example, as long as Hamas has any role in a future Palestinian government.

[IronLionZion]

32. Everyone knows Hamas leaders are not in Gaza

so unless Mossad is sending hit squads to other countries to kill or extradite them, Hamas is a convenient excuse for more violence against people who are not Hamas.

[wnylib]

39. But Hamas weapons, fighters, and underground operations bases ARE in Gaza.

[AZLD4Candidate]

40. They ELECTED Hamas in 2006. Ten seconds search online says that. They control the Gaza Parliament

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2006_Palestinian_legislative_election

The Central Elections Commission released the final results on Sunday, 29 January 2006, and announced that Change and Reform (Hamas) had won 74 of the 132 seats, while Fatah trailed with 45. According to the results, Hamas won the large majority of the constituency seats but was more narrowly ahead on the lists.

Want to try again? My BS metronome is going crazy.

on edit: Gaza went overwhelmingly for Hamas. The Green is where Hamas carried the majority. BTW, they haven't had an election since.

[IronLionZion]

41. Arizona elected Trump in 2016

what's your point?

[AZLD4Candidate]

42. We had another election in 2020 to remove him. What's your point?

[Cha]

18. So Close to what So Many on DU have been Saying!! I would hope thoee who

are always supporting what the protesters are doing Would Read THIS!!

You know what would help the Palestinians in Gaza? Condemning Hamas' atrocities. Instead, the protesters routinely chant their desire to "Globalize the Intifada." Apparently they do not realize that the Intifadas were disastrous for both Palestinians and Israelis, just as October 7 has been devastating for the people of Gaza.

Thank You, Deep State With!

[dlk]

22. Putin doesn't care...

n/t

[bdamomma]

23. Maybe this message

should be read to the protestors, this is someone from the region who has a different perspective and may enlighten the protestors.

[rollin74]

25. K & R

thank you for posting this

[Cha]

26. Grateful to see so many Recs!

[Cha]

30. Kick TY

[spanone]

31. K&R

[yardwork]

33. Kick

[Cha]

34. KICK

[revmclaren]

35. Kick.

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