Memo From a Gazan to Campus Protests: You're Hurting the Palestinian Cause
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As a Gazan and as a Palestinian, I want the protesters and the organizers of these protests to know that their hateful speech harms us.

It’s unconscionable. But it’s not just the antisemitism that has me despairing. It’s the hypocrisy. Where were these caring young people when Hamas took over Gaza and slaughtered hundreds of Gazans, or when Hamas held 2 million Gazans captive for more than 17 years? Why didn’t they speak out about the fact that Hamas led Gazans into this conflict, which resulted in more than 30,000 dead and 80,000 injured, according to Gazan municipal authorities? Where were they when Hamas’s failed missiles claimed the lives of hundreds of Gazans on October 17, or when Hamas murdered young people in order to steal aid and resell it to Gazans at massively inflated prices?

But the protesters aren’t interested in peace. Some of the groups have been blocking Palestinian peace activists like me—and I am from Gaza, the very place they claim to care about! Instead of blocking peace activists, they should be inviting us to join these protests and guide them in the right direction—a place without hatred with a focus on calling for the release of the hostages who have been held captive by Hamas for more than 210 days.

  • Andy@slrpnk.netEnglish
    5·
    6 months ago

    I’m not sure if you’re trolling me, but I don’t know what part of what I said led you to any of that.

    What part of my comment is about there being more than one way to protest?

    For what it’s worth, I don’t endorse the use of violence in any context other than defense. That said, I think it’s largely pointless to debate what kind of protest is “OK”. It’s usually not a practical approach to fixing a problem, and is usually just employed to debate who deserves blame for something rather than examining how to fix something.

      • Andy@slrpnk.netEnglish
        2·
        6 months ago

        I think you misread my comment. I said that Howidy seems to falsely believe that one can only oppose one side in a war.

        To repeat this point: We all can – and should! – condemn violence against civilians, sexual assault of captives, and the killing and torture of dissidents by ALL PARTIES. That includes the ruling parties of both Israel and Gaza at the moment.

        I DO agree that there is more than one way to oppose a war. I’m not disputing that. But you seem to be having a different conversation than the one I was having. That wasn’t something I mentioned.