How inconvenient protests in Gaza can be

Amsterdam: the location of many pro-Palestinian protests. Since October 7^th, the capital of the Netherlands has seen many pro-Palestinian or anti-Israel events, ranging from peaceful protests to violent encounters, with the November Jew hunt being its nadir. Some of the peaceful events, however, cannot possibly be considered pro-Palestinian at all, as these are downright anti-Israel gatherings. Take for instance last weekend, when an anti-Israel event was organized. Clips show what some of the speakers shouted and their message was quite clear. There is a lady calling for Israel to be erased and she sternly reminds the crowd that they should not forget Tulkarem, Nablus, and Jenin – we all know why she singles out these cities, as Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad are very active in all of them. Moreover, a little show is provided for all those attending, exhibiting the artistic creativity of the event. A man dressed in black and wearing a vest, his face covered except his eyes, proceeds to burn an Israeli flag. First of all, the burning of Israeli flags is nothing new, I would argue that it is rather unimaginative, as we as Israelis have seen this happen for decades. No, this Hamas fanboy is problematic, because he can easily carry out this act, to the tune of some people chanting “death to Israel” and “we are Muhammad Deif’s men.” Authorities have already called the act appalling, but quickly stated that it is not unlawful to burn a flag – how could it be, when countless Dutch protesters burnt scores of American flags during the 1960s and 70s to protest against the Vietnam War. But the flag-burning component of this event was not even the most surprising part. No, this low-budget Hamas talent show was devoid of any focus on what had happened in the previous days in Gaza: protests against Hamas itself.

Gazans protesting against Hamas?

Yes, this is something that many supporters of the Palestinians in the West prefer to ignore. Understandably so, it makes them uncomfortable. In their simplistic straightforward way of looking at complex issues, Israel should bear the blame for everything. The Palestinians are united – since when? – the “resistance” is justified – does that include torturing Palestinian dissidents? – and all Israelis are warmongers – they should check the weekly anti-government protests in Tel Aviv. Being confronted with images of Palestinians marching in the streets of Beit Lahiya, Deir al-Balah, Jabaliya, Shejaiyah, and Khan Younis will make their heads hurt. It leads to desperate attempts to make sense of them. So, the protests are against Israel – true, to an extent they are directed at Israel, as the participants want the war to end – they are not against the “resistance” – that is more difficult to argue, considering that the slogan “Hamas out!” was uttered at all of them. Finally, if you have run out of options, you can simply claim that the images are doctored, we are all watching artificial intelligence. Fine, as long as you can feel better about yourself.

Hamas tried to spin this as well. The protests were against Israel, according to the well-fed heroes of the Hamas politburo squatting in Qatar, while simultaneously accusing unspecified foreign actors of instigating them. We just needed to wait for the violent crackdown to come – al-Jazeera was desperately hoping for this, too. Instead of asking the protesters why they were marching in the streets, its Qatari sponsor decided to ask Hamas officials what drove people to protest. Indeed, one protester taunted al-Jazeera, asking them why their reporters had disappeared. Luckily for Hamas’ favorite news network, the crackdown came and it was brutal. Organizers and participants have been kidnapped, tortured, murdered, and gone missing. One man was dumped in front of his relatives’ home, tortured and left for dead. The message is clear: stop denouncing us or you will end up like them. While people in the West take to the streets to voice their frustration about Israel, show their support for Palestinians or even run around Amsterdam dressed like terrorists, Gazans themselves cannot criticize Hamas for longer than a few days. An inconvenient fact, indeed. 

Not the first time

There have been protests in Gaza before, but during Hamas’ reign they are always sanctioned by the regime. Sometimes, it brought Hamas embarrassment, such as an anti-Israel protest organized by the PFLP, after Israeli air strikes had targeted a weapons transport in Syria in 2013. This was broken up by Hamas police officers, after which the Strip’s leaders needed to denounce their actions, due to the fact that they already had relations with Iran, but simultaneously supported Sunni rebels fighting Assad. An anti-Israel protest broken up by Hamas, who would have thought? In 2022, Hamas was embarrassed again, when the supporters of Shiite Palestinian Islamic Jihad chanted “death to the house of Saud,” and Hamas co-founder Mahmoud Zahar wished that Houthi drones would strike the UAE. Hamas immediately issued a statement that PIJ’s stance did not reflect its own policy vis-à-vis Arab states in the region. But last week’s protests are not new at all. In the past few years, protests against Hamas’ rule have erupted sporadically, with the “We want to live” events being the largest. Reasons had been raised taxes, lack of electricity and water infrastructure. This time, protesters chanted that they wanted Hamas to leave power, to return the hostages, and some even uttered that they wanted peace with Israel. But, above all, they wanted the war to end. After more than a year of moving throughout Gaza, living in tents, and civilians getting caught in the crossfire, these Palestinians wanted the war to end, sooner rather than later. The timing seems to be connected to the resumption of the war, as Gazans had experienced relative quiet for more than a month.

Could they succeed?

The protests were larger and more widespread than anything ever seen during eighteen years of Hamas’ rule. Of course, everyone wanted to highlight something else. Fatah supported the efforts and praised the Gazans, saying that Hamas should listen to the people. However, the numbers were still relatively small – thousands of protesters, instead of tens of thousands – and Fatah does not seem to be polling strong among the Palestinians. In Israel, the government applauded the protests and argued that people should expand them. Of course, the renewal of military pressure is definitely linked to these protests, but whether or not this was a goal remains to be seen. Moreover, several protesters have argued that they were not pro-Israel, but simply focused on ending the war, by putting pressure on Hamas. If these protests are to succeed, they should not be seen as pro-Israel, as Hamas quickly tried to denounce them as such. In the Arab world pundits have argued that the anti-Hamas character shows the organization’s failure, but substantial support for the protesters has remained absent. And, naturally, Hamas’ supporters immediately chose to ignore or denounce them.

Previous rounds of protests against Hamas have failed, but they are endemic. While in Israel, understandably, most people believe that all Gazans support Hamas, there is evidence to show that this is not true. Hamas rule in Gaza has exposed the organization for what it truly is. Instead of an organization focused on improving the lives of ordinary Gazans, it has enriched itself. Instead of tackling the corruption for which Fatah was criticized, Hamas has become a symbol of corruption. Hamas continues to proclaim the “successes” of the “resistance” and is praised by its patron Iran. When you read about the self-congratulatory statements made by Khalil al-Hayya and Ali Khamenei in Tehran last month, you cannot but wonder in what world these people are living. And yet, protests against Hamas in Gaza have increased in the last few years. Even in 2023, prior to the carnage unleashed by the “resistance” on Israeli soil, Gazan voices speaking out against Hamas were increasing. The animated series “Whispered in Gaza” provided revealing statements from locals on the ground. The people speaking cannot be dismissed as pro-Israel, but one voice even argues that Israeli rule was more benevolent, as Israeli authorities did not interfere with the personal affairs of the population in Gaza. Another voice states that Gaza is already free and now needs to be liberated from Hamas. Other than that, the people interviewed provide statements about Hamas actively crushing dissent; how they control the massive amounts of aid entering the Strip; how they stifle the freedom of Gazan women; how they apply media censorship; and how they severely tax Gazan merchants, a practice that can be compared to well-known mafia protection rackets only. And just months before the war with Hamas erupted, Gaza was rocked by the earlier mentioned “We want to live” protests, aimed directly at Hamas rule. Now, the protests in Gaza were even larger, calls for Hamas’ ouster were on display, and people participated in more locations than ever before. Moreover, it painfully showed that Hamas’ ideology is flawed. Yes, recent polls showed that the majority of the Strip’s population still supports Hamas, but its kleptocrats have always claimed that all Gazans aspire to martyrdom, that this is their goal. While it is, of course, ludicrous that most of these statements are made by the Hamas elite living comfortably abroad, these protesters showed that they wish to live, instead. That they are not ready to be Hamas’ shield and that they want the war to end.

Hamas needs to be removed, but for this to become reality the protests are not enough. People audaciously took to the streets last week to voice their discontent about Hamas – and continue to do so – but we knew that the terror group would eventually use force against them. Because Hamas will just as easily kill Palestinians. No, for this movement to succeed, it must be better organized and headed by leaders who can provide the people with an alternative, whether these are local or living in exile. A political program needs to be presented, containing goals mentioned by the Gazans speaking in “Whispered in Gaza.” An economy where taxation is not a form of extortion, where women are free to choose for themselves, whether that means becoming dancers, pharmacists or journalists, where the individual’s wishes are taken into account, instead of trampled by a totalitarian government. A program that will abandon the need to destroy Israel and, once again, look for a political solution to the conflict that has brought us all much sorrow. The Israelis who were brutally tortured, raped, maimed, murdered, and kidnapped on October 7^th wanted to live in peace. Gazans calling for an end to war and the removal of Hamas is a good start – and, in Israel, the conquest of Gaza called for by some needs to be abandoned, once and for all. But, most importantly, for this movement to grow, for this potential political alternative to have even the slightest chance of succeeding, it must receive support from abroad. From political support to media exposure, it should not be ignored. If people attending pro-Palestinian protests in the West claim that they do not support Hamas, then they should mention the hostages. They should break their silence about Gazans marching in the streets, calling for an end to Hamas rule. As long as they continue to avert their eyes and keep repeating their slogans which solely blame Israel, Hamas will consider this a success. Hamas will interpret this as support for them, whether those protesters who genuinely do care about Gaza like it or not.