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“My father was one of ten brothers from a rural village in the West Bank. When he was six years old, he hid with his family in a cave during the Six-Day War, at the beginning of the sixteen years he spent under military occupation. One time, when my father was passing through a When he was a student, a soldier noticed the astrophysics book he was carrying under his arm. He told my father that the Arabs were too stupid to deal with this subject, and this strengthened his resolve to continue learning. When he met my English mother, she was in America studying for her doctorate. These are the writer’s words. Palestinian diaspora John Aziz Article in The AtlanticIn which he explains the insults and fear that his family was subjected to at the hands of Israeli soldiers. But you don't just write this, you also write this:
[Traducció: Sóc un palestí liberal humanista que vol la pau. El que vull veure dels “aliats” occidentals pro-palestins és el suport a una solució de dos estats, negociacions de pau i dirigents pacífics. El que veig, en canvi, és la defensa de la destrucció d’Israel i la gent excusant Hamàs.]I am a liberal humanitarian Palestinian who wants peace.
What I want to see from pro-Palestinian Western “allies” is support for a two-state solution, peace negotiations, and peaceful leaders.
What I see instead is calls for the dismantling of Israel and people making excuses for Hamas.
– John Aziz (@aziz0nomics) February 19, 2024
John Aziz shows that just as not all Israelis support Netanyahu, not all Palestinians support Hamas. It happens that the Israeli criticisms against Netanyahu have speakers, and they are worthy. And more than it should. (There are some things we do not say enough and must insist on: Long live Israel, Netanyahu, the war criminal. I am one of those who believe in both at the same time. And now with the destruction of Gaza at the hands of his movement) An “extreme right” government, with clearly racist members, and even more that).
On the other hand, Palestinian criticism of Hamas is more muted in our corner of the world. John Aziz is an example. And he's not the only one. Hamza Huwaidi, another, that He says so in this other article: “I was born in the Gaza Strip at the end of the 1990s. I was one of six children (…) I graduated and began my studies at the Islamic University of Gaza, with the future leaders of Hamas. All arts classes were replaced with extremist Islamic teachings, and elections for student councils and clubs were open only to Hamas members, who collected all the benefits and distributed all the subsidies. Although we knew that opponents could face imprisonment, torture and even death, in 2019 some of us joined their ranks and organized a protest to express our opposition to Hamas. The demonstration was titled “We Want to Live” and sparked an extremist reaction from Hamas. They violently suppressed the protests and we were all arrested (…) I was detained for twenty-one days and subjected to various types of torture. They beat me with batons and poured cold water on me.
After their release, most of those who participated in the demonstrations emigrated from Gaza. There was no hope of change in this situation. We suffered constant harassment from Hamas members. There are those who died trying to get out, like Tamer Al-Sultan, the pharmacist whose crime was calling for reconciliation between Hamas and Fatah.”
Hamza Huwaidi ended up leaving Gaza in August, after being arrested again.
Through their tweets on Twitter, I discovered in recent days demonstrations and voices inside Gaza against Hamas. Some demonstrations, modest if you like, and some voices, a minority if you like, are barely followed by the Western press, because they do not relate to the prevailing discourse: that all Gazans are supporters of Hamas. Or better not to criticize Hamas, as that is not your role now.
The demonstrations and Palestinian voices against Hamas weaken it more than Netanyahu, the man who financed it. Israel, Netanyahu, is hurt more by internal criticism than by external criticism. It happens that critics, on both sides, are becoming fewer and fewer, according to opinion polls. Perhaps, among other reasons, because of the lack of attention they receive.
“The people of Gaza want peace, and our children want to return to school. Why did Hamas make us take this gamble? Why is Hamas shooting at us?”
“We want to live” – North Gaza. pic.twitter.com/QJ0M2a9B5b
– Hamza 🇵🇸 (@HowidyHamza) February 21, 2024
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