Gaza is not Hamas: It is time to reject terrorism in the name of resistance



I feel deep shame and pain when I see the brutality practiced by Hamas and several terrorist organizations in Gaza. The moral degradation that leads armed men to believe that parading the bodies of infants and their mother as if they were trophies of victory is heroic illustrates the level of evil and ignorance that has consumed them. How can a sane mind accept such a horrific scene? What kind of humanity allows carrying a closed coffin of an 85-year-old peace activist, who had done so much for Gaza, as if this somehow serves the Palestinian cause? Instead of organizing a procession for these innocent bodies, they should have been handled by medical teams without any armed presence. This could have been done differently, but the jihadist fascists chose the ugliest spectacle.

I feel ashamed of any Palestinian who supports or justifies this act; I feel ashamed of any "pro-Palestinian activist," "journalist," or "expert" who goes to great lengths to justify these actions and place all the blame solely on Israeli bombings for killing the Israeli hostages—without holding Hamas accountable for taking them hostage in the first place. How can anyone with a shred of conscience overlook these practices? How can any civilized person justify such crimes as part of "resistance"?

Those who have repeatedly attacked me just because I have criticized Hamas and its jihadist fascism from the beginning never understand why I see it as a greater existential threat to the Palestinian people than any right-wing government or party in Israel. Hamas is not only responsible for bringing death and destruction upon Palestinians, but it also erodes the values within Palestinian society, leading to internal decline that destroys hopes for freedom, independence, and sovereignty—not to mention international respect. The real problem is not just the external enemy, but the internal enemy that consumes our society from within, destroying it under religious pretexts and false slogans.

What happened today is not just an illegal crime, an immoral act, or a horrific scene; it is a matter of values and principles. Every Palestinian with a conscience, even if angry at Israel for what it has done in Gaza since October 7, must raise their voice and say: Not in our name. It is crucial to separate the Palestinian people from this absolute evil and from the cowardly display of jihadist fascism that is falsely promoted as "resistance." This is not resistance; this is a moral downfall that must be confronted. We cannot let voices of violence and chaos drown out voices of reason and logic.

The time has come to reject Hamas and separate the just and urgent aspirations of the Palestinian people from this death-obsessed sect that repeatedly strips our people of their humanity. It is time to condemn all those who glorify terrorism in the name of "resistance" in New York, Europe, Australia, and elsewhere—those who continue to applaud Hamas and celebrate the spectacle of parading the corpses of children, their mother, and the elderly peace activist. These people, living in comfort and safety far from real destruction, have no right to decide the fate of an entire people. They have no right to celebrate death and destruction while they do not suffer from it themselves.

I feel ashamed because Gaza, which was once beautiful, with a vibrant community and authentic values, and had immense potential to be the jewel of the Palestinian people, has deteriorated and fallen into the grip of inhumane terrorists who are a disgrace to the Palestinians and their cause. Gaza is not Hamas, despite the control of this terrorist group. I have seen dozens of Palestinians inside the Strip condemning what happened today and denouncing Hamas’s brutality. These are the voices we must listen to. These are the people who should represent Palestine—not the armed groups that know only the language of blood.

Saying these words does not make me "self-hating"; rather, I am proud of my Palestinian heritage and sincerely care about my people. My love for Palestine drives me to speak the truth, no matter how painful it is, and no matter how much I am attacked by those who refuse to hear it. Opposing Hamas does not mean siding with Israel; it means standing with truth and justice, and with the Palestinian people themselves, who deserve a better future than this bloody chaos.

To the Bibas and Lifschitz families, I extend my deepest condolences—I feel your sorrow and share your pain. We will prevail one day, but not through a path of death and destruction; rather, through a path of life, dignity, and justice. We cannot build a future for Palestine by aligning with murderers, nor can we achieve the dream of an independent state by supporting groups that do not believe in life.

What we are witnessing today is a defining moment in the history of the Palestinian cause. We must choose between a future governed by violence and chaos or one built on justice and peace. We cannot remain prisoners of groups that exploit our people's suffering to achieve their narrow agendas. We cannot allow them to steal our struggle and distort it in such a grotesque manner.

We must say no to Hamas, no to blind violence, no to killing in the name of resistance. Palestine deserves better than this, and our people deserve a bright future, far from the darkness imposed upon us by these groups. True dignity is not in carrying weapons and killing innocents but in building a real homeland that guarantees freedom and justice for all its people.

We will win one day, but only when we rid ourselves of the chains that hold us back—when we reject terrorism in all its forms and prioritize the interests of our people above all else. Until then, shame and pain will continue to haunt us, until we take the right stand.

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