Fringe groups on the political left openly support Hamas’ terrorist attacks on Israel that killed 1400 people, mostly innocent civilians
Photo by Josh Evnin | Flickr | CC BY-SA 2.0
In the aftermath of Hamas’ terrorist attack on Israel, some fringe-left factions are forming alliances with anti-Zionist entities. These groups demonstrate solidarity with Hamas’ acts of violence, justifying them as “resistance” and “liberation."
The Party for Socialism and Liberation, the World Workers Party, chapters affiliated with the Democratic Socialists for America, independent chapters associated with Black Lives Matter, and several other organizations have expressed similar perspectives via public statements and on various social media platforms. These organizations are furthermore involved in coordinating physical gatherings that oppose Israel, during which attendees express further endorsement of terrorism and violence, with the dissemination of antisemitic discourse.
The assertions made by these individuals are erroneous and fall outside the bounds of acceptability within the political discourse. Terrorism, as an expression of resistance, lacks legitimacy in its essence.
Even if you oppose Israel’s apartheid state, as I do, terrorism is never acceptable.
Consider that former President George Bush conducted an illegal war against Iraq and committed war crimes; does this imply that terrorists may target Americans? Should random innocent civilians pay the price?
The Democratic Socialists of America of Salt Lake City Utah published a “Statement on Palestinian Liberation” on October 7, 2023, expressing their “unwavering solidarity with the people of Palestine in their decades-long fight for national liberation” and urging Americans “to stand up against settler-colonial, Zionist apartheid.” The statement declared the group’s full support for the terrorist attack on Israeli civilians, writing that “it is not terrorism or anti-semitism to fight against this injustice.”
The Democratic Socialists of America of Long Beach California wrote on October 10, 2023, that their group“fully supports and stands in solidarity with the people of Palestine in their struggle for liberation from military occupation, colonialist oppression, and the brutal apartheid system imposed by the state of Israel.” The group said that, “for far too long, Israel, a settler colonial regime, has dispossessed, incarcerated, tortured, and murdered Palestinians by the thousands” and added that, “there is no symmetry between the Palestinian people’s struggle and the genocide being carried out by the Zionist terror state.”
It appears antisemitic to refer to the entirety of Israel as a “ Zionist state.” Many Israelis favor a two-state solution and oppose Benjamin Netanyahu’s far-right administration.
Independent Black Lives Matter chapters have commented on the ongoing Israel-Hamas conflict, although the national Black Lives Matter organization has yet to do so. Black Lives Matter chapters are operated independently from the national Black Lives Matter Global Network Foundation, and many are entirely unaffiliated.
BLM Grassroots, a smaller group not affiliated with the Black Lives Matter national organization, published a statement on October 9, 2023, stating: “in solidarity with the Palestinian people.” The statement appeared to attempt to justify Hamas’s actions as legitimate “resistance”: “When a people have been subject to decades of apartheid and unimaginable violence, their resistance must not be condemned, but understood as a desperate act of self-defense.”
A BLM Chicago Illinois account has shared social media posts implying support for Hamas. In a post on X on October 10, 2023, the group posted an image of a paraglider — referencing Hamas’s use of paragliders to infiltrate Israel and murder civilians — with the message “I stand with Palestine.” In another post on October 11, the group wrote: “When we say Free Palestine, y’all say antisemitic & Hamas. Israel’s terrorism created Hamas & Zionism is a betrayal of the peace of Judaism, not those shouting against its genocidal effect on Palestine.”
A BLM Phoenix Arozonia account endorsed and shared a statement originally published by Arizona State University’s chapter of Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP), which said that “Palestinian freedom fighters are not terrorists!” In response to comments from social media users criticizing the group’s decision to refer to Hamas as “freedom fighters,” BLM Phoenix responded, “We are also freedom fighters who have been grossly mislabeled and violently targeted for standing up against injustice to our people…so…you can call them whatever you want…but we will call them freedom fighters and we will stand in full support of the resistance happening in Palestine.” The group added, “The Palestinian attack was a revolution and attempt to reclaim their freedom.”
The Party for Socialism and Liberation published a statement on October 7, 2023, expressing support for Hamas’s terrorist attack: “Resistance to apartheid and fascist-type oppression is not a crime! It is the inevitable outcome for all people who demand self-determination rather than living with the boot heel of the oppressors on their necks…The actions of the resistance over the course of the last day is a morally and legally legitimate response to occupation.” The statement applauded the actions taken by “Palestinian resistance forces” and rejected the idea that the attack against Israeli civilians constituted “terrorism.”
If Hamas had targeted military installations and government buildings, their actions may have been seen as a form of legitimate resistance. Instead, indiscriminate executions were carried out, including women, children, babies, and the elderly.
The charter of Hamas explicitly advocates for the extermination of Jewish individuals. Hamas lacks legitimacy as a political player in various respects.
World Workers Party published an official statement in “solidarity with Palestine” on October 8, 2023, saying the brutal attack on innocent civilians was “a heroic example for people longing for liberation from imperialism around the world.” The statement did not denounce Hamas or the violence that it had committed against civilians, rather blaming the “white supremacist Zionist state for the Hamas attack.” “The Israeli regime’s murders, seizures of territories, illegal settlements and occupation made a response from the Palestinian people and their liberation organizations as inevitable as it was justifiable,” the statement went on to read. It added, “The Palestinian movement and people have every right to strike back in whatever way they choose,” saying, “The Palestinian organizations know that they face a ruthless enemy and have decided to launch a direct strike on that enemy.”
Most within the left-leaning political sphere, and perhaps even among a significant majority, have unequivocally condemned Hamas’ brutal conduct towards Israel. Pleasantly, many demonstrate an ability to reconcile seemingly contradictory notions: the recognition of Israel’s morally abhorrent blockade of Gaza, alongside the acknowledgment that Hamas’ actions are likewise morally reprehensible and lack any justifiable rationale.
Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) said it best while scrutinizing the Times Square rally that transpired recently, in which an obvious display of support for Hamas was observed. She said: “The bigotry and callousness expressed in Times Square on Sunday were unacceptable and harmful in this devastating moment. It also did not speak for the thousands of New Yorkers who are capable of rejecting both Hamas’s horrifying attacks against innocent civilians as well as the grave injustices and violence Palestinians face under occupation.”
Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez | Photo by nrkbeta | Flickr | CC BY-SA 2.0
Undoubtedly, the primary agent responsible for the subjugation experienced by the populace residing in Gaza is the state of Israel. However, the area is currently under the governance of Hamas, an organization whose track record has been characterized by a number of concerning factors.
They have promised and subsequently canceled elections, which has also occurred in the case of the Palestinian Authority in the West Bank. The prevalence of corruption is indeed a matter of great concern, exhibiting a significant impact on the socio-political landscape.
Regarding the matters of free speech, women’s rights, and LGBTQ rights, the prevailing state of affairs can be characterized as regressive, aligning with one’s anticipated expectations. In light of a recent ruling rendered by a judicial body affiliated with Hamas in 2021, it has been determined that women are prohibited from undertaking travel without the presence of a male guardian.
Individuals residing in Western societies who possess a limited comprehension of the intricacies surrounding this matter, or those who possess such comprehension but consciously opt to rationalize it, are engaging in a disservice to the fundamental principles that ought to be safeguarded by all individuals who align themselves with progressive ideologies.
In the most favorable scenario, their perspective could be characterized as exhibiting a certain degree of naivety.
As Jamie Raskin put it, referring to the Times Square rally: “Hamas would have gladly slaughtered everyone at that rally just like they slaughtered all of the progressive young people at the music concert in Israel.”
Again, the act of indiscriminately targeting and murdering civilian populations cannot be classified as a legitimate manifestation of either decolonization or self-defense.
There seems to be a lack of comprehension among even some members of the academic community about this matter as well.
Political science Professor Uahikea Maile, wrote in an X post, “As Hawaiians wake up to the news of Palestinian anticolonial resistance in Gaza to Israeli settler colonialism, remember that — from Hawaiʻi to Palestine — occupation is a crime. A lāhui that stands for decolonization and deoccupation should also stand behind freedom for Palestine.”
Gabriel Winant, a historian at Yale University, writes, “The only meaningful contribution Americans can make to stopping the violence is by confronting at every opportunity the vast public conspiracy of silence about the [Israeli] occupation. That’s the only thing we can do that has any consequence beyond seeing to our own conscience.”
This assertion is incorrect due to a multitude of factors.
The attainment of justice for Israelis and Palestinians cannot be achieved by adopting a mindset that asserts the sanctity of just one side.
The available options are not confined to a binary selection between theocratic proponents of violence within Hamas and theocratic proponents of violence among Israel’s far-right faction. In both Israel and the Palestinian territories, there are individuals who display commendable qualities such as kindness and altruism. These individuals demonstrate bravery by actively seeking opportunities to assist those residing on the opposing side. Their efforts are particularly significant given the immense hardships and tragedies experienced in the region. By working together, these individuals strive to provide a secure environment that benefits every resident of the shared territory. A portion of these people have already succumbed to fatal outcomes at the hands of the opposing faction, and it is anticipated that further casualties will occur.
It is essential for individuals residing beyond the borders of the region to sincerely observe and emulate the moral example set forth by the good people. Through the lens of universal humanity, it becomes clear that the guiding principle of the sacredness of life and respect for all individuals are indispensable in our quest to break the perpetual cycle of violence trapping Israelis and Palestinians, leading them towards a state of torture.
In sum, New York magazine’s Eric Levitz writes that the support for terrorists is “a betrayal of the left’s most fundamental values.”
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