Nina Bro

It was noteworthy that a top Islamic scholar and clerk in Gaza, Dr. Salman al-Dayah, issued a detailed religious declaration and fatwa condemning Hamas and their reckless disregard for the safety, well-being, and greater good of Palestinians in the coastal enclave. He used religious principles and concepts to describe in precise terms why Hamas's continued engagement in warfare and the decision to carry out the October 7th attack without regard for the consequences constitute a grave breach of religious and moral duty. The problem isn't the need for a fatwa or a religious edict to prove that Hamas are criminal heretics whose conduct is in breach of every religious norm. After all, ethically, morally, politically, logically, strategically, rationally, economically, and militarily, what Hamas did and is currently doing is harmful to its survival, the people of Gaza, and the Palestinian national project. The issue is that no amount of religious, rational, or geostrategic thinking will get Hamas to end the disaster that its actions started. The group does not want to admit defeat and that it miscalculated the outcome of its initially successful surprise attack. The Japanese Empire capitulated to stop the destruction of its people; Yasser Arafat & the PLO agreed to evacuate Beirut and leave Lebanon when they faced defeat; Saddam Hussein accepted his 1991 defeat and agreed to stop the war; the British and Ottoman Empires fought numerous battles in which they accepted defeat to spare troops and lives. But Hamas, inspired by nihilistic Jihadi ideology which is worse than any other motivational ethos in history, genuinely and sincerely does not care about the consequences even if the entirety of the Gaza Strip is wiped out. The group is no longer subjecting its decision-making to a rational thought process that registers the gravity of the disaster its actions unleashed. It knows that the people of Gaza are forever done being held hostage to Islamist fascism that squanders lives, resources, and opportunities to create a life worth living or a nation-state worth fighting for. And yet, despite all of this, there are still masses of delusional cosplayers, ill-informed "activists," and supposed "allies" of the Palestinian people who refuse to see this and think what's happening in Gaza is simply and exclusively a function of Israeli policies and actions, entirely ignoring Hamas and removing its central role in this catastrophe. In a way, Dr. al-Dayah's fatwa against October 7 and Hamas is only relevant to those who still support the terror organization and endorse it's criminal and vile actions. Shame on all who champion this anti-Palestinian deadly menace and refuse to condemn Hamas and distance the Palestinian people's just and urgent aspirations from a corrupt Jihadi terror enterprise.

Because that's what the movement needs: another Palestinian to ignore/overlook/not speak about the horrendous impact of Hamas & their massive harm to Palestinians' urgent & just aspirations. I see both issues as inseparable: Hamas's criminality/terror are intricately linked to the injustices caused by Israeli actions, policies, and the occupation; they’re not mutually exclusive. Hamas made terrible choices and decisions that directly harmed the Palestinian people and elicited destructive Israeli reactions & responses. You can’t openly and overtly state your intention to turn Gaza into an armed fortress & expect Israel not to impose a choking blockade. Hamas figured out ways to insulate itself from the impact of the siege; therefore, Gaza’s people and civilians suffered immensely for almost two decades. That’s worth critiquing, condemning, and criticizing as a Palestinian – I shouldn’t wait for the Zionists to criticize Hamas. It's hard to go all in on a movement that at the moment (I hope this changes because I want a vibrant & thriving pro-Palestine movement to exist) sees the slave-owning Houthis as a "resistance" group, normalizes Islamist violence, supports Iranian/Mullah-led sectarian militias, ignores antisemitic behavior/speech, doesn't present any viable solutions to the Palestinian people beyond slogans, and now wants to essentially help Trump get back into office. I've done more to humanize Gazans & their suffering from where I stand than I ever could have with the ‘red triangle’ resistance types & the screaming Intifada enthusiasts. I'm tired of directionless activism; Gazans want to live, and Palestinians want & deserve a different future. Israel is not going to be dismantled like South Africa was; it and its Jewish/Zionist citizens are here to stay. How much longer can we go on with the current path/trajectory? I want the ultimate goal of a pro-Palestine movement to be peace & coexistence based on pragmatic, realist/realistic objectives, not maximalist positions that will never work and will only perpetuate the suffering of Palestinians. As for the unpleasant pro-Israel folks and self-described Zionists, I’m not concerned with what they agree or disagree with me on. It doesn’t bother me that on this specific slice of the conflict, which is Hamas & violence, they agree with me. What they choose to say/do when I share criticisms of Israeli policies or actions is not my concern. They'll be blocked if they can’t have respectful dialogue or disagreements. I never thought of myself as a “useful idiot” for anyone. In fact, Hamas & its supporters (not referring to you) are precisely what you’d refer to as a useful idiot to rightwing and anti-peace, anti-Palestinian forces and factions within Israel. Hamas’s brutality & stupidity saved Netanyahu’s political career at a time when unprecedented political opposition was mounting against his entrenched & authoritarian regime. Again, that’s worth criticizing as a Palestinian.

I strongly condemn the horrible terror attack in Ra'anana north of Tel Aviv today, and any attempt to equate this sick depravity with resistance. Random acts of violence against civilians, including women and children, are truly grotesque; shame on anyone attempting to lionize this as some heroic action. More damagingly, the two perpetrators, who did not enter Israel through a work permit & were repeatedly prevented from obtaining work authorization, are now jeopardizing the economic prospects for tens of thousands of Palestinian workers and their families just days after some in Israel were calling for the restoration of work permits & entry by Palestinian laborers. Violence & vengeance continue to harm the Palestinian people & cause. Killing a 79-year-old woman & ramming civilians, including children, does nothing to address the horrors facing Gazans, nor does it reverse their suffering & the injustices they experience. Violence and terrorism are worthy of condemnation, no celebration.

Would Israel support aerial food drops if conducted in a safe/secure manner in coordination with the IDF to saturate Gaza with food aid that can be quickly retrieved & used by civilians? Numerous precedents confirm this is viable and effective ✈️🪂🥫🫘🫓 forward.com/opinion/575411/a…