On October 7th, Hamas terrorists crossed the border from Gaza into Israel and mounted an offensive against both civilians and the Israeli military. At the end of the first day, the death count of at least 700 Israelis was high enough to make Saturday, October 7th the day with the most Jews murdered since the Holocaust. After these attacks and the resulting Israeli retaliation, many demonstrations occurred across America. These ranged from pro-Israel, pro-Palestine, and even pro-Hamas. One rally in New York City, organized by the Party for Socialism and Liberation (PSL) and promoted by the New York City chapter of the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA), featured a speaker who gleefully described the indiscriminate murder of music festival attendees as actions of “the resistance” and “the people of the Gaza strip” amid cheers and applause from the audience. This speech was delivered in front of the backdrop of a banner reading “END ALL U.S. AID TO APARTHEID ISRAEL.” 

In Portland, a rally early last month similarly organized by the Party for Socialism and Liberation and promoted by the Maine chapter of the Democratic Socialists of America walked the line between being pro-Palestine and pro-Hamas. Amid general denouncements of Hamas from multiple speakers, there was also ample rhetoric implicitly supporting the terrorist group’s actions. Unlike at the NYC rally, there was no mention of the atrocities committed by Hamas just a few days earlier. This served as the elephant in the room throughout the Portland event. Instead, activists spoke broadly about Hamas as an extremist group that should not be seen as a representative of the Palestinian people, while at the same time referring to Hamas’ actions on October 7th as actions of “the resistance” or “Palestinians.”

Zach Campbell, MC of the event and an organizer with PSL Maine, told attendees in an introduction speech that the “corporate media and politicians want the public to believe that Israel is simply defending itself from ‘terrorism.’ That’s a lie.” 

When speakers argue that, among other horrible actions, slaughter at a music festival which was billed as a celebration of “free love and spirit” is simply “resistance,” they have entered newspeak territory. If what happened on October 7th was objectively described, without euphemism or equivocation, no honest actor could deny that it was a blatant act of terrorism against civilians. 

The speaker in Portland went on to say “the actions of the resistance over the course of the last day is [sic] a morally and legally legitimate response to the occupation. It was brought about by escalating Israeli oppression on numerous fronts.”

This is the rhetoric of someone who excuses atrocity, but is too cowardly to express it outright. You cannot with one side of your mouth claim to denounce the tactics of Hamas and violence against innocents, and say that Hamas does not represent Palestine or their struggle for liberation, and then out of the other say things like “the resistance[‘s]” (meaning Hamas’) actions are “morally legitimate.” It’s deeply dishonest.

There is nothing inherently problematic about Free Palestine protests. Despite the questionable timing and terrorism apologia, much of the criticism levied at Israel at this rally and ones like it is very valid. Israel has treated Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank horribly, violating international law and flouting U.N. resolutions. Some of the rhetoric coming from Israeli officials since October 7th is completely inexcusable, including support for a total blockade of all supplies coming into Gaza, support for indiscriminate bombing of Gaza, and the description of Palestinians as “animals.” However, this does not excuse all actions or rhetoric against Israel or Israeli citizens. An eye for an eye is not a morally defensible position; you cannot claim moral high ground because your opponent is marginally more immoral than you are. When festival goers are murdered and their corpses are hauled back into Gaza for cheering crowds to spit and stomp on, that is not “morally and legally legitimate [resistance].”

“There shall be no recognition of the legitimacy of the Zionist entity. Whatever has befallen the land of Palestine in terms of occupation, settlement building, judaisation or changes to its features or falsification of facts is illegitimate. Rights never lapse….Resistance and jihad for the liberation of Palestine will remain a legitimate right, a duty and an honour for all the sons and daughters of our people and our Ummah.”

2017 Hamas charter, https://www.middleeasteye.net/news/hamas-2017-document-full

To understand Hamas’ perspective on the conflict, one need only look to their charter which denies the right of Israel to exist in any capacity and says “[r]esisting the occupation with all means and methods is a legitimate right guaranteed by divine laws and by international norms and laws. At the heart of these lies armed resistance, which is regarded as the strategic choice for protecting the principles and the rights of the Palestinian people.”

This rhetoric was mirrored at the rally in Monument Square, with chants of “from the river to the sea, Palestine will be free” and “when Palestine is occupied, resistance is justified.” To make these statements unqualified in the aftermath of the October 7th attack is to engage in terrorism and genocide apologia. The Hamas members who burned entire families alive in their homes were motivated by these same sentiments. If you parrot slogans that were used by terrorists to justify atrocities less than a week before your event, you must make intentional efforts to condemn the tactics they employed in service of your shared goal. Otherwise, it comes across to those paying attention as if you have no issue with how Hamas chooses to “resist” the Israeli government and people. 

In the weeks following their attack, Hamas leadership has argued that they only intended to strike military targets, and that the killing of civilians was done by Gazans who were not under their command. It’s incredibly unlikely that this is true, and it shows how they’re willing to throw innocent Palestinians –the people they claim to represent– under the bus to avoid accountability for their actions. Hamas leaders are also headquartered in Qatar, meaning that the ongoing airstrikes and looming ground invasion targeting Gaza will have no impact on them. There is no conflict between supporting the Palestinian people’s struggle for freedom and denouncing Hamas as a toxic agent that helps no one but themselves.

In order to effectively advocate for the plight of the Palestinians, it’s imperative for activists to prune rhetoric and rhetoricians that defend or ignore extremism against innocents. In the words of John Lennon, “if you want money for people with minds that hate/All I can tell you is brother you have to wait.”