Who are you really supporting? A question for pro-Palestinian protesters

I believe in the right to protest — to protest peacefully. That is my right.

But when I go out to protest, I believe I should know the facts about what I am protesting. It would be very embarrassing to hold a sign without knowing what it means, or to chant a slogan without understanding what I am saying.

How can anyone protest something they do not understand? Protesting should mean gathering the facts and then saying, “I don’t agree with this, and I’m going to make my opinion known.”

Yet it often seems that many protesters — especially students — do not really understand what they are protesting. In many cases, you cannot sit down and have a meaningful conversation with them or ask questions they can answer. I have seen that many of them won’t even talk.

The question I would ask them is simple: How can you support terror?

I imagine that is the same question many people asked Nazis in the 1930s.

If those supporting Hamas would read sources such as ALL ISRAEL NEWS before going out to protest, they might better understand who they are standing up for.

Recently, ALL ISRAEL NEWS reported:

“US condemns Hamas after video shows masked gunmen threatening, extorting Gazan civilians.”

According to the report, analyst Ahmed Alkhatib said the video showed Hamas terrorists threatening torture — including the use of “metal rods in legs and knees” — against Gazans who do not follow Hamas’ demands. The clip also showed local bystanders loudly protesting Hamas’ actions.

Students, do you really support a mafia-style form of government?
Do you really think this is acceptable in any society?

In the video, Hamas members terrorizing their own population had their faces covered — reminiscent of the Ku Klux Klan, who hid their identities while terrorizing Black Americans.

Reports have also shown that Hamas has stolen humanitarian aid from people who desperately need it. There have also been allegations of sexual abuse and torture, including electrocution.

These facts are available, and yet pro-Palestinian marches continue. People march without questioning — like sheep.

But why don’t we hear these protesters denouncing what is happening in Gaza? Why don’t we hear them condemning Hamas?

If Israeli soldiers were committing these abuses, protesters would shout it from the rooftops. If Israel were torturing Palestinians, the outrage would be everywhere.

Yet when Hamas commits these acts, many people march in silence.

This reminds me of the three monkeys: see no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil.

Some protesters close their eyes to what Hamas is doing to the Palestinian people. They block their ears when people tell them the truth. And they remain silent about Palestinian suffering caused by Hamas.

Hamas has brought destruction upon the Gaza Strip and suffering to its own people. And now, after all the devastation, it reportedly expects its citizens to pay taxes. Many people in Gaza have been pushed deeper into poverty because of Hamas.

This reminds me of the story of Zacchaeus the tax collector in the Bible. Zacchaeus cheated people by collecting excessive taxes — giving Rome what it demanded while keeping the extra for himself.

But when Zacchaeus met Jesus, everything changed. His heart was transformed.

That is what is truly needed today — not just marches in the streets.

Hamas needs a change of heart.

Let us pray that, despite the suffering the Palestinian people have endured, something good may come from it — that revival might come to Gaza.

God, we know that you can change hearts.
We pray that even Hamas could be transformed.

In Jesus’ name, Amen.