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Palestinian Activist: Is Recognizing a Palestinian State a Reward for Terrorism?
The bodies of people, some of them elderly, lie on a street after they were killed during a mass-infiltration by Hamas gunmen from the Gaza Strip, in Sderot, southern Israel, Oct. 7, 2023. Photo: REUTERS/Ammar Awad
As a Palestinian human rights activist, I find it outrageous and deeply troubling that three European countries have announced that they will recognize a Palestinian state in response to the atrocities committed by the terrorist group Hamas on October 7, 2023. Such recognition not only undermines the struggle for genuine peace and human rights, but also rewards a terrorist organization for its horrific acts of violence and sexual crimes.
On that fateful day, Hamas terrorists launched a brutal attack on Israel, resulting in the kidnapping of over 240 innocents, most of whom remain hostage or unaccounted for, and the murder of at least 1,200 Israelis. The invasion was not just an act of war but a calculated campaign of terror designed to inflict maximum pain and fear. The images and reports from that day are harrowing: women raped and mutilated, children killed, and entire families wiped out in a matter of hours. Recognizing a Palestinian state under these circumstances sends a dangerous message that sexual violence and terrorism against civilians can successfully achieve political gains.
The question arises: who exactly would these countries recognize as the leaders of this new Palestinian state? If established now, this state would undoubtedly be under the control of Hamas. As acclaimed Muslim author — and longtime jihadi target — Salman Rushdie aptly put it: “If there were a Palestinian state now, it would be run by Hamas, and we would have a Taliban-like state. A satellite state of Iran. Is this what the progressive movements of the Western Left want to create?” Hamas, an Islamist militant group, has shown time and again that its primary goal is not the welfare of the Palestinian people but its charter purpose since its founding in 1987: the destruction of Israel and the establishment of an Islamist theocracy.
However, the alternative — recognizing a Palestinian state run by Fatah and the Palestinian Authority (PA) — is not much better. Mahmoud Abbas, the President of the PA, has turned the organization into a personal kleptocracy that perpetuates corruption and instability. Abbas’ government is notorious for its “Pay-for-Slay” policy, where the PA pays salaries to terrorists serving in Israeli prisons and provides financial support to the families of deceased terrorists. This policy, which costs over $350 million annually, incentivizes acts of terror and rewards the murder of Jews.
Despite the US Congress passing the Taylor Force Act, which aims to cut off aid to the PA unless it abolishes this policy, Abbas continues to uphold it, effectively ensuring that peace remains an elusive dream. The PA’s refusal to end these terror payments has led to the forfeiture of over $1 billion in potential US aid in the last three years.
It is crucial to understand that the Palestinians in Gaza are not ideologically aligned with those in the West Bank. The division was starkly highlighted during the violent coup when Hamas seized control of Gaza in 2007 when Hamas fighters threw Fatah supporters off buildings in Gaza as they seized control of the strip. This brutal act was part of a bloody civil war that saw Hamas systematically capture Fatah positions using rockets and mortar shells, leading to execution-style killings in the streets. The event marked the culmination of a year-long power struggle, transforming Gaza into a stronghold of Hamas and leaving the West Bank under Fatah control.
Furthermore, what would the borders of this new state being recognized by these European nations look like? The geographical and political fragmentation of the Palestinian territories makes establishing a cohesive and functional state exceedingly tricky. Gaza and the West Bank are not only physically separated by Israeli territory but also politically divided by a deep chasm between the PA and Hamas. Recognizing a state without clear and agreed-upon borders and without a unified government that represents all Palestinians is not only impractical but rather reckless and likely to lead to the worst-case outcome envisioned by Rushdie: a rejectionist theocracy waging war outside of any civilized norms until the bitter end.
The events of October 7 have laid bare the brutal reality of Hamas’s ideology and methods. The New York Times investigation revealed the systematic sexual violence perpetrated by Hamas against Israeli women during the attack. Israeli police and medical personnel have documented cases of rape, mutilation, and murder that were part of a broader pattern of sexual violence, torture, and abuse, which have also been confirmed by returned hostages and by the United Nations. These acts are not isolated incidents but reflect the deeply intentional strategies reflected in a hostage-taking manual the Hamas invaders had with them on October 7.
To reward such behavior with the recognition of statehood is not only morally indefensible but also sets a dangerous precedent. It tells the world that terrorism, violence, and the gross violation of human rights can be effective tools for achieving political ends. It undermines the principles of justice, human rights, and the rule of law that the international community claims to uphold.
Instead, a concerted effort is needed to support genuine peace and reconciliation. This involves empowering moderate Palestinian voices, strengthening civil society, and ensuring that any path to statehood is predicated on a commitment to nonviolence, democracy, peacemaking, and human rights. The international community should foster dialogue and cooperation between Israelis and Palestinians rather than taking actions that could exacerbate tensions and entrench divisions.
To instead reward the dysfunctional and violent factions that constitute present-day Palestinian governance with “statehood” — albeit unrecognized by Israel, the US, and other countries — in the wake of the October 7 atrocities, would be a grave mistake. It would reward Hamas’s campaign of terror and undermine the prospects for a genuine and lasting peace.
I urge the international community to reject such recognition and instead support efforts that promote peace, justice, and the welfare of all people in the region. The path to a Palestinian state must be paved with dialogue, mutual recognition, and a steadfast commitment to human rights — not the blood of innocents.
Bassem Eid is a Jerusalem-based Palestinian political analyst, human rights pioneer and expert commentator on Arab and Palestinian affairs. He grew up in an UNRWA refugee camp. Follow him on X (formerly Twitter) @realbassemeid A version of this article was originally published by the Investigative Project on Terrorism.
The post Palestinian Activist: Is Recognizing a Palestinian State a Reward for Terrorism? first appeared on Algemeiner.com.
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A pro-Israel rally at the University of Toronto was headlined by Columbia University professor Shai Davidai
Around 200 people gathered for a pro-Israel demonstration at University of Toronto’s downtown campus at King’s College Circle—which was the site of one of Canada’s largest pro-Palestinian encampments during May […]
The post A pro-Israel rally at the University of Toronto was headlined by Columbia University professor Shai Davidai appeared first on The Canadian Jewish News.
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‘Not Welcome’: New Pro-Hamas Campaign Aims to Abolish Hillel Campus Chapters
A statue of George Washington tied with a Palestinian flag and a keffiyeh inside a pro-Hamas encampment is pictured at George Washington University in Washington, DC, US, May 2, 2024. Photo: REUTERS/Craig Hudson
The campus group National Students for Justice in Palestine (NSJP) is waging a campaign to gut Jewish life in academia, calling for the abolition of Hillel International campus chapters, the largest collegiate organization for Jewish students in the world.
“Over the past several decades, Hillel has monopolized for Jewish campus life into a pipeline for pro-Israel indoctrination, genocide-apologia, and material support to the Zionist project and its crimes,” a social media account operating the campaign, titled #DropHillel, said in a manifesto published last week. “Across the country, Hillel chapters have invited Israeli soldiers to their campuses; promoted propaganda trips such as birthright; and organized charity drives for the Israeli military.”
It continued, “Such actions reveal Hillel’s ideological and material investment in Zionism, despite the organization’s facade as being simply a ‘Jewish cultural space.’”
DropHillel claims to be “Jewish-led,” although only a small minority of Jews oppose Zionism, and the group has been linked to and promoted by Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP) chapters.
Hillel International has provided Jewish students a home away from home during the academic year. However, NSJP says it wants to “weaken” it and “dismantle oppression.”
The idea has already been picked up by pro-Hamas student groups at one college, the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, according to The Daily Tar Heel, the school’s official student newspaper. On Oct. 9, it reported, a member of Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP) unveiled the idea for “no more Hillel” during a rally which, among other things, demanded removing Israel from UNC’s study abroad program and adopting the boycott, divestment, and sanctions (BDS) movement. Addressing the comments to the paper days later, SJP, which has been linked to Islamist terrorist organizations, proclaimed that shuttering Hillel is a coveted goal of the anti-Zionist movement.
“Zionism is a racist supremacist ideology advocating for the creation and sustenance of an ethnostate through the expulsion and annihilation of native people,” the group told the paper. “Therefore, any group that advocates for a supremacist ideology — be it the KKK, the Proud Boys, Hillel, or Heels for Israel — should not be welcome on campus.”
The #DropHillel campaign came amid an unprecedented surge in anti-Israel incidents on college campuses, which, according to a report published last month by the Anti-Defamation League (ADL), have reached crisis levels.
Revealing a “staggering” 477 percent increase in anti-Zionist activity involving assault, vandalism, and other phenomena, the report — titled “Anti-Israel Activism on US Campuses, 2023-2024” — painted a bleak picture of America’s higher education system poisoned by political extremism and hate.
“As the year progressed, Jewish students and Jewish groups on campus came under unrelenting scrutiny for any association, actual or perceived, with Israel or Zionism,” the report said. “This often led to the harassment of Jewish members of campus communities and vandalism of Jewish institutions. In some cases, it led to assault. These developments were underpinned by a steady stream of rhetoric from anti-Israel activists expressing explicit support for US-designated terrorists organizations, such as Hamas, the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP) and others.”
The report added that 10 campuses accounted for 16 percent of all incidents tracked by ADL researchers, with Columbia University and the University of Michigan combining for 90 anti-Israel incidents — 52 and 38, respectively. Harvard University, the University of California – Los Angeles, Rutgers University New Brunswick, Stanford University, Cornell University, and others filled out the rest of the top 10. Violence, it continued, was most common at universities in the state of California, where anti-Zionist activists punched a Jewish student for filming him at a protest.
Follow Dion J. Pierre @DionJPierre.
The post ‘Not Welcome’: New Pro-Hamas Campaign Aims to Abolish Hillel Campus Chapters first appeared on Algemeiner.com.
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‘Muslim for Trump’ Launches Initiatives in Key Battleground States, Says Candidate Will Bring ‘Peace’ to Gaza
Former US President Donald Trump is seen at a campaign event in South Carolina. Photo: Reuters/Sam Wolfe
The “Muslims for Trump” organization has officially launched initiatives to help elect Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump to the White House, arguing that he would be more likely to end the war in Gaza than Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris.
In a statement released on Monday, the group said it will focus on recruiting Muslim voters in key battleground states such as Michigan, Wisconsin, Pennsylvania, Georgia, and North Carolina. The organization both praised Trump for his supposed “peace-focused” approach to ending the war in Gaza and condemned Harris for helping facilitate a so-called “genocide.”
“After meeting with President Trump, it was clear to me he is the right leader for Muslims to get behind,” Rabiul Chowdhury, co-founder of Muslims for Trump and former co-chair of the “Abandon Harris Movement,” said in a statement.
Chowdhury added that during his discussions with Trump, the former president vowed to “ending the escalation of wars and bringing peace to war-torn regions.” In contrast to Trump’s promise to stop the “bloodshed” in Gaza, he claimed, Harris has “recklessly pushed us toward World War III.”
Chowdhury, a self-described “peace advocate,” urged the Muslim community not to fall victim to supposed “misinformation” campaigns by the media and Democrats that paint the former president as hostile to immigrants. He claimed that the former president’s focus is on “ending war, not dividing families through false immigration claims.”
Samra Luqman, chair of the Michigan chapter of Muslims for Trump, underscored the need to punish the Biden administration for what he described as supporting a “genocide” in Gaza.
“The goal of this election is to hold the Biden administration accountable for a genocide. No amount of fear mongering or scare tactics will persuade my community into forgiving the mutilation, live-burning, and genocide of over 200,000 people,” he said.
According to data produced by the Hamas-controlled Gaza Health Ministry, roughly 40,000 people have died in Gaza since the war began last October. Israel has said that its forces have killed about 20,000 Hamas terrorists during its military campaign.
Israel says it has gone to unprecedented lengths to try and avoid civilian casualties, noting its efforts to evacuate areas before it targets them and to warn residents of impending military operations with leaflets, text messages, and other forms of communication.
On the organization Muslims for Trump’s official website, it claims that the Abraham Accords, a series of historic, Trump administration-brokered normalization agreements between Israel and several countries in the Arab world, helped stabilize the Middle East. It also says that had Trump not lost the 2020 presidential race, the so-called “genocide” could have been prevented.
“Under Trump’s leadership, the Abraham Accords were brokered, fostering peaceful relations between Israel and several Arab countries. Supporters might argue that Trump’s diplomacy prioritized peace and stability in the Middle East, reducing the likelihood of large-scale conflicts like genocide,” the group wrote.
Over the course of his campaign, Trump has repeatedly touted his support for the Jewish state during his singular term in office. Trump has boasted about his administration’s work in fostering the Abraham Accords, promising to resume efforts to strengthen them if he were to win November’s US presidential election.
Harsh US sanctions levied on Iran under Trump crippled the Iranian economy and led its foreign exchange reserves to plummet. Trump and his Republican supporters in the US Congress have criticized the Biden administration for renewing billions of dollars in US sanctions waivers, which had the effect of unlocking frozen funds and allowing the country to access previously inaccessible hard currency.
Trump also recognized Israel’s sovereignty over the Golan Heights, a strategic region on Israel’s northern border previously controlled by Syria, and also moved the US embassy in Israel to Jerusalem, recognizing the city as the Jewish state’s capital.
Despite Harris’s repeated efforts to woo Muslim voters, polling data indicates that the demographic has made a dramatic swing away from the Democratic Party. Polling data from the Arab American Institute reveals that Trump slightly edges Harris among Muslim voters by a margin of 42 to 41 percent. A report from the Council on American Islamic Relations (CAIR) shows that Green Party candidate Jill Stein leads Harris and Trump with Muslim voters in the key swing states of Michigan, Wisconsin, and Arizona.
The post ‘Muslim for Trump’ Launches Initiatives in Key Battleground States, Says Candidate Will Bring ‘Peace’ to Gaza first appeared on Algemeiner.com.
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