The “pro-Palestinian” demonstrations that have taken place in the US and some European countries over the past few days are all about hating Israel and Jews, not about helping the Palestinians – especially those who have been living under the rule of the Iran-backed Hamas terrorist group in the Gaza Strip since 2007.

People who are really pro-Palestinian would be demonstrating for them to have leaders that do not siphon off billions in international aid, or who shoot at them when they try to flee to safety, or who do not store weapons and ammunition in and near their homes and schools.

Instead of supporting the eradication of Israel, the demonstrators should be calling for the eradication of Hamas, whose members are holding two million Palestinians as hostages, while their leaders are living luxuriously in hotels in Qatar.

Instead of calling for genocide against Jews and the destruction of Israel, the “pro-Palestinian” demonstrators should be calling for the liberation of the Gaza Strip – from Hamas, which has brought a new nakba (catastrophe) on two million Palestinians living there, and whose people are finally starting to speak out about their despair over their own brutal leadership there.

Disgorging hateful messages against Israel does not make one “pro-Palestinian.” For decades, Hamas and other radical Palestinian groups have engaged in continuous genocidal incitement and attacks against Israel. Has this helped the Palestinians in any way? Not even a bit .

The demonstrators in the US and some European countries have repeated lies against Israel without assigning one iota of blame to Hamas, or even to its mastermind, Iran.

Such demonstrations achieve only one thing: they embolden terror-masters such as Hamas, Al-Qaeda, Islamic State — and an Iran that is on the threshold of having nuclear bombs with which to attack or blackmail the West.

These demonstrators, who appear to feel so virtuous, send a message to the terrorist groups that people in the West happily support violence, terrorism and the Jihad (holy war) not only against Israel and Jews, but also against Christians, all “infidels,” Europe, the United States and the West.

Two days after Hamas’s October 7 massacre — complete with a baby baked alive in an oven, and other children burned alive or beheaded, as well as kidnappings and mass-murder — “pro-Palestinian” demonstrators in New York’s Times Square waved Palestinian flags and chanted, “Resistance is justified”, “Globalize the intifada”, “Smash the settler Zionist state” and “From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free.”

Those who chant “From the [Jordan] river to the [Mediterranean] sea, Palestine will be free” are echoing Hamas’s charter, which calls for the extermination of Israel and replacing it with an Islamic state:

“The land of Palestine is an Islamic Waqf consecrated for future Muslim generations until Judgement Day. It, or any part of it, should not be given up. Neither a single Arab country nor all Arab countries, neither any king or president, not all the kings and presidents… possess the right to do that.” (Article 11)

Gaza has, in fact, been completely free of Jews since 2005, when it was given — unconditionally — to the Gazans, so they could build a “Singapore on the Mediterranean.” Instead, they built a terror state.

These “pro-Palestinian” demonstrators have not even faulted Hamas for starting the war. For the demonstrators, “it all started when Israel fired back.”

If the “pro-Palestinian” demonstrators really want to help the Palestinians, they can start by denouncing the war crimes committed by Hamas — against Jews, Christians and Muslims, on October 7.

If the “pro-Palestinian” demonstrators on the streets of New York, Washington and London really wanted to help the Palestinians, they would point their bloody finger at Hamas. They would be doing an enormous favor to the Palestinians who want to live in peace and security. Although many Palestinians in the Gaza Strip support Hamas and its genocide, many others deeply oppose Hamas. In recent years, thousands have fled the Gaza Strip for Europe, where they hope for a better life — like the one the demonstrators enjoy — where they will not have to fear a knock on the door at two in the morning or have their government lodge rocket launchers next to their playgrounds and homes. A recent video shows a Gazan woman saying, “Those bastards at Hamas,” before a man clamps his hand over her mouth.

Why are the demonstrators ignoring the fact that Hamas has plunged the Gaza Strip into several wars with Israel since 2007? Why are the demonstrators ignoring the fact that Hamas has turned the Gaza Strip into an arms depot and a base for global Jihad and terrorism? Why are they ignoring the fact that instead of building hospitals and schools, Hamas has been manufacturing weapons, building a vast network of tunnels for its men, and smuggling rockets and advanced weaponry into the Gaza Strip?

Where were the “pro-Palestinian” activists in the US, Canada and Europe when members of Hamas committed human rights violations against their own people — forcing them to be in the line of fire so their dead bodies can be shown to television crews? Where were the “pro-Palestinians ” activists when Hamas was arresting, torturing and murdering Palestinian journalists and human rights advocates? Where were the demonstrators when Hamas was beating and arresting hundreds of Palestinians who took to the streets over the past few years to protest the economic hardship and Hamas’s financial corruption? Why are the three top Hamas leaders — all billionaires — living luxuriously in five-star hotels in Qatar? Where are the “pro-Palestinian” protestors for that?

Those leading Hamas, a terrorist group, are evidently so pleased with the support they are receiving from the streets of Washington, New York and London that they saw fit to issue a statement thanking the anti-Israel demonstrators:

“We, in the Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas), applaud the mass movement, marches and solidarity events that took place… in various American cities and Western capitals,” they announced in a statement in late October. Hamas called on the Western demonstrators to “escalate all forms of popular resistance [against Israel].” Hamas, in short, is calling on the Western demonstrators to join them as terrorists in their Jihad against Israel and Jews. Eventually it will also be against Christians and all “infidels”. “First the Saturday people,” the jihadi saying goes, “then the Sunday people.”

The mullahs ruling Iran, with Hamas in tow, doubtless see the demonstrations in the US, Canada and Europe only as an act of solidarity with them, support for the October 7 massacre, and for just the first step of their plan: to become the hegemon of the Middle East, before “exporting the Revolution” worldwide.

Countries and groups that commit terrorist attacks view the anti-Israel demonstrations as an extension of their war against the West.

In recent weeks, Iran has carried out at least 48 attacks on US troops in Syria and Iraq. More than 46 US servicemen have been wounded, many with traumatic brain injury. Since Biden took office, Iran has launched at least 131 attacks against US troops in Syria and Iraq (83 before March; 48 after). These assaults seem to be part of a Russian-Iranian — and lately Communist Chinese — plan to drive the US out of the Middle East altogether, perhaps so its oil will remain available just to them. A few US retaliatory pinprick strikes on unmanned Iranian weapons depots do not appear to have had a deterrent effect.

Meanwhile, the “pro-Palestinian” demonstrators masquerade as peace-seekers. In fact, they celebrate terrorism and imperialism — Islamic imperialism — that seeks forcibly to expand Iran’s territorial gains not only throughout Syria, Lebanon, Israel and Iraq, but through Yemen, Saudi Arabia and South America on its way to the “Big Satan,” the United States. The Iranians have already infiltrated Venezuela and met in Cuba to discuss “confront[ing] ‘Yankee Imperialism.'”

Apparently not realizing how destructive these peace-loving demonstrators are to themselves and their free way of life — economically, sexually and verbally — they do not even seem to see their own deep-seated bigotry and antisemitism, or bother to think for a minute what life would actually be like for them if they lived in Gaza, Beirut, Damascus or Tehran. It is easy to be a demonstrator in London, Washington DC or New York.

Despite all the claims to the contrary, these are not pro-Palestinian rallies. These are hate marches of people seeking the destruction of Israel and the West. Make no mistake: those who are now protesting against Israel are advocating for a totalitarian way of life, for poverty — except for the leaders, of course — and for the same sort of utopia now being relished by the citizens of Iran, North Korea, Afghanistan, Cuba, Venezuela… and Gaza.

Bassam Tawil is a Muslim Arab based in the Middle East.