After Oct. 7 attack, why do so many Americans side with terrorists over Israel?
Photo: Liam Scott , VOA. Relatives and friends of those kidnapped during the Oct. 7 Hamas cross-border attack in Israel hold photos of their loved ones during a protest calling for their return outside the Knesset, Israel's parliament in Jerusalem, Nov. 6, 2023.
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S E E D E D C O N T E N T
The past year has been revealing.
Since Oct. 7, 2023, when Hamas terrorists massacred almost 1,200 innocent people in Israel and abducted about 250 more , we’ve all learned a lot about the views of our fellow Americans.
It’s been a rude awakening.
From the campuses of our most “esteemed” universities to the streets of our biggest cities, protests have erupted in support of those who committed those atrocities against Israel – the defender of Western civilization in the Middle East.
In the days immediately after the attack, student groups at top colleges, including Harvard, issued statements blaming Israel for what happened to its people. And the students didn’t stop there. They actively stood in support of those who slaughtered women, children and the elderly.
It was just the beginning.
Subsequent months brought increasingly invasive protests and encampments – and even more blatant displays of antisemitism. Many Jewish students didn’t feel safe on their own campuses .
Pro-Palestinian protesters also have disrupted cities around the country, from blocking major freeways to shutting down events because of threats of violence, all because the United States has maintained its support for Israel to defend itself.
This doesn’t feel like the America I know.
An alarming pattern of violent events
The examples keep coming.
In June, a mob of protesters in New York City chanted the hateful slogan “long live the intifada” in front of an exhibit in honor of the more than 300 victims murdered by Hamas terrorists at the Nova music festival on Oct. 7
Then, in July, pro-Palestinian protesters in Washington, D.C., burned an American flag and replaced U.S. flags in front of Union Station with Palestinian flags. They also vandalized statues and fountains, according to police.
Many more protests like this have happened across the United States.
At these demonstrations, the participants often shout hateful and disgusting things about Israel and Jews , all while praising the terrorists who on Oct. 7 started the war.
Several high-profile college presidents have lost their posts as a result , including Liz Magill of the University of Pennsylvania, Claudine Gay of Harvard and Minouche Shafik at Columbia.
It’s not just college kids, however, who have distanced themselves from Israel. A recent poll from The Economist/YouGov found that by a more than 2 to 1 ratio (33% to 14%) Democrats sympathize with the Palestinians in the Israel-Hamas war.
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Since Oct. 7, 2023, when Hamas terrorists massacred almost 1,200 innocent people in Israel and abducted about 250 more, we’ve all learned a lot about the views of our fellow Americans. It’s been a rude awakening.
From the campuses of our most “esteemed” universities to the streets of our biggest cities, protests have erupted in support of those who committed those atrocities against Israel – the defender of Western civilization in the Middle East.
Many years ago during my first enlistment in the Navy a grizzled old Chief Petty Officer I worked for gave some sage advice that I have never forgotten which was "Never underestimate the power of human stupidity. The difference between ignorance and stupidity is that ignorant people do not know something is wrong but can be taught otherwise while stupid people know something is wrong and do it anyway.".Those on the college campuses protesting for Hamas and the Palestinians definitely fall under the stupid category.
I don't think I'm as tolerant as you. It's not just ignorant and/or stupid people out there, or established antisemites, it's those who have been enabled an "acceptable" opportunity to give vent to their bottled-up kept secret ingrained antisemitism as well,
In the days immediately after the attack, student groups at top colleges, including Harvard, issued statements blaming Israel for what happened to its people. And the students didn’t stop there. They actively stood in support of those who slaughtered women, children and the elderly.
It was just the beginning.
It didn't happen to them, it happened to Jews so it was acceptable.
Subsequent months brought increasingly invasive protests and encampments – and even more blatant displays of antisemitism. Many Jewish students didn’t feel safe on their own campuses .
Pro-Palestinian protesters also have disrupted cities around the country, from blocking major freeways to shutting down events because of threats of violence, all because the United States has maintained its support for Israel to defend itself.
At these demonstrations, the participants often shout hateful and disgusting things about Israel and Jews , all while praising the terrorists who on Oct. 7 started the war.
It absolutely amazes me that the protesters don't understand why the numbers of Palestinian civilians' casualties are as high as they are. For one thing, if they trust the exaggerated numbers provided by Hamas they are total fools, and the numbers that they DO get to see DO NOT INCLUDE THE NUMBERS OF THE KILLED MONSTER HAMAS MILITANTS. AND, they don't give a shit about WHY there are so many civilian casualties, because they're too stupid to understand what is really happening, which is as indicated by this image:
And it's clear who supports them.
One year after 10/7 attacks and Democrat-run states have let antisemitism fester | Fox News
Democratic run state? NY state has the largest number of Jews in the U.S. And of course some go into politics. So they are less likely to “let antisemitism fester”.
And it’s a “Democratic state”.
BTW I noticed the link you posted for that story. Fox News. Some (unsolicited) advice— if you want actual facts, I would be careful be careful about believing anything you see on Fox ( unless you do a fact check first ).
More proof of the depravity of the Hamas killers and yet they condemn Netanyahu.
A Year Ago Today, Terrorists Stole My Son | The Free Press (thefp.com)
I dont believe that many Americans side with Hamas over Israel. One can, quite easily and logically, be against Hamas and critical of Israel's actions in Gaza.
What some activist college students chant does not represent the country.
Yet 7 years later, a few dozen torch carriers supposedly represent every Trump supporter.
Of course, with a Charlottesville a week roiling progressive campuses, somehow it's all good fun now. Liberal institutions denying Jews access to parts of schools? Just good faith protesting of Israel! Nothing anti-semitic about that or protesters forcing jewish students to flee from libraries and hide.
I dont know who has ever said that. Charlottesville was a rally for white supremacist organizations. If Trump gave a single damn he would have learned that before he opened his stupid ridiculous mouth.
Lol.
It does prove that those who support Hamas and Hezbollah are much likely to be liberal and live in areas controlled by democrats.
I can't see any reason to be critical of Israel, the Jewish people, or Netanyahu, who are fighting for their very existence.
So then-- who does represent the country re: the situation in the Mid-East?
I'm not sure which side has the most support of Americans.
But here's something to think about: Even in it heyday, I don't think the majority of Americans supported the KKK either.
But look what they did at the time!
Since Israel is getting so much criticism they should not hold back at all
You are right. Because regardless of whether or not they hold back-- or continue to agressively wage war-- there are some people who will criticvize whatever they do.
I feel that the majority of American’s support Israel but are distressed as to the number of civilians including children being killed by Israel and now it has spread to the West Bank and lLebanon. Will the assault remove the various terrorists from this earth. IMO no it will not but attacking Iran might but then you have started WW111 and the US will in the middle of it.
If the Hamas and Hezbollah don't care about their civilians, who they use as human shields, in their quest to kill every last Jew, why should anyone else?
I dont know, because many of them are innocent human beings?
So if the south or the Nazis had sunk to the levels of Hamas and used innocents as human shields to protect armies, ships, storage depots etc, you believe America should have stopped fighting and let them win?
Good question, bet you don't get an answer however.
It is estimated that 50,000 civilians in the Confederate States died in the American Civil war.
And how many civilians were killed in the city bombing that was heavily used in both Germany and Japan during the war? Between 25,000 and 35,000 civilians were killed in the fire bombing of Dresden along.
Gaza is much smaller (140 sq miles ) than the city of Chicago (240 sq miles) .
In world war two there were almost no missiles or rockets. The United States lost hundreds of planes and their crews bombing Germany, because Germany had an air force, and or because of effective anti-aircraft fire. If they warned in advance of their targets it would have been a death sentence for many bomber crews. Nothing like that pertains to Gaza.
By the time the US started bombing German cities, the Nazis had already conquered most of Europe and had enslaved or murdered millions of people. Somewhat the same can be said for Japan. By the time the US firebombed Tokyo and dropped the atomic bombs , tens of millions of people had died in WW2.
As horrible as Oct 7th was, it is not at all comparable to the imperatives of WW2.
Yes, and Israel is much smaller than the USA, so if you want to be proportionate, the more than 1200 raped, mutilated girls, men decapitated and live babies roasted in ovens, would be similar to 120,000 Americans, and the 250 hostages similar to 25,000 Americans should such an invasion have happened in the USA instead of Israel. Now, with victims from all over the country some might well have been close to you or known by you, maybe even a loved one. Now, surely you would want America to retaliate and do whatever it takes to stop the monsters who carried out such atrocities from ever being able to do so again, but the monsters do as Hamas has done, hide themselves and their control centres and weapons in and under hospitals, schools, mosques, UNRWA facilities and refugee centres, and use civilians, women, children as human shields. So what would your feelings be then? Should the American forces step back and back off because they might kill a child or an innocent woman? Would the American forces go in and instead of killing the monsters beg them to please give back the hostages and stop invading America? I'd like to know.
How would anyone take 25,000 Americans hostage? Other than as a theoretical exercise it could not be done.
I am all for Israel avenging Oct 7th, but they didnt need to kill 20 or 30 thousand civilians to do it. Now its too late to do it right.
Okay, then please tell me how Israel would be able to eradicate Hamas, or effectively prevent them from repeating Oct 7 or just plain continue lobbing missiles and rockets and incendiary kites and balloons into Israel once and for all. Please tell me who would feel safe living in their own nation in their own home unless that can be stopped, but as I asked, would just begging Hamas to stop make them stop? What is happening is NOT "revenge", it is an effort to end the ability of Hamas to touch Israel and its citizens ever again, and Israel is forced by the methods used by Hamas to do what it has to do to accomplish as close to that end as it possibly can.
Israel could eliminate dozens of Hezbolla leaders and even take out people in Iran and they could not target Hamas leaders in a more precise way? I dont believe it.
What I think bothers me more than the numbers, because they were intended by Hamas just proved that Hamas' psychological propaganda technique Iran trained them to win the support of the bleeding hearts around the world has worked for them, even to the extent of winning the hearts of some NT members.
Well, maybe you're not an expert in warfare. Israel has been praised for being more careful about not harming innocents than any army in history, but they could not possibly win, nor could ANY army, against Hamas because of what I've said over and over again what Hamas does to protect itself.
Yes, it is a theoretical exercise, so instead of hiding behind answering a question with a question, what would be the theoretical answer? What should the American forces do to eradicate such a monstrous declared terrorist army that would use Hamas' techniques to hide and would damn well do it again and again if it could not be totally stopped? I guess I can't expect a straight answer. Maybe SOMEONE will give me a straight answer.
Yes, you are absolutely right. Good idea. And how long do you think it would take to completely take out the enemy one at a time? A thousand years perhaps?
Because they are humans
How would you define "doing it right"? The answer is, you can't.
Yes Gaza is smaller than Chicago— but their music’s not nearly as good! 😊
Both Israel and Iran have reasons why they want to "talk tough". But Iran does not want a major war with Israel-- and most Israelis don't want a major war with Iran!
Who is advocating for a major war between Iran and Israel?
Most Israelis don't. The long standing cease fire was broken by Hamas a year ago-- since then Israel has been fighting a war with a neighbouring country ("Hamastan" AKA Gaza). Like any country there are extremist crazies-- but most Israelis are tired of war and want peace.
The Iranian government, while it is ruled by extremist religious nutcases, doesn't want war with Israel-- the last thing they need is to be fighting a two front war!
Hamas would love to see a war between israel and Iran. Actually I think Hizb'Allah would love to see Iran go to war with israel.
And now that I think of it, probably some of the more radical students who have been demonstrating on college campuses....
If Iran fights a war with Israel-- the "second front""wouldbe the war they are fighting with many of their own citizens! Their so-called "moraltiy police" patrol the country-- if the find a woman who they think is not properly "covered up" they throw tham in jail-- and usually torture them!
But the democratic resistance to iranian's totalitarian theorcratic governement is growing...
Not enough to overcome the Revolutionary Guard.
The democratic opposition to the regime in Iran is not powerful enough now. But it could change over time . . .
For the sake of the survival of life on this planet, let's hope so.
Of course it won't remove them all. But there's a good chance they can weaken them to the point that groups like Hamas are mainly powerless to harm Israel.
In terms of attacking Iran directly, that would be a mistake. (Almost all the attacks on Israel have not come from iran, but rather from hamas (in Gaza) and hezb;Allah in lebanon. (H. is a proxy for iran but they are not iran-- in fact they are a crazy sect who are actually lebanese.)
But just as America is unable to stop the gun deaths, Israel will never be able to stop the infiltrators who will carry out attacks such as suicide bombings. As long as the Koran commands Muslims to fight and kill Jews, and as long as the Imams preach to their flocks the The Day of Judgment will not come until they have fought and killed the Jews it will never end. I have posted proof of that before and if required I will do it again. Israel is surrounded by Muslim nations, and there are Muslim Israeli citizens.
True. Israel is surrounded by Lebanon, Syria, Jordan, and Egypt. (Lebanon used to be a majority Christian nation-- indigenous Christians who were there well before Islam was even invented)) but many were slaughtered in Lebanon's civil wars-- and many emmigrated to other countries.
Currently there are 20 or so Arab nations (all almost entirely Muslim populations), but including non-Arab Muslims nation-- there are over 50 Muslim nations.
(Turkey and Iran are Muslim countries but ethnically they are not Arabs-- Iran is Muslim, but they are Persians not Arabs).
This map shows Israel and the Arab nations (Israel is shown in dark Purple).
(This only shows the Arab nations-- it does not show all the other Muslim (but non Arab) nations such as Turkey, Iran, Pakistan, Indonesia, Albania, Chechnya, Uzbekistan, etc, etc).
Many people are familiar with St. Jude's Children's Hospital. I think they are doing wonderful work. Well, it was founded by a Lebanese immigrant-- Danny Thomas! (A Lebanese Christian).
Yes, and although they are not nations, what about the West Bank and Gaza?
I saw a similar map. The quote on the map was "Israel, shaded purple, and the countries Israel has "oppressed" highlighted in yellow".
Technically speaking Gaza is not a nation. Nor it occupied.
But since the Arabs there have total self rule IMO Gaza is a (de facto) nation that could be called "Palestine".
In fact, several countries recognize that "Palestine" is already an independent nation (although ironically the Palestinians themselves are pretending they don't have self rule).
Gaza is independent (the Egyptian occupation was followed by the Israeli occupation.) But after the Israeli occupation then ended (that was about 20 years ago!) Gaza has had self rule, i.e. they are an independent country.
They just want to pretend that they don't have self rule in Gaza, in order to get gullible people to believe they are still officially under occupation..
Besides its outspoken obvious antisemitism, its complicity in aiding Palestinians to hate and attack Israel and defend Hamas, that is ONE of the reasons why the Manhattan UN building should be bulldozed into the East River.
I don't think that's true.
One reason? Well you saw the massive anti-Israel demonstrations-- on college campuses-- blocking traffic (supposedly to support "Palestine").
And there were a few , rather small, "pro-israel" demonstrations. Very few..
If the majority of Americans supported Israel--- why were those demonstrations so small compared to the pro-"Palestine demonstrations?
I ventured an explanation above.
Who knew that US college students and Hamas shared so many progressive ideals.
Collage students demonstrating vs the general public not demonstrating in support, good question.
perhaps students are more willing to support an group/organaztion without understanding fully what they are supporting,
You should not equate peace demonstrations with pro-Palestinian!
As soon as the HAMAS wing of the democrat party has one, we will recognize it for what it is, so far pro terrorist is what we have seen.
They're not peace demonstrators, they are radical leftists demanding the slaughter of Jews.
My guess would be due to the pro-Israel gatherings didn't cause damage or threaten anybody like the pro-terrorist gatherings have.
If you are attempting to quote me, please do it accurately-- thank you!
I'm not equating the two-- au contraire. mon petit chou!
Years ago I've seen many peace demonstrations-- linked to a specific cause. (For example, protestors demonstrating for peace in Viet-Nam). In fact I participated in many of those myself.
Recently I've seen many, many peace demonstrations-- every one was alledgedly for peace in the Israel vs Hamas war.
But they weren't chanting about the concept of peace in general-- they were carrying palestinian flags and chanting things such as
Palestine shall be free! etc
None of these were generalized demonstrations for "Peace on earth"-- they were all pro-Palestinian!
Well, actually one exception-- some were not related to peace in general-- nor even peace in the Middle East-- not for Palestine. Rather there were a few I saw onTV or videos of labour-management disputes. Stikes and/or demsands made by protesting union members.
I think that's true for most of them-- probably almost all.
For example the chant
From the river to the sea is genocidal? Why?
Because the land from the river to the sea is Israel-- that chant obviously means getting rid of the Jews there and having Muslims take over.