Has anybody on the Left; self identified progressives called on Hamas to engage in a ceasefire or ‘humanitarian pause?’ No — just Israel. There seems to either be a significant disconnect to or, either, a distinct purpose for those who scream only for Israel’s unilateral ceasefire. To those who scream for Israel’s unilateral ceasefire but have already forgotten, or deny the reality of, Hamas’ medieval Mongol like attack on and slaughter of Israeli Jews, and others, on 10/7.
How many of those screaming for Israel to immediately and unilaterally initiate a ceasefire or ‘humanitarian pause’ have called on — similarly demanded — that Hamas start or respect a ceasefire and release every single of its hostages whether international citizens or Israeli IDF? I haven’t heard it from one. I only hear demands for Israel to lay down their weapons and stop fighting.
This, even as Hamas has said quite clearly it has no intention to either respect a ceasefire, put a ‘pause’ in its fighting, or release a single hostage. As Hamas has made clear it considers 10/7 to have been a huge success with its immediate plans being to repeat as many 10/7s as it will be able. Israel will not let that happen, of course. Who among all the leftists and ‘progressives’ screaming for a unilateral ceasefire by Israel supports Hamas versus Israel’s intended goals?
The only 'genocide' is by Hamas in its use of Palestinian citizens to protect itself.
Until those like Rashida Tlaib who continue to incite and falsely accuse Israel of ‘genocide’ can openly condemn Hamas for its medieval like slaughter of Israelis Jews and others followed by kidnapping men, women, children, babies, seniors and the disabled on 10/7 in Israel recognize the present is driven by Hamas, they have nothing to offer Palestinians but more Hamas driven Death.
Hamas is not for pro-liberation, anti-occupation, or Palestinian Rights. It is a huge, proxy funded self-serving terrorist organization whose only purpose is the absolute annihilation of Israel. And about this, they’ve been very clear.
The frightening ‘from the river to the sea’ is a call to Jewish genocide and the full ‘occupation’ by Hamas of all of modern Israel in the same way Hamas now occupies Gaza. And Hamas is the occupying force in Gaza. Palestinian independence is in opposition to Hamas objectives.
We have now repeatedly heard from ‘river to the sea’ as a chant by so called Leftists and progressives in the US and overseas; by Palestinian Americans. As an American Jew, I’ve found this both alarming and equally disgusting.
But not one has questioned Hamas for stealing huge amounts of humanitarian aid meant for Gaza to turn it, instead, into Fort Gaza with the blood of Gazan citizens filling the moat by which it has long surrounded itself.
Nobody has questioned Hamas for building an enormously expensive and huge underground ‘metro’ in which it does not ever allow Gazan citizens — or Gazan children — even for their own protection or to save their lives. This, since saving Gazan lives opposes Hamas’ self-interests.
And, in all this, I see less and less distinction between Hamas’ intent to extinguish Israel from those on the Left and other faux progressives screaming at Israel to ‘ceasefire.’