War in Gaza

[Ernie]

I still don't understand why the Gazan civilian populace didn't revolt against Hamas, and demand that the hostages be returned.

But either they are being fed inaccurate propaganda, or else their pro-Muslim ideology against Israel is driving them to support Hamas. Maybe both.

[ken_sylvania]

I still don't understand why the Gazan civilian populace didn't revolt against Hamas, and demand that the hostages be returned.

But either they are being fed inaccurate propaganda, or else their pro-Muslim ideology against Israel is driving them to support Hamas. Maybe both.

I would imagine fear of retaliation from Hamas might play a large part.

[R7ehr]

I still don't understand why the Gazan civilian populace didn't revolt against Hamas, and demand that the hostages be returned.

But either they are being fed inaccurate propaganda, or else their pro-Muslim ideology against Israel is driving them to support Hamas. Maybe both.

Did your Anabaptist ancestors revolt against their leaders when they were all getting killing? I think it is the same phenom at work. Sure, there is bound to be a contingent of Gazan's who are disillusioned and want something else, and perhaps are plotting to overthrow. But the garden variety is infused with a religious faith that they are suffering at the hands of the evil Jews and West, and they are taught that from little up, that the only option they have is to resist, fight, suffer, die. That's what I think.

[JohnH]

I still don't understand why the Gazan civilian populace didn't revolt against Hamas, and demand that the hostages be returned.

Because they support Hamas and what Hamas is doing.

But either they are being fed inaccurate propaganda, or else their pro-Muslim ideology against Israel is driving them to support Hamas. Maybe both.

In the West Bank they aren't being fed propaganda, yet 40% of Palestinians surveyed recently say they support Hamas. This is a major problem.

[Ken]

I still don't understand why the Gazan civilian populace didn't revolt against Hamas, and demand that the hostages be returned.

But either they are being fed inaccurate propaganda, or else their pro-Muslim ideology against Israel is driving them to support Hamas. Maybe both.

And how would they do that?

Hamas is/was a military dictatorship with its tentacles in every aspect of Gazan society and had a complete monopoly on force as well as weapons. There were no gun shops in Gaza, only weapons smuggled in by....wait for it....Hamas.

Hamas also had a reputation for being absolutely brutal towards any dissent. People who actively resisted Hamas rule were executed or just murdered for being "Zionist sympathizers" or whatever.

So how is a rag-tag bunch of liberal opponents to Hamas' brand of fanatical Islam going to overturn Hamas when the might of the Israeli army couldn't accomplish it in over a year of constant warfare?

[JohnH]

I still don't understand why the Gazan civilian populace didn't revolt against Hamas, and demand that the hostages be returned.

But either they are being fed inaccurate propaganda, or else their pro-Muslim ideology against Israel is driving them to support Hamas. Maybe both.

And how would they do that?

Hamas is/was a military dictatorship with its tentacles in every aspect of Gazan society and had a complete monopoly on force as well as weapons. There were no gun shops in Gaza, only weapons smuggled in by....wait for it....Hamas.

Hamas also had a reputation for being absolutely brutal towards any dissent. People who actively resisted Hamas rule were executed or just murdered for being "Zionist sympathizers" or whatever.

So how is a rag-tag bunch of liberal opponents to Hamas' brand of fanatical Islam going to overturn Hamas when the might of the Israeli army couldn't accomplish it in over a year of constant warfare?

And many Palestinians have already left. The Palestinian diaspora abroad is more people than the ones left in Gaza and the West Bank.

They are so integrated into society I doubt most people would even realize they are of Palestinian background. You can find them at the Friday fish fry tho… a handful not too far from me are shifting to the Melkite Catholic Church and rediscovering some of their traditions.

[HondurasKeiser]

I still don't understand why the Gazan civilian populace didn't revolt against Hamas, and demand that the hostages be returned.

But either they are being fed inaccurate propaganda, or else their pro-Muslim ideology against Israel is driving them to support Hamas. Maybe both.

And how would they do that?

Hamas is/was a military dictatorship with its tentacles in every aspect of Gazan society and had a complete monopoly on force as well as weapons. There were no gun shops in Gaza, only weapons smuggled in by....wait for it....Hamas.

Hamas also had a reputation for being absolutely brutal towards any dissent. People who actively resisted Hamas rule were executed or just murdered for being "Zionist sympathizers" or whatever.

So how is a rag-tag bunch of liberal opponents to Hamas' brand of fanatical Islam going to overturn Hamas when the might of the Israeli army couldn't accomplish it in over a year of constant warfare?

And many Palestinians have already left. The Palestinian diaspora abroad is more people than the ones left in Gaza and the West Bank.

They are so integrated into society I doubt most people would even realize they are of Palestinian background. You can find them at the Friday fish fry tho… a handful not too far from me are shifting to the Melkite Catholic Church and rediscovering some of their traditions.

Some pf my closest friends in Honduras are part of the Palestinian Diaspora.

[Ernie]

I still don't understand why the Gazan civilian populace didn't revolt against Hamas, and demand that the hostages be returned.

But either they are being fed inaccurate propaganda, or else their pro-Muslim ideology against Israel is driving them to support Hamas. Maybe both.

And how would they do that?

Hamas is/was a military dictatorship with its tentacles in every aspect of Gazan society and had a complete monopoly on force as well as weapons. There were no gun shops in Gaza, only weapons smuggled in by....wait for it....Hamas.

Hamas also had a reputation for being absolutely brutal towards any dissent. People who actively resisted Hamas rule were executed or just murdered for being "Zionist sympathizers" or whatever.

So how is a rag-tag bunch of liberal opponents to Hamas' brand of fanatical Islam going to overturn Hamas when the might of the Israeli army couldn't accomplish it in over a year of constant warfare?

Before the war... https://www.wilsoncenter.org/blog-post/ ... iews-hamas

only 16% blamed lack of food on economic sanctions
31% blamed government mismanagement
26% blamed inflation

44% had not trust in Hamas
23% had not a lot of trust in Hamas
72% believed there was a large or medium amount of corruption
32% or less would have voted for a Hamas leader
30% said they would sit the election out

From a kingdoms of this world perspective, had Israel and the West kept that support, they could have used this to put pressure on Hamas. But by handling it the way they did, Gazans' sympathies soon sided with Hamas once the war started.

[Ernie]

I still don't understand why the Gazan civilian populace didn't revolt against Hamas, and demand that the hostages be returned.

But either they are being fed inaccurate propaganda, or else their pro-Muslim ideology against Israel is driving them to support Hamas. Maybe both.

I would imagine fear of retaliation from Hamas might play a large part.

I agree. I should have included that.

[Ernie]

I still don't understand why the Gazan civilian populace didn't revolt against Hamas, and demand that the hostages be returned.

But either they are being fed inaccurate propaganda, or else their pro-Muslim ideology against Israel is driving them to support Hamas. Maybe both.

Did your Anabaptist ancestors revolt against their leaders when they were all getting killing?

No, but most were non-resistant. Munster did revolt.

I think it is the same phenom at work. Sure, there is bound to be a contingent of Gazan's who are disillusioned and want something else, and perhaps are plotting to overthrow.

My word revolt was not a good choice of word. I'm not thinking of overthrowing but putting pressure on Hamas to give up the hostages so they could have a better chance at survival.

But the garden variety is infused with a religious faith that they are suffering at the hands of the evil Jews and West, and they are taught that from little up, that the only option they have is to resist, fight, suffer, die. That's what I think.

Yep. That is the propaganda piece.