I truly struggle to understand how some of the “pro-Palestine” protesters come up with the most vile, hateful, despicable, and awful messages and actions to demonstrate in support of Gaza or the Palestinian cause. What occurred today in Washington DC among some protesters who demonstrated against Netanyahu’s speech to Congress, was part of a 9-month-long series of puzzling choices and actions. Carrying Jihadi and Hamas flags? Displaying vile and violent antisemitic signs? Burning American flags in the Capital of the United States? Spray painting pro-Hamas sentiments and symbols? Championing the same cringy and ridiculous chants? Wearing Abu Obaida gear as if that’s cool and hip? Something has been going truly wrong for many young people and their allies to engage in such harmful and incredibly unhelpful behavior. Putting aside moral/ethical considerations for a second, these actions are so immensely horribly damaging and detrimental to the Palestinian cause. Even if you think these are provocateurs, saboteurs, and psy operatives meant to delegitimize the Palestinian cause and pro-Palestine activism, why is there no community-wide condemnation and educational efforts to inform and teach protesters about the dangers of such reckless and irresponsible behavior? Why isn’t this behavior isolated and treated as harmful? Worse, why is it that when I or others call out such behavior, we’re immediately attacked, and the hateful/violent behavior by protesters is minimized or ignored? I was standing with a group of Jewish/Israeli protesters who were LITERALLY praying for a ceasefire in Gaza and an end to the war/hostage deal when hoards of “pro-Palestine” activists walked by and heckled/harassed these people. Instead of aligning with the hostage families who could be critical partners in creating pressure to end the war, there is a stubborn, ignorant, stupid, moronic, immature, hateful, arrogant, unsophisticated, and vile insistence on these childish actions which are ineffective and damaging. Shame on all the organizations and individuals who witness this behavior but deliberately choose to remain silent. By the way, these are the same people who would cry foul if a lone pro-Israel protester had a vile sign calling for the killing of all Gazans and Palestinians. The pro-Palestine cause deserves better leaders, allies, representatives, and supporters. The Palestine people will never advance their just and urgent aspirations with this kind of behavior and divisive/violent rhetoric. There needs to be pragmatic work with Jewish and Israeli allies and partners on a massive scale, across political/ideological spectrums, to achieve something tangible/different to forge a peaceful & equitable path forward.