Jaime Eliezer Karas

I feel immense shame and pain seeing the barbarism that Hamas & a slew of terror organizations put on in Gaza – the depravity of armed men thinking it’s courageous to parade the bodies of literal toddlers and their mother as some trophy for victory; the sickness, evil, and stupidity required to believe that marching with a locked coffin of an 85-year-old peace activist who did so much for Gazans is somehow good for the Palestinian cause. Instead of having a parade for a dead mother, her two babies, and an elderly man of peace, their bodies should have been handled by medical crews with no armed terrorists in sight. This could have been done differently, but Jihadi fascists chose the appalling spectacle instead. I’m ashamed of any Palestinian who supports or justifies this; I’m ashamed of any “pro-Palestine” activists, “journalists,” or “experts” who are going out of their way to whitewash this and blame Israeli bombardment for killing Israeli hostages without blaming Hamas for taking hostages in the first place. Those who attacked me repeatedly for calling out Hamas and their Jihadi fascism from day one never seem to understand why I view them as a far more serious existential threat to the Palestinian people than any far-right party or government in Israel. Hamas isn’t just bringing death and destruction upon the Palestinian people; it is decaying and eroding the value system of the Palestinian society and causing rot and degradation from within. This is a serious and terrible consequence of the group's actions that will decimate hopes for Palestinian freedom, independence, and sovereignty, not to mention respect among the nations of the world. What transpired today isn’t just illegal, immoral, vile, and disgusting; to me, and many who aspire to have a Palestine worth fighting for, it is a matter of values and principles. It’s imperative for all Palestinians of conscience, even if they’re furious at Israel for what it did to Gaza after October 7, to speak out and say not in our name. It is imperative to distance the Palestinian people from the depraved evil and vile display of fascist cowardice that’s masquerading as “resistance.” It’s time to reject Hamas and separate the Palestinian people’s just and urgent aspirations from a despicable death cult that’s dehumanizing our people time and again. It’s time to denounce all the pro-“resistance” terror enthusiasts in New York, Europe, Australia, and elsewhere who keep cheering on Hamas and are celebrating the shameful parade of dead children, their mother, and an elderly peace activist. I am ashamed that my once beautiful Gaza, with a vibrant society that stood for values and had so much potential to be the crown jewel of the Palestinian people, has been degraded and embarrassed by inhumane terrorists who are a stain on the Palestinians and their cause. Gaza is not Hamas despite the terror group’s control. I have seen dozens of Palestinians in the Strip condemning what took place today and denouncing the inhumanity of Hamas. Saying these words does not making me "self-hating," for I am proud of my Palestinian heritage and care deeply about my people. To the Bibas and Lifshitz families, I am truly sorry for your loss – I grieve with you, and I share your pain. We shall overcome.