So Cute: You Think Violent Pro-Palestine Activism Aims To Generate Sympathy

by Aisaq Samqaq, Students for Justice in Palestine, Vanderbilt University Chapter

Nashville, April 7 – It’s been months since October 7 and my gleeful reaction to it, but it’s also been years and years that we in the pro-Palestine movement have made intimidation our methodology for policy change, and well-meaning, but I must say, naive AF, allies in progressive circles admonish us that glorying in the death and suffering of Jews, and threatening more of it for anyone who gets in the way, will only alienate the American public, and drive them away from solidarity with the oppressed people of Palestine. These well-meaning allied fail to appreciate that the purpose of my activism, and of the larger pro-Palestine movement, is not to generate sympathy or solidarity, but to cow opponents into inaction and compliance.

The Islamist cause embraced and took over the Palestine cause long ago; Islamism, wherever possible, seeks not to portray Muslims as helpless victims, but as triumphant victors over the infidels. Yes, we welcome your efforts to portray Palestinians as victims of Israeli brutality, but only insofar as those efforts help us subdue all of western society. Note how quickly “Free Palestine!” devolves into antisemitic chants, graffiti, vandalism, and violence. And then it goes beyond the Jews to target anyone and anything we believe stands in the way of Islamic dominance, such as the American or British flags. It’s adorable, the way you insist on seeing us as in need of your benevolent empowerment and protection.

Look at the Palestinian and ISIS flags all over London. Look at how Muslims attack Jews everywhere, and not the other other way around. Look at how our activists shut down Jewish – not Just Zionist – events with shouting and threats. The evidence surrounds you; you practically drown in it. Yet somehow, you have convinced yourselves that you know us better than we know ourselves. It’s charming, in a quaint way that invites condescension commensurate with the condescension implicit in your assumptions about Palestinians.

I used to think you acted like this out of fear, of wanting to be left alone while we targeting more prominent and obvious foes. That was fine with me; fear is the point. But of late, I harbor concerns that you do so out of empathetic cluelessness, and I confess that while the result, in the end, will be the same domination we exert over you when we do triumph, I still have nagging doubts that you will still think you’re doing us a favor.

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