I Am Not Afraid (of Hamas or Ben-Gvir’s Mobs)

by

Today is my birthday (April 24th, Taurus, I am 35 years old). Two of my best friends gave me a cake that best captured my ethos with creative and colorful language. One is a direct condemnation of Hamas; the other is my favorite reimagining of a divisive slogan, confirming that peace is indeed a courageous necessity and evolution that will set both Palestinians and Israelis free, from the river to the sea. This is not romanticism, or oversimplification, but rather, a desperate plea to move away from division and toward bridge building; to abandon hate, violence, and the armed “resistance” narrative that Hamas has used to decimate the Palestinian people; and to stand firmly for what you believe in, even if it is unpopular, goes against conventional wisdom, challenges what the herd and group believe, or contests dominant and entrenched narratives.

Almost exactly a year ago, I wore that T-shirt and walked among thousands at the student encampment on the UCLA campus, seeking to understand what was really happening and what motivated some of the students’ actions, which I felt were not particularly helpful to serving the just and urgent aspirations of the Palestinian people.

My life has never been the same since taking those pictures and posting them online: Hamas terrorists in Gaza sent me threats on Twitter and Facebook, for sharing viral posts that undermined university protestors which they were counting on to stop the war; the entirety of the far-left and a whole host of terrible characters such as antisemites, pedophiles, Islamists, fascists, and anti-civilization goblins, made it their full time job to terrorize me and send me endless waves of harassment and threats, that required me to change my life to deal with security risks.

Still, the harder they came for me, the more determined I was to speak out against Hamas, and terribly misinformed Western activists who know nothing about the realities of the conflict and what is truly needed to transform the lives of the Palestinian people for the better.

I still cannot wrap my head around how supposedly “pro-Palestine” protestors could be so vehemently opposed to a Palestinian who has lost 33 of his immediate and extended family members in the war since October 7, simply because I am against the armed “resistance” narrative and unhelpful sloganeering that is not going to get the Palestinians anywhere. It has been over a year of horrific threats of violence and beheadings by straight-up terrorists, attacks, and interruptions at universities and religious institutions, where I give speeches and talks, and other public spaces that I find myself in.

Still, you know what else has been happening for a year? Meetings and encounters with tens of thousands of new allies, partners, and friends from diverse backgrounds and experiences, who want to pursue a radically different path forward between Palestinians and Israelis to end the vicious cycle of hatred, incitement, violence, and revenge, rinse and repeat.

If you are interested in supporting the Palestinian people in Gaza, consider giving to the World Food Program’s Gaza Appeal (wfpusa.org/gaza/) or the International Medical Corps’ Gaza campaign (internationalmedicalcorps.org/country/gaza/). These are both vetted, high-impact organizations that are preparing to be allowed to deploy into Gaza once the IDF lifts the complete siege, hopefully soon. Please consider giving a gift in honor of my birthday.

Most importantly, please remember: from the river to the sea, only peace will set us free; and f**k Hamas!

xxx

Ahmed Fouad Alkhatib has been abused for focusing his ire on Hamas rather than on the IDF, even though Israelis have blown away many members of his extended family. But he’s nobody’s mouthpiece. Hear his outrage at the mob of Ben-Gvir’s boys who harrassed a single women protestor in Brooklyn last Sunday night. Alkhatib refuses to run away from what’s in front of his nose…

Alkhatib has been warned not to make too much of Gazans who have been protesting against Hamas. After all, Israel doesn’t seem to want a partner for peace. But he hasn’t given up hope for another Arab Spring. In’shallah…