Hamas, Hezbollah, and Iran, Free the Palestinians!

Commentary

In recent years, since the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas atrocity, crowds of protestors on campuses, at concerts, and in the streets have chanted, “Free Palestine.” They have chanted and marched with their banners and posters in an anti-Israel movement as if Israel started the war nearly three years ago.

They conveniently forget that genocidal Hamas ambushed Israel on that day of infamy, killing and wounding thousands while taking 250 hostages into brutal captivity. The activists also seem unaware that Palestine doesn’t exist. Arabs in the region never truly carried out the heavy lifting to forge a state despite at least five land-for-peace opportunities.

Many of the pro-Palestinian demonstrators gloss over the barbarism of Hamas and pivot quickly to a convoluted narrative that Israel’s response to Oct. 7 was disproportionate. What they fail to absorb is the fact that the retaliation carried out by the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) was as surgical as humanly possible to minimize civilian casualties.

Prior to attacking terror strongholds in the Gaza Strip, the IDF transmits calls, emails, and flyers warning civilians to leave a specific area. Moreover, the IDF fights in front of its own civilians to protect them from terror strikes.

By contrast, Hamas issues no warning when they attack Israeli soft targets with drones and rockets. In addition, Hamas embeds its terrorists in civilian buildings such as hospitals, mosques, schools, and tunnels. In other words, Hamas is willing to sacrifice Palestinian lives as cannon fodder to protect its own fighters, who are indifferent to the lives of civilians on both sides.

Although the destruction in the Gaza Strip is tragic, Hamas should shoulder the blame for the vast majority of Palestinian casualties due to its ruthless tactics in the urban battleground. Can we even believe the casualty figures tabulated by the Hamas Ministry of Health since its statements are riddled with disinformation?

When international aid workers brought in food and medical supplies to Gaza, guess who had control over the supplies? Yes, it was Hamas. Its members siphoned off most of the aid, and the Palestinians received the redistributed crumbs often at a price.

The primary goal of Iran and its proxies, Hamas and Hezbollah, is the annihilation of the Israeli state. They aren’t shy about revealing their intentions to the world, and when they keep repeating it, it’s important to take seriously their stated mission to wipe Israel off the map of the region. Iran has been funding its predator proxies for decades and endangering freedom of commercial navigation, which generates persistent instability across the broader Middle East. Ironically, this aggressive regime pulls the victim card to garner sympathy and fool those who lack critical thinking skills.

History provides us with some context regarding Israel. Starting in the late 1800’s, Jewish leaders organized to forge the modern state of Israel. Neighboring Arabs attacked Jewish settlements prior to statehood in 1948 and more intensely after statehood. When Arab armies couldn’t defeat Israel four times (1948, 1956, 1967, and 1973), regional states turned to terrorism as a tool to demolish Israel. Since 1980, Iran has been a primary funder and weapons provider to Hamas and Hezbollah, while Israel has had to remain vigilant 24/7.

Are the Democratic Socialists of America folks and other “social justice” warriors aware of this history? Are they aware that Israel has absorbed more than 2 million Arabs into its society and that they enjoy far more opportunities and rights than they have in surrounding states?

So why all the hatred for tiny Israel as well as the West? Aren’t Iran and its surrogates concerned about the well-being of their populations? Apparently not, since excessive amounts of money are spent on armaments rather than economic development and effective governance.

If the protestors genuinely cared about the fate of the Palestinians, they would demand that Hamas free the Gazans, Hezbollah free the Lebanese, and the Iranian theocracy free its own people. They would fervently seek justice for the civilian populations of the region who have been suffering under the heels of these medieval Islamist entities for decades. People in the region must spend inordinate amounts of time fending off power-hungry leaders who seek to dictate every area of their lives.

Contrary to the drumbeat emanating from legacy media outlets and left-leaning leaders, Israel and the United States didn’t initiate a war against Iran. Iran has been at war against Iranians, the region, and the free world for nearly 50 years, and it poses an existential threat to Israel. The regime might alter its behavior if former President Ronald Reagan’s peace through strength strategy were to be applied consistently by the United States and its allies.

Once again, those who value free enterprise, ordered liberty, and national security ought to demand that Iran and its proxies free the Palestinians in Gaza, the West Bank, and Lebanon. Instead of seeking Israel’s demise, strive to emulate Israel’s democratic success, model of peace, and innovative prosperity. Moreover, the Iranian regime ought to free its citizens so they can exercise their God-given rights to pursue their dreams and flourish.

Views expressed in this article are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times.