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The Catch of Palestinian Ethos | An article by Avi Melamed.
Ahmad Abdul Wahab, Deputy Editor-in-Chief and Head of Commentary at the Egyptian news site Bawabat al-Akhbar, writes in an article titled “Hamas Is Losing the Trust of the Street”:
“After years of Hamas rule, of promises of ‘victory’ and the slogan of ‘resistance,’ Gazans now face a bleak reality of destruction and despair. Consequently, their criticism of Hamas has grown due to its direct responsibility for their dire situation.
The Gazan who spends hours standing in line for bread or gas no longer finds meaning in life under Hamas rule that market the slogan of ‘resistance,’ while Gazans life becomes stripped of dignity and hope.
When Hamas took control of Gaza in 2007, many saw its rule as a symbol of resistance and steadfastness (sumud). But today, difficult questions are being raised amid poverty, unemployment, and the misery of life in Gaza.
Gazans’ criticism of Hamas has intensified because the massive foreign aid sent to Gaza never reached them but was instead diverted to serve Hamas’s governing interests.
As a result, Hamas is losing support among its core Gazan base. As always, it reacts by portraying criticism as a ‘conspiracy’ or by blaming all the destruction it has brought upon Gaza on the ‘siege’ or the ‘Israeli enemy.’
If Hamas does not reconsider its course, it will lose what remains of public confidence and the symbol of ‘resistance’ will become a burden.
Those who sacrificed their children on the altar of resistance are now asking whether the price was worth it — whether the long wait for a ‘victory’ that never comes justifies the suffering, and whether this is the future they want for their children. This reflects the emergence of a growing Palestinian awareness — a refusal to continue defining their lives and future solely within the framework of sacrifice and violent struggle, and a demand instead for a life of dignity as an inseparable part of their struggle.” (End of quote)
Article Published on October 31st, 2025, link to article: https://elaph.com/Web/opinion/2025/10/1580844.html
Avi Melamed’s Commentary:
This article joins countless other commentaries and opinions across the Arab world and within Palestinian society that — rightly — hold Hamas responsible for the devastation it has brought upon Gaza. The importance of this article lies in the fact that it touches the very core of the trap within the Palestinian national ethos — a trap created by a combination of three dominant narratives: injustice, victimhood, and the desperate attachment to slogans such as “resistance”, “victory” or “steadfastness” (sumud in Arabic) as the answer to their hardships.
Indeed, there are early signs of an internal Palestinian debate. Yet this is a long and complex process, and its outcome remains unclear. Will the Palestinians be able to break free from the closed circle of the ethos they themselves have created?
Will they succeed in shaping a new national ethos — one that offers a productive framework addressing the need for a life of dignity and for the positive realization of an independent national identity? This question remains open.ment has often been a means of dominance — domestically and regionally — rather than a project of liberation.”
The Catch of Palestinian Ethos | An article by Avi Melamed.
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