Ever wonder why so few Palestinians protest the actions of their leaders and the organizations that hold sway over their society? The answer is simple: fear.
This was poignantly and horrifically demonstrated on Monday when a group of some 20 Palestinian residents of Gaza held an impromptu demonstration to protest the rocket attacks emanating from their territory that have resulted in a devastating Israeli military response.
It didn’t take long before Gaza’s Hamas overlords became aware of the protest, and it took even less time before gunmen had rounded up and publicly executed the demonstrators for having the gall to exercise free speech.
Here and there, an unnamed Gazan has told reporters how he or she wishes Israel would defeat Hamas, but such instances are few and far between. Israel’s detractors point to the lack of widespread criticism for Hamas as evidence that most Palestinians support the group as “freedom fighters.” After all, the Palestinian public did vote Hamas into power.
But Monday’s massacre of unarmed protestors (who were no doubt added to the overall Gaza death toll being blamed on Israel) is a harsh reminder that things are not always as they seem in a region where dictators and jihadists are running the show.