Amsterdam: the location of many pro-Palestinian protests. Since October 7th, the capital of the Netherlands has seen many pro-Palestinian or anti-Israel events, ranging from peaceful protests to violent encounters, with the November Jew hunt being its nadir. Some of the peaceful events, however, cannot possibly be considered pro-Palestinian at all, as these are downright anti-Israel gatherings. Take for instance last weekend, when an anti-Israel event was organized. Clips show what some of the speakers shouted and their message was quite clear. There is a lady calling for Israel to be erased and she sternly reminds the crowd that they should not forget Tulkarem, Nablus, and Jenin – we all know why she singles out these cities, as Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad are very active in all of them. Moreover, a little show is provided for all those attending, exhibiting the artistic creativity of the event. A man dressed in black and wearing a vest, his face covered except his eyes, proceeds to burn an Israeli flag. First of all, the burning of Israeli flags is nothing new, I would argue that it is rather unimaginative, as we as Israelis have seen this happen for decades. No, this Hamas fanboy is problematic, because he can easily carry out this act, to the tune of some people chanting “death to Israel” and “we are Muhammad Deif’s men.” Authorities have already called the act appalling, but quickly stated that it is not unlawful to burn a flag – how could it be, when countless Dutch protesters burnt scores of American flags during the 1960s and 70s to protest against the Vietnam War. But the flag-burning component of this event was not even the most surprising part. No, this low-budget Hamas talent show was devoid of any focus on what had happened in the previous days in Gaza: protests against Hamas itself.

Gazans protesting against Hamas?

Yes, this is something that many supporters of the Palestinians in the West prefer to ignore. Understandably so, it makes them uncomfortable. In their simplistic straightforward way of looking at complex issues, Israel should bear the blame for everything. The Palestinians are united – since when? – the “resistance” is justified – does that include torturing Palestinian dissidents? – and all Israelis are warmongers – they should check the weekly anti-government protests in Tel Aviv. Being confronted with images of Palestinians marching in the streets of Beit Lahiya, Deir al-Balah, Jabaliya, Shejaiyah, and Khan Younis will make their heads hurt. It leads to desperate attempts to make sense of them. So, the protests are against Israel – true, to an extent they are directed at Israel, as the participants want the war to end – they are not against the “resistance” – that is more difficult to argue, considering that the slogan “Hamas out!” was uttered at all of them. Finally, if you have run out of options, you can simply claim that the images are doctored, we are all watching artificial intelligence. Fine, as long as you can feel better about yourself.

Hamas tried to spin this as well. The protests were

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