As a Palestinian human rights activist who supports the peaceful coexistence of Israelis and Palestinians, I am deeply troubled by the reactions of certain anti-Israel groups in the United States to the Islamic Republic of Iran’s recent attack on Israel. Their exuberant celebrations and justifications for such aggression starkly contradict their professed commitment to peace and reveal a profound hypocrisy that undermines diplomacy and dialogue in the Middle East.
The this weekend’s Iranian attack was a calculated military aggression involving more than 300 projectiles, with around 170 drones, more than 30 cruise missiles, and more than 120 ballistic missiles aimed and fired directly at Israeli territory. The assault is simply a more overt continuation of the war that Iran has been waging since the 1979 seizure of power by the jihadist Ayatollahs, which it promotes in the chant: “Death to America, Death to Israel.”
Iran asserts that the attack was an act of “revenge” or “punishment” against Israel for its targeted killing of Islamic Revolutionary Guard General Mohammad Reza Zahedi in Damascus in recent weeks. The truth is that Iran launched this round of violence: Zahedi is known for his involvement in orchestrating the Oct. 7 massacre of more than 1,200 Jews in Israel by Hamas, including 30 Americans.
Kyle Mazza/Anadolu via Getty Images
It has been chilling to see organizations that have recently been chanting “ceasefire now”—always aimed at Israel, never at the Hamas terrorists who took more than 200 Israelis hostage that October day—turn to outright praise and promotion of Iran’s violence. Consider the Freedom Road Socialist Organization, which has involved itself in a number of anti-Israel rallies since Oct. 7 and has urged the public to side with Iran, stating: “Iran has helped the Palestinian resistance, and we should stand with Iran just as we stand with Palestine.”
At a notable event held by the March on the DNC coalition (which is planning to rally for Palestinians at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago in August) and other groups, more than a hundred activists reacted with jubilation to the news of Iran’s assault. It’s profoundly unsettling that this U.S. conference met the news of Iran’s missile and drone attack on Israel with exuberance. Shabbir Rizvi, a Chicago-based writer for the Iranian regime’s PressTV, taught attendants how to chant “Death to Israel” and “Death to America,” directly opposing the values of peace and reconciliation.
The reaction from certain factions within the anti-Israel movement extends beyond mere approval. For instance, the Palestinian Youth Movement described Iran’s actions as a defense against supposed genocidal intentions from Israel, stating, “Zionism’s ultimate ambitions as a project are escalation against and destruction of not only Palestine but our region as a whole. Iran has a right to defend itself.” Similarly, an affiliate of Students for Justice in Palestine and an official from the Democratic Socialists of America echoed sentiments that glorified Iran’s response as being a form of legitimate defense.
This applause for Iran’s military actions starkly contrasts with the silence over the potential risks such aggression poses to sacred sites like the Al Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem, over which Iranian projectiles flew all night. Missiles and drones do not discriminate; they endanger everyone and everything in their path, including places of immense cultural and religious significance to Palestinians.
The selective outrage expressed by Iran and its allies against Israel’s custodianship of holy sites was exposed for profound hypocrisy as Iran supporters celebrated the projectiles endangering Al Aqsa. By celebrating Iran’s attack, these groups inadvertently support a narrative that endorses violence and undermines the prospects for a peaceful resolution. Such positions alienate potential allies, diminish the credibility of legitimate Palestinian aspirations, and perpetuate division.
True advocacy for Palestinian rights and regional peace involves condemning Iran’s unprovoked aggressions and the ugly terrorist groups they inflict on the region, such as Hamas and the Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) in the Palestinian Territories. Supporters of peace must recognize the destructive impact of these radical anti-Israel narratives, which call not for peace but for war until the genocidal dismantling of the Jewish state, and work toward fostering an environment conducive to dialogue and mutual respect.
The hypocrisy evident in the celebrations of Iran’s attack by certain anti-Israel groups not only contradicts their proclaimed objectives but also harms the very people they claim to support. As advocates for justice, we must strive for a balanced approach that promotes peace and condemns violence in all its forms, regardless of the perpetrator. Only through such a balanced and principled approach can we hope to achieve lasting peace and security for both Palestinians and Israelis.
Bassem Eid is a Palestinian human rights activist. He lives in the West Bank.
The views expressed in this article are the writer’s own.
Uncommon Knowledge
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Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.