Meaning of Being Pro-Palestine

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Being pro-Palestine means standing up for the rights of Palestinian people to live freely. This can show up in different ways, like pushing for Palestinian statehood recognition, speaking out against Israel's occupation of their land, advocating for their human rights, and calling for an end to the discrimination and violence they face.

At the heart of the pro-Palestine movement are different reasons that motivate many people to get involved. So, let's dive into the question: Why do people support Palestine?

• Is it about standing against injustice?
• Is it about aiming for visibility and influence?
• Or is there a hidden agenda behind it all?

Unpacking the Pro-Palestine Motives

Most people who are pro-Palestine genuinely want to help. Regular people usually feel compassion and don’t have any hidden motives. But some might take the pro-Palestine stance to push their own agenda. Aligning with a popular cause gets them more attention. Recent events in Syria have shown us just that. Since the Syrian opposition started fighting against Assad's regime on November 27th, pro-Palestine voices on social media, especially on X (formerly Twitter), have been split in their support. (1)

Many social media voices use Palestinian suffering to further unrelated agendas.

Take Jackson Hinkle, for instance. He’s a big advocate for Palestine but also supports controversial regimes like Assad’s in Syria, plus countries like Russia and China, which are often linked to serious crimes. This brings up the question of whether his support for Palestine is more about his political views than truly standing with the Palestinian people (2).

Supporting oppression elsewhere contradicts anti-oppression stances.

Assad’s regime has committed awful crimes against its own people, using chemical weapons, torture, and killings. This regime, like Israel, came into power through force and against the majority will. You can’t claim to be against oppression in one case while backing it in another. (3)(4)

Evidence from Syria shows destruction similar to Gaza’s devastation.

Photo by ali wannous on Pexels

Photos from places like Homs and Aleppo show destruction that’s shockingly similar to what we see happening in Gaza. Both regimes have intentionally bombed civilian areas.

Parallels with pro-Israel justifications

Supporters of Assad and Israel both use similar tactics to justify the atrocities committed by their respective regimes. One similar instance is Israel’s use of the “Pallywood” conspiracy theory, claiming that footage of Palestinian suffering is all staged. Similar propaganda has been used against Syria’s White Helmets, who are depicted as instruments of Western intervention rather than genuine humanitarian responders. (5)

Polls reveal most Palestinians support the Syrian revolution.

This is where things get a bit sticky. Polls show that 83% of Palestinians are in favor of the Syrian rebels fighting against Assad. (6). This puts pro-Palestine supporters who also back Assad in a tough spot. How can you claim to side with Palestinians when your views on these national aspirations don’t even align with Palestinians?

Conspiracy Theories and Alleged Israeli Support

There’s a popular notion among Assad supporters that anyone against him, including rebels, gets support from Israel. But there’s no real proof for this. Just because Israel is involved doesn’t make one side right or wrong. The support from Israel complicates things rather than clarifying them. Historically, Israel has supported groups like Hamas to create division among Palestinians. They might be doing something similar with Syria now. However, ignoring any help from Israel might just be a mistake for both Hamas and the Syrian rebels, as this could leave them disregarded.

It’s interesting that Assad allied himself with the Kurdish militia that’s supported by the US. It really looks like he’s okay teaming up with just about anyone but the Syrian opposition, which is a pretty strange stance to take. Really makes you wonder about his motives.

Pro-Palestine is Still a Genuine Cause

Even with all the different political stories and agendas tied up in the pro-Palestine movement, at its heart, it’s really about fighting for the rights and dignity of Palestinians. Being pro-Palestine should just mean standing up against unfairness and supporting everyone’s right to live with respect. It’s also important to be consistent about fairness everywhere. Those loud few who try to take over the pro-Palestine message shouldn't get to you. Instead, let that be a reminder for all of us to keep our eyes on the true values of the movement and show that through what we do.