Debating Hamas, October 7 and Armed Resistance

We can have different views about Hamas as a political party.

We can have different views about armed resistance.

But I think it is more honest and historically correct to say

that the uprising of October 7th was an act of armed resistance.

It is not a terrorist attack and it is not an anti-Semitic attack.

It was an attack against Israelis and I did not like that attack.

I have gone public with this.

I have gotten in trouble for saying it was for me anguishing.

It was terrible.

However,

I would be very foolish if I then decided that

the only violence in the scene was the violence done to Israeli people.

The violence done to Palestinians has been happening for decades.

This was an uprising that comes from a state of subjugation and against a violent state apparatus.

Let us be clear.

You can be for or against armed resistance.

You can be for or against Hamas.

But let us at least call it armed resistance and then we can have a debate

about whether we think it is right or whether they did the right thing, whether a different strategy.

But the problem is, if you call it armed resistance,

you are immediately thought to be in favour of armed resistance

and in favour of that armed resistance and that tactic.

It is like, well, actually, maybe not that tactic.

We can discuss armed resistance.

It is an open debate.