In his August 19, 2024 column in the Palestinian Authority (PA) daily Al-Hayat Al-Jadida, journalist Bassem Barhoum slammed Hamas, writing that its October 7 terrorist attack was a reckless move that did not achieve the stated goals or advance the Palestinian national cause but only led to the destruction of Gaza. Some Palestinians, he said, pinned false hopes on the attack, thinking that it would bring them closer to liberation, but immediately after it ended, they realized their mistake and saw that the Palestinian cause had in fact suffered a setback.
Noting that some Palestinian elites call the attack "a conscious, planned and calculated response" to Israel's conduct, Barhoum said that they are being paid to claim this and are serving foreign agendas that contravene the Palestinian interests, and that their claim is a terrible and destructive deception.
Bassem Barhoum (Image: Shfanews.net, September 16, 2024)
The following are translated excerpts from his column:[1]
"We are approaching the eleventh month of the genocidal war that has led to all the destruction and devastation in the Gaza Strip and has left more than 200,000 Palestinians dead, injured or disabled and over 20,000 imprisoned. Despite all this, some still ignore the main question, namely, did those who planned the October 7 [attack] want all of this to occur? The second question – which allows us to momentarily put aside the horrifying magnitude of the losses, and reflect – [is the following]: Did the Al-Aqsa Flood [i.e., the October 7 attack] achieve any of its goals on the national level? Have the Zionist violations at the Al-Aqsa Mosque stopped? Have the occupation's detention facilities disgorged all of our prisoners? And more importantly, has the Zionist project halted its expansion, settlement, and Judaization...? We see the West Bank continuing to be torn apart... and we are negotiating for the Israeli occupation forces to withdraw from Gaza...
"True, the war is not over, so we cannot yet draw final conclusions, although reality speaks for itself. However, some elites insist on [claiming] what even Hamas itself does not [claim], and volunteer to say that the 'flood' was a conscious, planned and calculated response [to Israel's conduct] – and this [claim] is a terrible and even destructive act of deception. This cannot be a naive statement – [they] are being paid to say it. This reflects the extent of the damage done to our elites and to a significant part of our political echelon. Perhaps it reminds us that some Palestinian elites, and even some factions, have long been dependent on [various] donors or regimes. In any case, this has had a very negative impact on the Palestinian national consciousness and on the Palestinian cause, which has been peddled until it has become like a garment [so tattered that it is] difficult to mend.
"These people might say that the majority of the Palestinian public sees the situation as they do – but who says that the majority is always right? Especially considering that the Palestinian consciousness has been subject for decades to extensive and focused abuse. Were most of the Palestinians correct when they believed that the nationalist Arab parties and regimes would liberate Palestine on their behalf? Especially when Gamal Abdel Nasser rushed into the June 1967 war? And there are many [more] examples of this kind.
"The Palestinian people is searching for any move that might give it hope, and this is understandable. However, [the Palestinian people] itself has become an object of exploitation, because [various] players have long been carrying out actions that have dire consequences for the Palestinian cause. When these actions occurred, many of us thought they would bring us closer to freedom, [but] the moment they ended, we discovered that we were mistaken and that our cause had become even more difficult.
"The problem with all this is that the deceivers and flatterers have always evaded accountability, and they are confident of doing so this time as well. So why not ride the wave again and again, relying on the public's short memory? The more serious problem is that all these facts are right in front of us, yet we are [still] drawn to the deceivers and to those who manipulate our consciousness and positions, because we seek illusions. Human nature craves illusions, for they are the best way to escape reality.
"We are talking about skilled merchants with decades of experience, and this is also true of their financiers, who are just as aware of their role in the destruction of the Palestinian national consciousness. There are also contractors, who serve as the link between the smaller, skilled merchants and the states and funding entities. This link may be overlooked by the average citizen due to the expertise of these individuals in selling populist slogans and illusions… Our campaign against the merchants, contractors and financiers may seem difficult, since they undoubtedly form a strong and extensive network with vast funds and influence. But if we understand how deep the roots of these people go and who their primary source is, it will be easier for us to grasp their true objectives and confront them…
"This article is not likely to receive support from many sectors, but it is an unconventional attempt to activate the nation's common sense and distinguish between what serves the national interest and what serves the agendas of regional and international actors. The article addresses a phenomenon, not specific individuals, although the statements are made by people who may be intimately familiar to us."
[1] Al-Hayat Al-Jadida (PA), August 19, 2024.
