Pay Attention to the Arab Public Response to the Israel-Hamas War

Overview:

• Authored by Amr Hamzawy, the article focuses on the Arab public's response to the conflict between Israel and Hamas, highlighting the peaceful nature of protests across the region.
• The Arab public's response to the conflict is characterized by peaceful demonstrations advocating for Palestinian rights.
• There is a growing trend in the Arab world to renounce violence as a means of pursuing political objectives.

Key Quotes:

1. "The peaceful nature of this wave of Arab mass mobilization reflects a growing trend to renounce violence as a means of pursuing political objectives."
2. "The Arab street has watched as the civilian population in Gaza falls victim to Israeli attacks and is left without international protection or aid amid a humanitarian catastrophe."

What They Discuss:

• The widespread peaceful protests in Arab cities in support of Palestinians in Gaza, emphasizing basic human rights amid the Israeli military assault.
• The initial Arab public response to Hamas's actions, which set a secular and moderate tone, condemning violence and calling for the protection of life on both sides.
• The focus of Arab commentators and influencers on the occupation and siege of Palestinian territories, and the struggles of Palestinians in different regions.
• The rejection of narratives that dehumanize Israeli civilians, maintaining a nonviolent and humanist response.
• The role of mass mobilizations in Arab countries in highlighting the plight of Palestinians and criticizing Western double standards and complicity in the conflict.

​Key Takeaways:

• The Arab public's response to the Israel-Hamas conflict is increasingly characterized by a preference for nonviolent, pro-peace approaches.
• There is a significant shift in the Arab world towards rejecting violence and extremist ideologies, as evidenced by public opinion surveys.
• The current trend in the Arab public space could potentially contribute to a revival of the peace process between Israelis and Palestinians, with broad Arab support.

This is a brief overview of Amr Hamzawy's work from the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. For complete insights, we recommend reading the full article.