Has the West been taken in by Hamas’ lies and anti Israeli narrative?

Well it’s hard to classify what you mean by ProPal/AntiIsrael and also how AI is interpreting “protest”…are they protests against war or protests for Palestine to exist or protests against Israel existing or protests against Israel’s retaliation or protests for Hamas?

The AI reply doesn’t even distinguish between these and I haven’t turned protests and marches into vigils, I mentioned I attended a vigil that was also what could be considered a protest against war as we prayed for peace.

My main point is that you don’t need to be a stooge of Hamas to arrange an event immediately after Oct 7th as you seem to be implying some global master plan by Hamas with terrorist sleeper cells all ready to start protests immediately after Oct 7th.

I’ve seen some pretty outrageous claims made by Jewish doctors too saying that their hospitals were over run by Islamists.

Those are individual people who choose to spout shit. Lots of people spout shit. About all kinds of things.

He has denied he ever said any of it. What threat would he be under given he isn’t anywhere Hamas is now? He left Gaza almost two years ago.

From prior poster @OnePeppyFatball upthread.

Statement by Mu'taz Azzaizah – September 20, 2026
In recent days, there has been a widespread attack on the internet due to statements I made during a podcast discussion. They were distorted in a disgraceful and unfair manner, misinterpreted, and taken out of context by Israel and its Israeli occupation supporters.
I never claimed that the journalists present in the WhatsApp group in Gaza were affiliated with Hamas. I never claimed that Hamas controlled the journalists of Gaza or directed their work, nor did I claim that the presence of any journalist in that group meant they were affiliated with Hamas. Any claim to the contrary is a false claim.
The WhatsApp group I spoke about was simply a group that included representatives from the Hamas government, sharing updates and information about the situation in Gaza. Many journalists were present there, including myself, because receiving updates from government sources was part of our journalistic work, as is the case with journalists around the world.
I have criticized Hamas many times. Hamas is not only a resistance faction in Gaza, but it is also the ruling authority. As a Palestinian, I was born and raised in Gaza, so it is my full right to criticize those who rule me. But it is absolutely unacceptable to distort this criticism and turn it into something I did not say or mean.
When members of my family were killed, when my friends were killed, and when I was threatened and forced to flee and move under constant danger, it was Israel that carried out the killings.
My criticism of the Hamas government does not erase what Israel did to my people, nor does it give anyone the right to use my words to serve the Israeli occupation narrative.
As for the video I filmed of Israeli prisoners held by Hamas, I filmed it inside Gaza while I was working as a journalist. I chose not to publish it because I was afraid that revealing the location would expose the Palestinian civilians in the area to danger. After about twenty minutes, Israeli warplanes targeted the location, resulting in the killing of the prisoners, along with Hamas militants who were present there.
To clarify: I did not participate in the events of October 7th, and I was not part of it in any way. I was in Gaza documenting what was happening in front of me.
I will not allow a critical view of a ruling Palestinian authority to be turned into a propaganda material serving the occupation. We have the right to criticize those who rule us, and we have the right to oppose the occupation. Neither of these two rights is nullified.
I remind you once again: the mass killing and massive destruction in Gaza, which I documented with my camera and conveyed to the world, was not committed by Hamas, but by Israel.

Even if you are Pro Palestinian, if you thought this you would be an absolute idiot. Wanting equal rights for Palestinians does not mean that you support Hamas. I think that has been pointed out thousands of times.

So my Rabbi is secretly working for Hamas because she organised a vigil immediately after Oct 7 th?

You’re going into conspiracy theory land here. Protests, vigils, marches, demonstrations etc can and do pop up in response to significant, traumatic world events.

Maybe if Israel would allow international journalists into Gaza, there would be more clarity.

No he did not say that. Read what he actually said:

As for the video I filmed of Israeli prisoners held by Hamas, I filmed it inside Gaza while I was working as a journalist. I chose not to publish it because I was afraid that revealing the location would expose the Palestinian civilians in the area to danger. After about twenty minutes, Israeli warplanes targeted the location, resulting in the killing of the prisoners, along with Hamas militants who were present there.

Nothing about protecting the identities of Hamas terrorists. All about protecting civilians and the hostages.

The answer to your question about has the west been taken in by Hamas propaganda, is a resounding yes. It’s astonishing.

It’s hard to say what you are looking for. First, protests can be spontaneous. They don’t require pre planning to do. Secondly, protests spanned the globe so I can hardly comment on which protests were actually for peace and against war between Israel and Hamas, versus which were abhorrent antisemitic celebrations of Hamas massacring innocent Jewish people, versus which were protests in solidarity with Israel using maximum firepower on the cities of Gaza.

I know I was personally at a candle lit vigil for the victims of Oct 7th the evening of Oct 9th which also included the Oseh Shalom- prayer for peace. Would you consider that an antiIsrael/ProPal “protest” because we even then were aghast at the nonstop bombing of Gaza and declarations of war? Disgusted by Yoav Gallant declaring a complete siege of no food, no water, no power for ‘human animals’ when a million of these ‘human animals’ were innocent children?

Oh I'm not saying that you invented the theory, just that you love to peddle it.

You mean Isreal isn’t taking over Palestine and killing tens of thousands after all ?

It is possible to be both. They may be brutal tyrannical terrorists who are also fighting a brutal and oppressive occupation. No matter how despicable a person Sinwar was, you cannot deny that he died like a warrior, defiant to the end.

Local journalists are less free than independent journalists would be, so yes we need to take reports with a grain of salt. Which begs the question why has Israel blocked access to independent journalists? That one thing would allow much more reliable reports.

In regards to Motaz Azaiza he criticised Hamas even in social media posts such as this one on his X (Twitter) and Instagram accounts, Azaiza wrote: "Those who turn a blind eye to the suffering and struggles of their own people should matter nought to us. Cursed be those who profit from our blood, scorch our hearts and homes, and wreck our lives."

Too, if he had been linked to Hamas, Israel would never have let him leave Gaza.

The initial protests were started by already established pro Palestinian groups who had experience in organising protests. I believe they anticipated that Israel's response was going to be totally brutal and they were hoping to encourage an immediate ceasefire to resolve the situation. The initial marches were small, only a few hundred protestors. They didn't explode into the massive protests we saw until the end of October.

The narrative that the Hamas are plucky freedom fighters pushing back against an evil Israel.

I think we can all agree this is Hamas propaganda and the journalist you have started this thread on- Motaz Aziza- has never cast Hamas as anything other than brutal tyrannical terrorists.

I don’t think he lied, I think what you posted were snippets taken out of context from a podcast so the version you got was second hand and not his actual words in full.

You didn’t post the truth, which doesn’t mean I am saying you deliberately lied.
I think you just didn’t check your sources as the first responder pointed out.