Why aren’t the people protesting against Israel calling for Hamas to disarm and disband?

[LargeAmericano]

Surely that will force Israel to immediately stop the war?

They will not be able to continue if their aim of dismantling Hamas is achieved and the hostages are returned.

This is surely the best outcome for the Palestinian people?

People often complain about things but do nothing. Then nothing changes.

It's not difficult to arrange events. It's not difficult to act rather than just sit and complain.

It’s quite difficult if you have the sort of job and family responsibilities I have, which goes back to the point I was originally making about the sort of people who engage in this activity and the majority who don’t.
in any event I am not unhappy with the policy of my government on this question so let the fools make an exhibition of themselves is my view

Although I do deplore the impact on my Jewish friends and colleagues, I must say that.

Well, if you're not unhappy, presumably you aren't keen for there to be more events like the ones the OP wants to see, so the suggestion to take action in relation to it wouldn't be applicable to you at this point on this issue.

Once something comes along that you care strongly enough about, you may find that you make time for it. Many people involved in humanitarian work and activism have busy lives with jobs and families, so it doesn't have to be a barrier.

I am so sick of this patronising, sneering, disingenuous way about talking about protestors. I'm a member of a parents group, we all have jobs and kids and extremely busy lives but we prioritise action over this issue. We have doctors, lawyers, teachers, self employed people, Christian's, atheists, Jewish people, people who are British born and not.

I've never been involved with a group before that has such a broad spectrum of people as members.

The knots people tie themselves in to faux headscratch about why people might be moved to act on this issue if utterly mind blowing.

*is utterly

See, this is what confuses me.
Israel is democratically elected, ok, but does that give them carte blanche to kill and massacre civilians in the name of democracy? And does that mean that we have no other criteria by which to judge them besides that they are a democracy?

Hamas are also democratically elected. Why isn’t that same carte blanche also extended to them?

Who decided and based on what grounds that Hamas are terrorists for fighting to gain back their homeland and resist occupation but Israel are not terrorists for occupying and illegally invading and disregarding international law?

I completely agree OP. As someone with 'no skin in the game' so to speak, I just can't fathom why people on the 'peace protests' aren't rallying against Hamas too.

I’m not head scratching at all. I understood perfectly well what was happening when people poured on to the streets in the immediate aftermath of the October attacks - to protest against Israel.
no mystery there at all…

Thank you for your pious lecture on the realities of my life. I will bear it in mind the next time I’m at my desk completing work at midnight.
some people have no idea at all

Some people really don't.

And the next time I’m on the phone to the LA trying to sort out provision for my autistic son, or taking my 80 year old FIL to his medical appointments.
why am I not out on the streets protesting more, I will ask myself. Must do better.

@Lulooo Hamas are also democratically elected

That was in 2007 and there hasn't been an election since.

Having finally seized political power in Gaza, Hamas quickly exerted control over the region’s infrastructure, helping run food banks, schools, and hospitals. This increased Hamas’ popularity among Palestinians and helped to cement the party’s legitimacy as the leader of Gaza.

Militants soon began shooting rockets over the border into Israel; Israel responded in late 2008 with massive airstrikes and a bloody ground invasion that led to four Israeli deaths and about 1.300 Palestinian deaths. The two sides eventually settled upon a cease-fire, but Hamas retained its power.

Well what have you done? Have you donated to help any Palestinian families escape Gaza? Raised any awareness of how other people can donate to help? Donated to MSF? Written to your MP? Or don't you have time for anything like that? You do have time to come on Mumsnet and criticise people who care enough to actually take some sort of action because they can't sit idle while they watch the horror in Gaza unfold.

It's just easier isn't it @Marjoriefrobisher to just think, oh yes, they are all anti semitic, they all hate Jews; even the Jewish protesters, those too. It completely prevents any kind of honest consideration of the actions of the government. How people can see the kind of images coming out of Gaza and think, yeah well this is all about anti semitism is beyond me. What the government of Israel is doing is abhorrent and that has nothing to do with Jewish people or the Jewish faith.

I don't doubt that there are some anti semitic people on these marches, you get vile racists everywhere you go but the people I have encountered have not said or expressed anything anti semitic. And I am certainly not either!

Regardless of how busy or financially stretched we are, kindness and compassion costs much less than nastiness.

The motives of the people protesting - and protest is what I was discussing, I am not required to account to you or anyone else for what I do or don’t donate to - do not appear to be as unequivocally pure as you suggest.

And nastiness pretending to be kindness is the most fun, isn’t it. Let’s not forget that.

I think there would be more general support for the marchers if they condemned the actions of Hamas which is what started this dreadful war.

I was horrified by the events and still am. This doesn't mean that I condone the actions of the Israeli government but the initial horror seems to be being ignored in the pro Palestine protests.

It's proven that money given in aid was stolen by Hamas - how do we know which charities are safe to donate to?

Yes, it certainly is easy to conclude that there anti semitic motivations in play when they are so vigorously and explicitly displayed by some of the protestors, and others apparently are happy to be there alongside them.
if there’s nuance there I’m missing do let me know.

Well, I'd have to disagree with you on that one. But it's not something I do.

but you might need to take a look at some of your fellow travellers who have not achieved your exalted level of moral purity. I’m sorry to have to break it you, but so it is.

@Marjoriefrobisher well every single protestor I've encountered is marching because we've seen graphic images of babies and children being blown up by a so called ally of our government and we are selling them arms to commit these crimes. That's why most people are marching. Against our government and the Israeli government.

You can choose to believe whatever you want but it doesn't make it true. I've been there, I've been meeting people day in day out.

There are indeed elements of the protests which range from being a bit questionable, right through to frankly illegal. This is an issue that happens with most protest movements once they get big enough, and needs good leadership and effective liaison with police and councils to address.

The West Bank, although it has ongoing issues with Israel and would never be considered to be on friendly terms, does not attract the same response from Israel, why, possibly because it isn’t run by Hamas, doubtful if there will ever be peace between Israel and Palestine, but Gaza would be better off if it’s people stopped supporting Hamas and yes I realise it’s far more complex than that, but it would be a start