People often hear that Israel built a wall around Gaza. We are told this was done to punish Gazans because Israel is a racist country perpetuating apartheid. We are told this has turned Gaza into an open air prison. This is yet another example of the truth being skewed to privilege a narrative of oppressor/oppressed.

That’s why the world never mentions that Egypt maintains the same kind of wall between itself and Gaza because they don’t want to make it easy for Hamas or other militias to enter. This is also why nobody mentions that like any international border between two countries, some border security is stronger than others.

Nobody mentions the beauty of Gaza. The urban buildings and condominiums and parks. The shopping malls and libraries. The doctors’ offices and open air markets. Nobody mentions the 14 universities.

Nobody thinks about how many Israeli soldiers were killed when entering buildings and homes and business buildings due to traps Hamas has set. Nobody looks for the photos of interiors showing entrances to the tunnels, weapons caches, hostages, and more. Instead they scoff and say it doesn’t matter.

Nobody mentions the hundreds of thousands of text messages, phone calls, pamphlets, and warnings Israel gives to try and minimize civilian casualties or that Hamas forces people to stay even after they’ve been asked to evacuate. For some reason, none of this matters.

Nobody mentions that anytime a militia member or Palestinian kills an Israeli and dies as well, their family receives money set up for martyrs, which has incentivized attacks.

Nobody mentions that Hamas embeds itself into the areas Israel has marked as safe and then shoots rockets and its own people to provoke an attack from the IDF. I feel the IDF can be less reactive. Why must it respond to every rocket or attack? I’m also not there on the ground.

The wall around Gaza went up in 2004-2005 after a period of unprecedented anti-semitic suicide bombings. They weren’t done for liberation or to free palestine. They were done to kill Jews.

At the time Israel had settlements and infrastructure built to support Gazans in Gaza, which it left behind. It forcibly removed any Israelis from the region and razed their homes in order to fully de-occupy Gaza.

The response was Hamas.

Israel gave Hamas an ultimatum: acknowledge our right to exist and stop trying to destroy us and we will pull the wall down and conclude the embargo.

Hamas refused. The leaders live abroad, and they know the world looks at the situation and thinks Israel is oppressing Palestinians because it’s a racist, violent state. The longer Hamas can prolong this, the more public opinion will turn against Israel and manufacture consent for its destruction. This is Iran’s ultimate goal. The militias attack from all sides, bleeding Israel’s resources and its people’s spirits, and they rewrite events so that the world will support their aggression both against Israel and against their own people.

Make no doubt about it: Israel is not perfect. The current administration is terrifying. Hamas is 100x worse. Especially because they have options. Resistance doesn’t count as resistance if you have other reasonable options available, and they do.

If you really care about Palestinians, look deeper. Don’t take my word for it. Talk to Gazan Peace activists. Not just American Palestinians. Talk to Iranians who know about Hamas and Hezbollah.

The current Israel narrative in the West is embarrassing in its obvious propaganda. Destroying Israel won’t bring peace to Palestinians, and peace can only happen for both Israel and Palestine when we stop buying this false yet convenient narrative and instead begin demanding a cease fire, a return of hostages, a removal of Hamas and Netanyahu, and a plan for peace.

A reminder: Deligitimizing Jewish or Palestinian connections to the homeland is a bad look. Peace is the right look. Let’s focus on that.