Although Well Intentioned, the Israeli Protest Movement Strengthens Hamas

While generating hostility toward Israel across the world is a key part of Hamas’s public-relations strategy, it is not the only element. It also aims to divide and demoralize the Israeli people. Its best weapon in this regard has been the hostages, and its hope, based on a sophisticated understanding of Israeli society, is that the overwhelming desire to rescue the hostages will lead Jerusalem to make major strategic concessions. Recently, Hamas executed the perfect one-two punch in this regard: first using international pressure to get Israel to relax its controls on the flow of humanitarian aid into Gaza, and then releasing videos of emaciated hostages.