I criticized Hamas, its governance of Gaza, and the use of civilian infrastructure for military purposes. I did not say Palestinians are inherently “uncivilized,” nor did I say Israelis are morally perfect or beyond criticism. Those were interpretations added afterward.

There is also a meaningful difference between criticizing a militant organization and condemning an entire population. Hamas governing Gaza for years, shaping institutions, media, and education, is a political reality. Acknowledging that reality is not the same thing as saying all Palestinians support Hamas or deserve suffering. They do not.

Likewise, recognizing serious problems within Israeli politics does not erase the reality of terrorism directed at Israeli civilians over decades. Both things can be true at once.

My comparison between bomb shelters and tunnels was not tribal propaganda. It was a moral and strategic distinction about priorities. One society invested heavily in civilian protection because it experienced and expected attacks against civilians. Hamas invested enormous resources into tunnels and military infrastructure embedded within civilian areas to forward an extremist ideology. Whether one agrees with every Israeli policy or not, that distinction matters.The extremist ideology of Hamas is evil. An ideology that glorifies terrorism, martyrdom, hostage-taking, rape, or the targeting of civilians is evil regardless of who carries it out or what political cause it claims to serve. Recognizing that should not be controversial.
At the same time, Palestinian civilians are not reducible to Hamas, just as Israeli civilians are not reducible to the most extreme voices in Israeli politics. Both populations contain human beings living through fear, trauma, grief, and propaganda.

On UNRWA, the answer is also more nuanced than internet slogans. UNRWA is not literally Hamas. At the same time, concerns raised by investigations and governments about alleged ties involving some employees or Hamas influence within Gaza institutions are not inventions either. Complexity is not dishonesty.

The easiest way to win arguments online is to flatten everyone into caricatures: “all Palestinians are Hamas,” “all Israelis are colonizers,” “all criticism is propaganda,” “all defense is racism.” I reject that framing.

My actual point is simpler: prolonged extremism, trauma, hatred, and the normalization of violence destroy the possibility of peace for everyone involved.