MDoorpsy

In December 2023, I wrote that Israel’s definition of Hamas “affiliation” was so broad that you could be considered affiliated simply for buying a shawarma from a restaurant owned by a Hamas member. I was criticized for making a claim I couldn’t substantiate. I had no report to cite. My analysis was grounded in years of observing and studying Israel’s treatment of Palestinians, and in my own family’s experience of that oppression. Nearly three years later, accounts of the documentary Naza describe an Israeli intelligence official explaining how an AI targeting system could identify a baker as a Hamas operative simply because Hamas members bought bread from his bakery, potentially leading to an attack on his home and family. The resemblance is staggering. I was immediately reminded of my post. I even wondered if I’d succumbed to the criticism and deleted it. I’m glad I didn’t. What’s frustrating is how often observations about despicable Israeli practices are dismissed until they’re corroborated by Israeli insiders or investigative journalists. There’s an important difference between an analysis that hasn’t yet been substantiated and one that has no reasonable basis. I wasn’t making a random guess in 2023. I was identifying a pattern. And the evidence that has emerged since then has given that analysis substantial support.