Across the Middle East, from Ramallah to Beirut, Damascus, Baghdad, and Cairo, expressions of support for the Palestinian resistance against Israel’s occupation of Palestinian land have surged. People have celebrated with sweets, dances, and prayers in solidarity with their cause.
Cairo Tower is decorated with the Palestinian flag.
Here is Cairo,, here is Palestine 🇪🇬❤️🇵🇸#الإسكندرية #Gaza pic.twitter.com/0haZkORzwX
— Mzemo (@MyMzemo) October 8, 2023
For many, this support is deeply rooted in a lifetime of witnessing Israel’s actions, which they perceive as unjust, including the confiscation of lands and the arrest of Palestinian children. Farah Al Saadi, a 52-year-old coffee vendor from Ramallah in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, expressed her satisfaction with what Hamas has done. Still, she, like many others, is concerned about the scale of Israeli actions in Gaza as retaliation.
Issam Abu Bakr, a Palestinian official in the occupied West Bank, stressed that he believes virtually every Palestinian supports what has unfolded. He views the Hamas attack as a natural reaction to Israel’s actions, which he perceives as having turned its back on the political negotiation process.
The news of the attack triggered celebrations in places like south Lebanon, Beirut, and Sidon, despite Lebanon still being in a technical state of war with Israel, a country that had occupied its southern regions for over two decades. Mosques echoed chants praising Palestinian resistance fighters during these gatherings.
Support for the Palestinian cause reached international shores as well. Demonstrators in Canada waved Palestinian flags during a protest.
In the face of criticism from the West, some voices from the region have defended the Palestinian right to resist. Lebanese comedian Shaden Fakih highlighted the suffering of Palestinians, emphasizing that they have the right to fight back against oppression.
Tunisian schools raised Palestinian flags, and a coalition of organizations and political parties called for massive solidarity rallies. The Tunisian presidency declared its full and unconditional support for the Palestinian people and their right to resist occupation.
In Damascus, the Palestinian flag illuminated the city’s opera house, invoking a spirit of resistance among its citizens. The feeling of having “nothing to lose” prevails among Palestinians, given the challenges they have faced, according to Marah Suleiman, a Syrian university employee.
We stand with Palestine. This is the Damascus Opera House. pic.twitter.com/lqn9tQjZzR
— Fares Shehabi فارس الشهابي (@ShehabiFares) October 8, 2023
Even in Egypt, where unauthorized protests are banned, football fans incorporated pro-Palestinian chants into matches to show their solidarity.
In Baghdad, Iraq, paramilitaries symbolically trampled and torched Israeli flags during rallies in Tahrir Square.
Surprisingly, even some Gulf states have joined the wave of solidarity, despite the 2020 US-brokered Abraham Accords that saw Israel normalize relations with the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain. The outpouring of support for the Palestinian cause underscores the depth of sentiment and the urgency felt across the region in response to the ongoing crisis.
