In an article marking the anniversary of Hamas' October 7, 2023 attack on Israel, Saudi journalist Mashari Al-Dhaidi referred to the glee expressed by many supporters of Hamas and Iran over this attack. Writing in his column in the Saudi daily Al-Sharq Al-Awsat, Al-Dhaidi said that this sentiment was similar to the glee felt by many over Al-Qaeda's attacks in New York and Washington on September 11, 2001, glee which quickly dissipated when people realized the magnitude of the American response. Al-Dhaidi questioned why Arabs have not yet developed immunity against repeating foolish acts and applauding them.
Mashari Al-Dhaidi (Image: Albaladnews.net)
The following are translated excerpts from his article:[1]
"Everything we are seeing today, and which we will unfortunately continue to see in the future—in Lebanon, Iran and elsewhere—started a year ago, on the morning of October 7, 2023 in Gaza, when Hamas launched its attack on the Israeli localities known as the Gaza Envelope. This attack resulted in the death of about 1,200 Israelis and the kidnapping of 251 others.
"At the time, many celebrated this great victory and lethal blow [to Israel], not to mention the boasting [we heard from] Hamas and its supporters, including Iran and its proxies, from a broad sector identified with the Arab elite and from a large mob on social media. Some went so far as to announce the end of Israel and claim that this time Hamas would throw Israel into the sea!
"For that moment on, everything changed. The considerations changed and the power of balance was shattered. It was a moment reminiscent of September 11, 2001, when the world underwent a complete transformation and a new world was born. Back then, people cheered [Al-Qaeda leader] Osama bin Laden and his men, the 'believers,'[2] but shortly afterwards the ground shook everywhere, and the Muslims, the Arabs and the entire world experienced a period full of worry, fear, war and disputes. Those who applauded [the 9/11 attacks] experienced one moment of historic joy after Al-Qaeda attacked New York and Washington. But when it turned out that America was bent on carrying out a terrible retaliation, some of them renounced that moment, and conspiracy theories began spreading: claims that 'the boys from Al-Qaeda didn't really do it,' or that the U.S. intelligence had faked the whole thing, or other claims—in any case, it certainly wasn't us.
"Some of these things [also] happened, in some way, after the October 7 attack. But the consequences of the October [events] for Gaza and Palestine did not trouble the people who were applauding [the attack] on their keyboards and smartphones in countries far away from Gaza. According to current data, provided by the Gaza Health Ministry on October 6, 2024, 41,870 people have been killed in the Strip since the war started on October 7, 2023, and 97,166 people have been wounded, most of them women and children.
"Just as 9/11 has become an annual memorial day—and we don't know how long people will continue to mark this national American memorial day, or perhaps global memorial day—October 7 has also somehow become [a memorial day] in our region. On the first anniversary [of the October 7 attack, Hamas' leader abroad] Khaled Mash'al gave a speech in which he peddled the illusion of victory, [whereas] Israel made [this day] into a new wailing wall, as though we don't have enough sorrowful moments and black years in the history of the Middle East!
"The question is: Has time caused us to develop immunity against repeating foolish acts and applauding fools…?"