“Free Palestine!” — When Slogans Replace Thinking
What happens when belief becomes ideology, and facts are no longer welcome?
Too often, people turn away from answers they’re not ready to hear. This is a problem for those who have already painted their own picture of the world, and it infuriates them when reality unfolds differently from what they imagined.
How can we describe this paradox, apart from saying it borders on sheer stupidity? Perhaps it aligns with confirmation bias, where people start bending reality to fit their beliefs, seeking out evidence to confirm their “truth” — evidence that, in reality, lacks any factual basis. Simultaneously, they reject facts, no matter how compelling or well-supported by authoritative sources, if those facts contradict their position.
A simple example: if someone decides that the number 27 holds special meaning in their life, they will start seeing it everywhere — in house numbers, phone numbers, license plates, bills, on T-shirts, and even on television — thereby reinforcing their conviction. This, in turn, overlaps with illusory correlation, where people perceive connections between events that don’t actually exist.
And here we arrive at an obvious problem: any discussion with a pro-Palestinian supporter tends to look like this:
“Hamas launched a treacherous attack on Israel and murdered civilians.”
“Free Palestine!”
“Gazan residents celebrated October 7th and expressed full support for the terrorists.”
“Free Palestine!”
“Israel spent years offering peaceful solutions, but the two-state solution was rejected eight times by the Palestinian side.”
“Free Palestine!”
Notice that the entire conversation usually follows this pattern, with only the slogans occasionally changing — often to something even more absurd and insane. This side refuses to hear anything that might shake their beliefs. Would this change if they actually met their idols?
However, Israel does not need to justify itself — not to anyone, including its allies — for defending its people against a mortal threat and doing everything possible to rescue hostages. That is both its right and its duty, and to expect otherwise would be nothing short of naive.
If similar acts of violence—murder, rape, torture, and kidnapping—occurred in any other country, the global response would likely be swift and unequivocal condemnation. Yet, in this case, many in academia, mainstream media, and parts of the West appear to downplay or justify these atrocities, undermining justice and moral consistency.