On November 13, 2023, a Chinese influencer known as “Flower-Dappled Horse Kesi” on the Chinese Bilibili social media platform shared a video titled “Suppose Hamas Wins,” in which he criticized Hamas’s leadership and speculated that even if Hamas defeated Israel and were able to rule Gaza with no external intervention whatsoever, the desperate situation of the Gazans would not change. He said that Hamas leaders don’t even live in Gaza and that they do not want to rule over their people with integrity, and he said that in this scenario of a Hamas victory, Gaza would become like Venezuela or Zimbabwe. It is noteworthy that the video contradicts the generally pro-Hamas tone of the Chinese government’s propaganda. Kesi also shared a screenshot from a MEMRI TV clip.
Flower-Dappled Horse Kesi: “Let’s make an assumption. If Hamas were to achieve a final victory in this Israel-Hamas conflict, Hamas would be able to rule over Gaza without any external threats from that point onwards. If such a scenario were to occur – and I emphasize ‘if’ because we won’t delve into whether this scenario is possible or the reasons behind it – if Hamas were to win and Israel were to stop bothering them, they could govern Gaza entirely according to their own will on a permanent manner. My question is, in this situation, what kind of country would Gaza become? This first reminds me of two other countries: Venezuela and Zimbabwe.
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“Has the leader of Hamas in Gaza, who controls it, truly dedicated himself to serving the people with integrity? I think many of you have heard something about it. The current leader of Hamas, Ismail Haniyeh, has actually not been in Gaza for a long time. He has been living in another country, Qatar, enjoying a luxurious life and security provided by the Qatari royal family. The suffering and desperate people of Gaza cannot reach him. When their spokesperson was interviewed, he stated that the people of Gaza are refugees, and the responsibility of protecting refugees lies with the United Nations, not with them.
“Alright, let’s return to the hypothetical question posed at the beginning of the video: If Hamas ultimately emerges victorious and can govern Gaza unimpeded according to their will, what kind of state would Gaza become? I think the poverty and backwardness of Gaza’s society would not change with the arrival of peace. With such rulers, the fate of the Gazan people is likely to become legalized fodder, continuously providing nutrients for the corruption of Hamas’s higher echelons.
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“In recent years, there had been relative peace between Israel and Hamas. Netanyahu believed that peace could be exchanged through interests, but peace is precisely what Hamas is unwilling to give. Over the years, most Arab countries have been getting closer to the West and Israel. Egypt, Jordan, UAE, Bahrain, Morocco, Sudan, and other Arab countries have successively signed the ‘Abraham Accords,’ entering a phase of diplomatic normalization with Israel.
“Recently we have seen another major Arab player, Saudi Arabia, nearing the end of its diplomatic normalization talks with Israel. If Saudi Arabia abandons its hostile stance towards Israel, Hamas’s influence in the Arab world will become insignificant. They will gradually become an irritating presence. Hamas is in a state of extreme anxiety! Therefore, they chose to launch a terrorist attack on Israel at this critical moment when Saudi Arabia and Israel were about to sign an agreement. They knew that Israel would surely respond firmly to such a brutal attack. The tragic situation of the Palestinians will lead Arab countries, whether out of empathy or a sense of Muslim solidarity, to condemn Israel.
“This will naturally halt the normalization process between Saudi Arabia and Israel, allowing Hamas to continue maintaining its status as a leader in the struggle. Therefore, the following point can also be boldly predicted: Even if Israel compromises and concedes, the people of Gaza are unlikely to achieve peace. This is because Hamas does not allow peace to exist. Not only does Hamas not allow peace, but it also does not allow the civilians of Gaza to live normal lives, insisting that ‘the people of Palestine should obey the call of Allah and martyr themselves in the annihilation of the enemy nation.’
“Hamas founder Ahmed Yassin said: ‘Using suicide bombs is the democratic right of any Palestinian, and Israelis only understand this kind of democracy.’ Hamas does not permit any voice of sympathy for the enemy, nor does it allow the existence of moderate centrists. Many moderate Palestinians have been executed simply for not declaring support for Hamas. So, based on the above assumptions, we can draw a conclusion: Even if Israel no longer attacks Gaza, as long as Hamas exists, Gaza cannot become a normal state and the Palestinians in Gaza cannot lead a normal life.
“This conclusion is evident from those overseas Palestinians who sympathize with Hamas. Although they shout slogans with all their might, I have never seen any of them voluntarily return to Gaza to join the fight with their compatriots. Why? Because they, or their parents, had fled their homes in the first place in order to avoid a painful fate. They were either born or arranged by their parents to go to a rich and stable foreign country. Their support for Hamas is indeed out of concern for their homeland, but isn’t it also accompanied by a sense of moral superiority inherent to the underdog? That’s all there is to it.
“They will not give up their comfortable lives abroad, they will not forsake the conveniences of secular society, and they will not return to Palestine, not even if Gaza becomes completely autonomous, because they know what it means to live under Hamas’ rule. As for Palestinians in Gaza, you elected Hamas, and you supported Hamas’s violent approach. Since you chose Hamas, you must bear the consequences of their actions, good or bad. Supporting Hamas in annihilating Israelis means being prepared for a life-and-death struggle, so when you are attacked and people die, don’t cry and complain. Don’t be weak and yet love to play; if you lose, don’t be a sore loser.”