You’re Still Not Listening to These Palestinian Voices

The responses to my previous article, You’re Just Not Listening, illustrated the very dynamic it described: when Palestinian voices challenge our assumptions, many people find reasons to dismiss them. Some readers accused me of infantilizing Palestinians; others insisted Palestinians are inherently untrustworthy or violent. These reactions expose the mechanisms that silence Palestinian diversity and prevent meaningful engagement with what Palestinians actually say.

The most revealing responses fell into two opposite but equally silencing patterns. One group accused me of the “bigotry of low expectations,” arguing that Palestinians are fully responsible for their leaders and circumstances. In this view, suggesting they are silenced is infantilizing. The other group insisted Palestinians are inherently hateful or genocidal, and therefore their words cannot be trusted. Both positions erase Palestinian agency: either Palestinians are children who must be corrected, or they are irredeemable and therefore irrelevant. In both cases, listening becomes unnecessary.

Historical Blind Spots and the October 7 Test           

Some readers argued that Israel was pressured into recognizing Arafat and the PLO, which is true—but this sidesteps the consequences for Palestinians themselves. Local leaders in the West Bank and Gaza were pushed aside when the PLO was imported and declared the sole representative. This erased alternative leadership and entrenched a system that still suppresses dissent.

Others demanded to know where the Palestinians I quoted “were on October 7th” and whether they condemned the massacre. I also want unequivocal condemnation. But requiring Palestinians to pass a moral test before being heard becomes another form of silencing, especially in environments where speaking freely can be dangerous. As one commenter noted about Gaza, Hamas punishes dissent brutally. Acknowledging this reality does not excuse silence—it explains it.

The Distrust Trap and the Responsibility Paradox

A recurring theme was the insistence that Palestinian speech cannot be trusted. Critics argued that Palestinians say one thing publicly and another privately, or that only Arabic‑language statements reveal the “truth.” This creates an impossible standard: if Palestinians contradict your assumptions, they are lying; if they confirm them, they are proving your point. The conversation ends before it begins.

Another paradox emerged: Palestinians are told they must choose better leaders, yet critics acknowledge that moderates who try are branded collaborators, ostracized, or killed. Palestinians are held responsible for producing moderate leadership while living under systems that punish moderation. This denies them the basic right to speak without fear.

Engagement That Takes Palestinians Seriously

Not all responses were dismissive. Some readers asked thoughtful questions about tribalism, pan‑Arabism, and how to distinguish authentic voices from performative ones. These questions assume Palestinian voices exist and matter enough to wrestle with. That is the difference between engagement and erasure.

Beyond Comfortable Narratives

I do not claim the voices I documented are representative. I claim only that they exist—and that ignoring them distorts reality. Palestinians, like any people, hold diverse and sometimes contradictory views: some blame Hamas, others blame Israel; some want a state, others fear what a state would become; some speak of resistance, others of compromise; some want independence, others want stability above all.

Recognizing this complexity does not require abandoning one’s political commitments. I have not abandoned mine. But any sustainable solution that protects Israeli lives and interests must begin with an accurate understanding of Palestinian diversity. Approaches that depend on Palestinian uniformity are built on a fiction.

You cannot solve a problem you refuse to see clearly. And you cannot see clearly what you will not allow yourself to hear.

You can read the full in‑depth Substack version of this article here.

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