Forcing a Palestinian or ally to first denounce someone or something before they can self-advocate or even be treated with respect.

What are some examples of this?

• “You must denounce x before I will listen to you” or forcing Palestinians to apologize or criticize Palestinian actions as a precondition to respect

• “Do you know what they would do to you in Gaza as x?”

• Creating a dynamic where anyone who cares about Palestinian humanity must first perpetuate anti-Palestinian stereotypes in order to be able to advocate for them.

What are the impacts of this?

• These demands are disrespectful and hurtful to Palestinians, as no other oppressed group would be asked to do this;

• This also leads to frustration, flustering or discomfort for Palestinians because it’s an unfair reality for them, but by setting boundaries and refusing to participate, they can also face negative consequences, so it’s lose-lose;

• The mainstream media stays incredibly hostile to Palestinian voices, because this question is seen as a standard and acceptable question to ask every Palestinian, despite its racism, leading to white people speaking on behalf of Palestinians as a ‘safer’ alternative;

• This also creates a suppression of mutual understanding because many Palestinians will self-select out of media engagements that they feel will be racist or harmful to Palestinians, and rightfully so.

What are some responses to this?

• Palestinians deserve the chance to advocate for themselves and share their unique hopes and fears without having to perform their acceptability for non-Palestinian audiences;

• We can’t hold entire groups accountable for the actions of some, this is a universal rule and Palestinians are not the exception;

• No other identity would be so consistently told to denounce their government/fighters in order to be heard;

• This phenomenon only leads to more misunderstanding and division as the mainstream media loses credibility and favour with those who support Palestinian human rights.