Chatting with Chatgpt about why non-violence has not worked for Palestinians: Baquer Namazi

Me:  Non violence succeeded led by Gandhi and Martin Luther King. Why is it not working for Palestinians? 

ChatGPT said:

There’s a hard truth here, and I’ll walk you through it with the same clarity I’d offer a friend seeking to understand a painful, complicated reality.

Non-violence can work for Palestinians — the problem is not the philosophy.
The problem is the conditions in which it is being practiced.

Let’s break this down carefully.
1. Non-violence works only when three ingredients exist

Every successful non-violent movement—Gandhi’s, MLK’s, Mandela’s—had three crucial elements:

A. A unified leadership committed to non-violence.  Gandhi controlled the strategy of millions.
MLK and the civil rights movement had disciplined training to resist provocation.

B. A political opponent sensitive to global opinion.  Britain needed international legitimacy.
The U.S. government cared about its image in the Cold War.

C. Media visibility and public sympathy.  Images of peaceful protestors, dogs, hoses, salt marchers, jail notebooks — these moved world opinion. Without these three, non-violence cannot fully do its work.

2. Palestinians have rarely had all three conditions.  Not because they don’t want non-violence — many, many Palestinians do — but because:

A. Fragmented political landscape. Fatah, Hamas, Islamic Jihad, independents, civil society, diaspora groups — all with different methods and goals. A unified disciplined non-violent command has never truly existed, and the factions that commit violent acts overshadow peaceful actors.

B. An adversary that does not feel pressure to respond to non-violence.  Israel has overwhelming military and political power, strong security doctrines, and powerful global alliances. Even large peaceful protests (e.g., Great March of Return in 2018) were met with force but did not significantly shift Israeli policy, partly because:

• Risks of appearing weak in Israeli politics are high.
• The public sees almost all Palestinian movements through a security lens.
• U.S. political support reduces the cost of harsh responses.

C. Media framing and global attention.  Palestinian non-violent activism does exist — hunger strikes, village demonstrations, boycotts, legal petitions — but:

• Violent incidents (even by small groups) dominate headlines.
• Peaceful actions rarely get sustained global coverage.
• Narratives are quickly polarized into “security vs terrorism,” leaving no room for Gandhi-style moral storytelling.

3. Non-violence also fails when daily life is marked by structural violence. This is a critical point people often ignore.

• Non-violence demands space:
• room to organize,
• to mobilize crowds,
• to get arrested in ways that create moral pressure rather than mass casualties.

But Palestinians live under conditions of:

• occupation checkpoints,
• military law in the West Bank,
• blockade in Gaza,
• settlement expansion,
• weak internal institutions.

Under these pressures, discipline for a long-term non-violent campaign is extremely difficult to maintain.

4. Non-violence has achieved results — just not decisive ones

There are successes:

• Court cases stopping land seizures,
• Grassroots protests slowing settlement routes,
• Prisoner hunger strikes forcing negotiations,
• International civil society mobilization.

But these are incremental, not transformative.

5. Bottom line

Non-violence is not failing because Palestinians are incapable of it.  It is struggling because the environment does not give non-violence the leverage it had in India or the U.S.

And yet — when a unified, sustained Palestinian non-violent movement does emerge, with strong leadership and global moral backing — it remains the most promising path to a just resolution.

If you want, we can go deeper into:

• how non-violent movements succeed under occupation,
• comparisons with South Africa,
• or what conditions would need to change for it to work in this conflict.

Just tell me which direction you’d like to explore.

You said:
tks; I will share with friends committed to peace and justice with a focus on protection of all children everywhere

ChatGPT said:

I’m glad it resonated. And the intention you’re carrying — protection of all children, everywhere — is the compass that keeps conversations like this humane and constructive. When you share it with your friends, you might find that this framing helps open hearts rather than harden positions:

• Begin with shared values: safety of children, dignity for both peoples, rejection of extremism.
• Acknowledge suffering on all sides without equating blame.
• Keep the focus on what enables peace, not only what obstructs it.
• People committed to justice often carry heavy emotions about this conflict. Your steady voice can help create a space where understanding grows instead of collapsing into anger.

If you need a short version, a version for discussion groups, or a version tailored to your audience, I’m here.

You said:tks. yes

ChatGPT said:

Certainly. Here’s a short, clear version you can share with friends who care about peace, justice, and especially the safety of children on all sides:

Why Non-Violence Struggles in the Palestinian–Israeli Context (A brief version for thoughtful, peace-oriented audiences)

Non-violence succeeds when three conditions exist:

• Unified leadership committed to peaceful strategy
• An opponent sensitive to global opinion
• Clear media visibility and moral sympathy

Gandhi’s India and MLK’s America had all three.  For Palestinians, these conditions have rarely been present:

• Leadership fragmentation (Fatah, Hamas, civil society groups) limits disciplined, unified non-violent action.
• Israel’s political and military strength, and strong alliances, reduce the pressure that moral resistance usually creates.
• Media narratives focus on violence, overshadowing long-running peaceful efforts—such as village protests, hunger strikes, and legal campaigns.
• Daily realities of occupation, blockade, and political division make it much harder to sustain a long-term, organized non-violent movement.
• Still, non-violent efforts do exist and have achieved incremental wins, even if not yet transformational.

A just future for Israelis and Palestinians will ultimately depend on leaders and communities who protect all children, resist extremism, and choose dignity over revenge.

If you’d like, I can prepare:

• an even shorter version,
• a more emotional, human-centered version,
• or a policy-oriented version for diplomats and experts.