Why Anti-Israel Protests Are Fading In The Arab World — But Not In The West

Updated March 2, 2024 at 12:20 p.m.

-Analysis-

CAIRO — At the beginning of what they believe to be a “genocidal war” in Gaza, social groups from all walks of life across the Arab world have showed solidarity with Palestine against Israeli brutality. That has included those speaking out on social media platforms and speeches by public figures, not to mention through public demonstrations and protests across the region, specifically in front of Embassies of Israel and the United States.

But over time, as the war entered its fifth month, the momentum of solidarity, whether individual or collective, has notably declined. Why?

The answers begin with a fundamental factor related to the nature of social media platforms, which allow all segments of society to express their positions. The solidarity of anonymous users, as well as public figures, emerges across various fields, including sports, arts, culture, and beyond.

The Gaza war gave more space to the most famous figures on social media, the “influencers,” by interacting with the war through written posts, video clips, or even through media appearances on Arab and foreign TV channels.

Prominent figures such as satirist and stand-up comedian Bassem Youssef and activist Rahma Zein were invited as guests by British journalist Piers Morgan on his news program. Though their participation initially had a wide resonance, as the war continued, the flame of solidarity declined and media appearances within the official media faded.

Youssef was perhaps the sole exception, with the Egyptian comedian and talk show host continuing to participate in various podcasts in the U.S.. He attributed the invitations to the fact that he had become an American citizen with the right to vote.

There is no doubt that there is a state of frustration in the Arab world with the political intransigence and impotence, whether in Israel or in Western capitals that support the war and refuse to stop arming Israel or support a cease-fire. The sense of impasse has begun to weigh on the region.

But the matter is not only political. In some cases, the notion of “solidarity” was mixed with the “performative,” or even propaganda. As the war dragged on, those showing solidarity with the Palestinians began to focus on themselves: media appearance and number of page views on their social media pages.

Siding with Gaza in the age of digitalization has become closer to an event, through which the activist, who shows solidarity, becomes famous, a hero, a celebrated person, a public figure. Losing a sense of true solidarity is a real risk, because that goal had already been achieved, and that point no longer needed to be made as the war continued.

Egyptian protesters jailed

Aside from social media, there are real-world ways of expressing solidarity. While protests have been widespread and consistent in Western cities such as London, New York, and Washington, things are different in the Arab world. Such activities represent a collective act that included protests in the streets, and in front of embassies, especially the embassies of Israel and the United States, in countries such as Egypt and Jordan. But such protests are quickly controlled by security authorities.

Security forces broke up the demonstrations and arrested dozens

In Egypt, security officers arrested dozens after protesting for Palestine. On Oct. 20, demonstrators stormed Tahrir Square in Cairo, shouting in solidarity with Palestine, and criticizing the Egyptian regime’s policies regarding the war on Gaza.

Security forces broke up the demonstrations and arrested dozens of people from the streets and others from homes. They have been jailed since then.

Jordanian crackdown

In Jordan, security forces cracked down on activists holding vigils and protests in solidarity with Gaza. They also prevented protesters from approaching certain places. Jordan’s regime was able to dismantle these demonstrations into simple vigils that did not have the same significant impact as it it did at the beginning of the war.

This oppression corresponds to the suffering of people in their daily lives, especially in Egypt, plagued by an economic crisis and inflation. In recent weeks, video clips have spread of Egyptians protesting about skyrocketing prices.

Indeed, deteriorating living conditions have come to overshadow solidarity with Palestinians or holding public protests against Israel’s genocidal war on Gaza.

Repression, coupled with the peoples’ daily sufferings, has led to an almost complete end of demonstrations in both Egypt and Jordan, because of the repeated detentions and forced disappearance of activists.

Growing accustomed

But perhaps more important is exhaustion and sense of futility. People have been sharing images of killing and destruction for many months, hoping to affect, in one way or another, the policies of their Arab regimes towards Israel’s war in Gaza.

People return to their daily lives

As the war drags on, people have become accustomed to killings, displacement, and starvation. Despair and defeat have swept through their souls, due to the images of human and urban destruction in Gaza.

Inevitably, people return to their normal daily lives. This has become evident in people’s practices on social media where posting and sharing events about the war in Gaza has clearly decreased. Posts about personal activities, sharing family pictures, and personal achievements has returned to the Arab world.

Why is it different in Western cities, where anti-war protests continue in both the U.S. and Europe? Part of it can be explained by the repression and intimidation of governments in the Arab world.

But there may be something deeper. Perhaps what explains the fading of pro-Palestine protests in the Arab world is not just the oppression and fear and intimidation. People in our region were already living with a sense of despair and defeat rooted deeply in their consciences. In the face of such entrenched pessimism, not much is left for trying to stop this genocide.