That civilian non-combatants should be protected

 Or the dictatorship principle. Choose one

failure to uphold (and clearly state) the principle that civilian non-combatants should be protected undermines solidarity with the Palestinian people and represents a betrayal of the Palestinian cause.  Nor does recognition of this principle go against the principle that the Palestinian people must have the right to choose their own leadership.

 

The failure of Hamas to take relatively simple measures to protect civilians in the October 7 action--represented a gift to the most genocidal elements within the ruling circles in Israel, and made it possible for them to murder more than half a million residents of Gaza with relative impunity.  Failure to acknowledge this has largely crippled the ability of activists to defend the Palestinian cause online.