Sinwar's death may trigger Israelis: NBC
3 Min Read
Though the comparison may be uncomfortable for many Israelis, it’s not unreasonable to expect that Sinwar’s last stand will inspire future generations of Palestinians, writer Shira Pinson said.
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This still image from video from the Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF) shows a heavily damaged building with a person the IOF identified as Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar seated in a chair in Rafah, Gaza Strip, on Wednesday, Oct. 16, 2024. (AP)
NBC News published an analysis by writer Shira Pinson on Friday, drawing attention to the striking imagery and potential legacy of Yahya Sinwar's final moments as depicted in dramatic footage released by the Israeli Occupation Force (IOF).
The video shows Sinwar, the leader of Hamas in Gaza, severely injured but still fighting, covered in dust with his right arm appearing to have been blown off.
Pinson contrasts this scene with that of the figure of Joseph Trumpeldor, a Zionist fighter of Russian origin who partook in the ethnic cleansing of Palestinian villages in the early 20th century.
Trumpeldor lost his arm during his military service, but not in the battle of Talha where he later died. He lost his left arm while serving as a soldier in the Russian Imperial Army during the Russo-Japanese War (1904-1905). Despite this injury, he continued to fight and later moved to Palestine to fight against the Palestinian people.
He was killed in 1920 in the battle of Talha, and his reported final words, "It is good to die for our country", became a symbol of Zionist sacrifice and patriotism. Over time, Trumpeldor became a national icon in "Israel", with streets, schools, and monuments named after him.
Sinwar's martyrdom to remain imprinted in Palestinian memory
Pinson suggests that while Trumpeldor has become an Israeli 'hero and symbol of courage', inspiring countless children and soldiers to be in his image, the potential legacy of Sinwar’s defiance in his final moments may also resonate within Palestinian collective memory.
Though the comparison may be uncomfortable for many Israelis, it’s not unreasonable to expect that Sinwar’s last stand will inspire future generations of Palestinians, Pinson said.
"And the drone footage released by Israel showing it will likely serve as a digital monument to Palestinian resistance," Pinson concludes.
Read more: Sinwar may be dead but Hamas lives on: Foreign Policy
Earlier today, Israeli journalist Zion Nanous published a tweet suggesting that the release of Yahya Sinwar's final moments by the IOF might unintentionally elevate his image among Palestinians.
"A strange decision, to say the least, to release the video of Sinwar's final moments. Instead of the last memory of the tyrant being a still image of him dead, humiliated in the rubble with a hole in his skull—the final image of him in the eyes of the Palestinians is akin to Trumpeldor: wounded, without an arm, but continuing to fight until his last drop of blood. What good does this serve?" the tweet read.
החלטה מוזרה, בלשון המעטה, לפרסם את סרטון הרגעים האחרונים של סינוואר. במקום שהזיכרון האחרון של הצורר יהיה תמונת סטילס בהריסות מת מושפל עם חור בגולגולת- האימג׳ האחרון שלו, בעיני הפלסטינים, הוא סוג של טרומפלדור: פצוע, בלי יד אבל ממשיך להלחם עד טיפת דמו האחרונה. בשביל מה זה טוב?
— Zion Nanous (@zionnenko) October 18, 2024
