Why humor may be the best way to destroy Hamas

Our people have used comedy to cope for centuries, and learning to laugh at our enemies not only keeps us going.

By ZACH SAGE FOX FEBRUARY 6, 2025 12:38

Hamas terrorists stand guard on the day of the release of Keith Siegel, a US-Israeli dual national hostage held in Gaza since the deadly October 7, 2023 attack, as part of a ceasefire and a hostages-prisoners swap deal between Hamas and Israel, in Gaza City, February 1, 2025. (photo credit: REUTERS/MOHAMMED SALEM)

Let me start by saying there is nothing funny about Hamas. There is nothing humorous about the over 1,200 innocent Israelis they brutally slaughtered and raped on October 7.

Nor is there anything funny about the hostages they held captive for almost a year and a half, only to release them in the most theatrical propaganda display a terrorist group has ever conducted—turning their suffering into a grotesque spectacle reminiscent of The Hunger Games. 

But because these events are so disturbing—almost beyond belief—it has been nearly impossible for them to receive proper coverage or analysis from social media and, of course, the often antisemitic mainstream media. Some of this is intentional, as certain outlets refuse to contradict their preferred narratives.

Another factor is the sheer horror of the footage—thousands of bloodthirsty Palestinian men swarming each female hostage release, trying to kick, spit, and take selfies with them. Then there are the chilling images of children in Hamas headbands, brandishing machine guns, while chanting, "Death to the Jews." This footage, captured by Hamas itself, is so disturbing that many people simply cannot process it.

Yarden Bibas and Ofer Kalderon. (credit: MAARIV)

I, too, struggled to bring this reality to the masses—until I had an idea. I realized that the cowardly, masked terrorists could easily be lip-dubbed to say whatever I wanted.

That is, the fear of showing their faces, fortuitously means we can satirically make them say whatever we want like the proxy puppets they really are.  I quickly created a voiceover parodying the Palestinians in these horrific videos, using humor to satirize the glittering hostage parades, which couldn’t have looked less like people suffering through genocide. I also highlighted the complicity of the Red Cross and the sheer stupidity of students worldwide who have aligned themselves with blatant terrorists. The video hit one million views in 24 hours. For the first time, I was reaching non-Jews—people who had never seen this footage before.

As Hamas’ hostage parades escalated, becoming even more ridiculously theatrical—complete with gift bags for freed captives, forced smiles and waves, and top-of-the-line production budgets featuring drones, steady cams, and literal film sets—I continued the series. The reach grew into the millions.

Satire as a tool for truth

Not only has satire been an effective tool for me, as a comic-turned-reporter, to spread the truth about what’s happening in Gaza, but it has also become a coping mechanism for Jews, Israelis, and allies of the West who are deeply disturbed by what they have witnessed from Hamas-controlled Gaza.

I started doing stand-up comedy when I was just 13 years old, so humor is second nature to me. But to see satire be so effective in turning actual jihadist propaganda into a joke has been, without a doubt, a source of light in this time of darkness. Then again, that is why Jewish humor exists. Our people have used comedy to cope for centuries, and learning to laugh at our enemies not only keeps us going—it helps us tell our story in a way that resonates to audiences outside the echo chamber. 

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Since we all have access to phones and editing tools, I encourage you to try the same. There’s a fine line between parody and reality, and sometimes, humor is the most powerful weapon we have to fight misinformation.