Anyone who thinks that Sunday’s national strike is anything other than a mass tantrum is delusional. It certainly isn’t helping the hostages. In fact, such displays of malaise and hysteria have been serving to encourage Hamas since before it launched its horrific invasion of southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023.

Today, on the heels of the Cabinet decision to take over the last terrorist strongholds in Gaza—and in light of reports that Hamas might be willing to renegotiate the ceasefire proposal put forth by U.S. special Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff—the attempt by the protest movement to shut down the economy is worse than counter-productive.

Indeed, the only effect such a strike can have is to convince Hamas that its intransigence works to cause a societal schism in the state it aims to

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