⸻ Artistic Freedom and Political Oppression in Palestine and Beyond



     Although Sidney SN wasn’t arrested for his art and support from the best DnB labels or artists, the international community became aware that he faced issues, oppression in Czechia due to his art and the support he received from top drum and bass labels and artists, or because he like Westside countries. Yeah, and he also faced violence during a post-pandemic event. I could even draw a parallel with techno DJ Sama Abdulhadi, who faced restrictions — and was even arrested — in Palestine. In terms of what was planned with Czechia within conquering of Westside countries, Czechia, otherwise, could be like a “Gaza”—especially during 2023 I had these thoughts. 

While international attention rightly focuses on Israel’s actions, less scrutiny is given to the legal violations in Palestine. Both the Palestinian Authority (PA) in the West Bank and Hamas in Gaza have consistently undermined the rule of law, suppressed dissent, and violated the basic rights of people.

The case of Sama Abdulhadi (Sidney supported her in a petition), a prominent Palestinian DJ, offers a telling example. (1) Despite receiving official approval to hold a peaceful cultural event, she was arrested following public outcry driven by religious conservatives. Her detention wasn’t about legality — it was about political and religious appeasement. This incident revealed a deeper problem: that even within a national struggle for rights and dignity, those very values can be denied for people in Palestine. 

Freedom of expression, artistic freedom, and civil liberties are often casualties in both the West Bank and Gaza. 

Hamas has not held elections since 2006, and the PA has repeatedly postponed democratic processes. Arbitrary arrests, torture of political opponents, and suppression of civil society are commonplace. These actions violate the very international norms that Palestine appeal to in their demands for justice.

Moreover, Hamas’s targeting of civilians through rocket attacks indisputably constitutes a war crime under international law. The use of indiscriminate force — no matter the justification — is a violation of basic legal and ethical standards.

Here lies the central contradiction in the Palestinian position: demand international accountability for Israel — which is entirely legitimate — while failing to apply those same standards internally.

Yeah, Israel, as the occupying power, bears a heavier legal and moral responsibility. But that does not absolve Palestinian people from their own obligations under international laws, including civil liberties.



  (1) In 2020, Sama Abdulhabi was arrested after performing a livestream event — legally approved. No laws were broken. Yet she was detained for days, accused of “violating public morals,” simply because her art clashed with conservative religious sensitivities.


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  The Netherlands, along with countries like Belgium, Ireland, and Spain, has seen large-scale public protests supporting Palestinian rights, especially during escalations in Gaza. The Netherlands and parts of Western Europe are more publicly and culturally supportive of Palestine — through protests, cultural expression, and some governmental critique of Israel. Czechia, on the other hand, remains one of the most pro-Israel societies in Europe, both publicly and politically, with far less space for pro-Palestinian voices. How big theme is Palestine in Western Europe, this is a voice itself for peace in Palestine from one of the Dutch biggest techno event—Awakenings. At Awakenings official website is statement, “Leading human rights organizations such as Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch, as well as the International Court of Justice, have stated that the Israeli army is plausibly committing war crimes against the Palestinian people and even genocide in Gaza. These are not distant reports. They are real and happening now… We stand firmly against any investment in companies complicit in this genocide... As a small but tangible step, we’re donating 50% of all guest list contributions at this years’ events to Oxfam Novib, specifically supporting those affected in Gaza.” Maybe approaches in Czechia towards Israel-Palestine conflicts are compare with that Czechia is not as united or solidly pro-Ukraine as some portrayals suggest. There are significant pro-Russian voices, especially in politics and parts of the public. Western Europe, including Germany and the Netherlands, has shown more sustained, structured, and less politically contested support for Ukraine.