AIBU to worry about telling colleagues that I’m going to Israel?

Why lie? If somebody says anything say you're not going to bring war ammunition you're simply visiting a friend fgs

Just how drunk were you last night?

Got to respect the effort though. Crammed a lot of them in, while retaining a outwardly pleasant colloquial tone.

Unless it's family of Netenyahu then remind any colleagues who make xenophobic comments that a blanket hatred of other countries is xenophobia and will be reported to HR.

Think you may have missed out a couple of anti semitic tropes there.

I might look shocked when you say where you are going but 100% thatbwould be me being concerned for your safety x
I'd probably ask if you thought it was safe/sensible to go! I wouldn't judge you negatively.

The term “antisemitism” was coined by German writers to refer to their own opposition to Jewish people and culture. It was basically a term that sounded more formal and respectable than “Jew-hatred”.

”Semitic” is obsolete as a racial category. It’s only used as a linguistic one now, and it refers to languages like Arabic and Hebrew. So, indeed, Arabs are also “Semites” in the sense that they speak a Semitic language.

But the term “antisemitism” was never intended to be a general catch-all for opposition to all peoples who speak Semitic languages. It has, from the first, been used exclusively for anti-Jewish sentiment. It has a specific meaning that doesn’t only rely on the meaning of the parts that make it up.

It’s like how “homophobia” is fear of homosexuals. But if you just took the etymology of the parts, you could argue that it means fear of sameness, or of identical things. That’s a literal translation of the parts that make up the word, but it doesn’t capture what people actually mean when they use the word.

They should. Hamas are terrorists.

Just go and have a wonderful time!

Naive. Also untrue.

It's equally terrifying how passionate supporters of Israel try and police the use of the word genocide. It's insane the situation in Gaza is genocidal BIBI has stated 1 state solution. Likud can state views that mirror, in exact terms, the views of the nazi. My point is the situation is nuanced. But please, if your mate 9r colleague says their hoong on a piss-up for a mate, don't get sanctimonious. As though OP is responsible for Bibi's genocidal intent. Look we are all living in the UK lets knock (bow) our heads and give thanks to god (or whomever you look to in times of stress and silliness)

Your arguments are not intellectual. They have a non-factual, Immature understanding of geopolitics. You are a Maga supporter screaming nonsense in pseudointellectual terms. It's the intellectual dishonesty people are pointing out.

How could Israel be killing more babies in our lifetime when our lifetime includes Russian bombing? Cambodia mass murder, Sudanese genocide and child soldiers. There are members of this site who spread misinformation.

1. "The Hamas atrocities of last year- this was one small part of an ongoing conflict"

You did diminish 7 October

2. Sure I expressed some frustration about the naivety of many people believing whatever figures Hamas releases, but there was a serious point made - one which you clearly do not want to respond to

Don't try to distract from what you said by making this about my tone.

I'm not 'diminishing' anything, and 'got it' ....not really, I don't see the need for the flippant tone.
You clearly want a scrap with someone -sorry I'm not interested.
Happy to discuss the ins and outs of the events in the Middle East, not interested in arguing with someone who replaces intellect and reason with insults.

Yes, Israel has killed 14,000 children and absolutely no men of fighting age.... Make sense,.got it.

And 7 October was a very significant, horrific event where women in particular were terribly raped,.brutalised and.murdered, don't diminish it.

Do you always laugh at people who have a different political opinion to you? That's a rather odd reaction, and doesn't make for an adult conversation.
Unfortunately the Arab-Israeli conflict wasn't started by the Hamas atrocities of last year- this was one small part of an ongoing conflict in which both sides have done terrible things. Safe to say you can't say one side 'started' it- that sounds like the language of a primary school child.

I think you've mixed up the West Bank and Gaza, but it's well-documented that the IDF is turning a blind eye to land theft and murder committed on a daily basis by the illegal Israeli settlers in the West Bank.

How about yes to both Hamas returning the hostages, and Israel making amends for the 14,000 children the IDF have killed in Gaza?

And yes, I am partly Jewish, and I also happen 'to have a lot of solidarity with our Jewish community' not just right now, but always.

@0@pleasehelpwi3 that is a stupid thing to say. Hamas started it and it's Israel keeping it going? Laughing at you right now.

Why would Israel back down when there are still hostages being held on the West Bank?

Why would Israel stop something they didn't start? How about Hamas give the prisoners back and then start maybe Israel will be talking about peace.

And no I'm not Jewish. I just happen to have a lot of solidarity with our Jewish community right now.

And the IDF always tell the truth?

Well that’s a one dimensional view. There are myriad reasons for the US to express support for Israel (while at the same time working to broker peace), not least the question of what would happen to Israel if the US, UK etc stopped backing it.
This is why I feel uncomfortable when people call for an end to arms to Israel. I oppose arms in an ideal world but pragmatically speaking they won’t disappear overnight. Countries that are under frequent attack from their neighbours because of their ethnicity and religion cannot just be abandoned by the rest of the world.

Syria

Well it would be virtually impossible I would have thought!

Sudan has an unprecedented number of murdered, displaced and malnourished children. I now can’t work out if people are being anti semitic by singling out Israel or racist in seeing African countries as places where people innately and inevitably behave violently.

We don't have reliable figures about child deaths in Gaza as the entire state is controlled by Hamas, who lie, and have been shown to lie, about this. So it is a pointless discussion.

Netanyahu is keeping this war going as he knows as soon as the war is over, Israeli civil society will want him out....
You think the far-right religious fundamentalist settlers throwing Palestinians off their land in the West Bank want to peacefully co-exist?

Who has murdered more children in a 21st century conflict?