To wonder why so many pensioners are supporting Palestine Action, even willing to risk prison for it ?

It's quite simple to me.

As I said, a question was asked and I answered it.

To make it even more simple.

There are two protagonists in this unfortunate ongoing saga.

One party's stated goal is to be left alone.

The other’s party's stated goal is the slaughter of all the other previous party's citizens and the total anihilation of their state.

No prizes for guessing which is which.

Thinking that Israel has the right to exist as a Jewish state isn't the same as supporting it in stealing and killing people?

I think you are misunderstanding what Jews mean when they say they are Zionists.

I believe that Israel have stolen and killed. I believe that the majority of Jewish people stand with Israel as their homeland. Many videos and posts are available to watch on this. It’s not a secret.

Hamas have also killed and are awful fucking evil group. Please don’t forget my point was why they were voted in.

You think that the majority of Jewish people think that Israel has the right to steal and kill? Can you point to the data on this?

Yes. It has a right to exist. Not steal. Not kill. But I also believe every Jewish person is entitled to their view. So it’s not something I’d argue. Just pointed it out.

Questions in this case are never straightforward or simple. We’re not in a court of law. Its mumsnet.

@Sometimeswinning I believe the majority of Jewish people have a very strong opinion about the whole thing which I disagree with.

That Israel has the right to exist? That's the only opinion I can think of being recorded as belonging to a majority of Jews.

The question was "how did the conflict start ?"

I have answered the question that was asked.

If you don't like the answer, ask the correct question.

Ah so they settled and claimed independence on their own land. No one was displaced or killed for this? No one was made homeless?
This didn’t follow with years of taking and claiming extra land?

Just checking in with your “keeping up to speed” because there is a slight gap between 1948 and 2025.

@Anonymouseposter "They are actually engaging in peaceful protest."

Errrr, no.

www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/crime/palestine-action-protest-london-police-b2821455.html

Because they see the suffering in Gaza and know that if the government labels a younger person as supporting a terrorist organisation it will affect their employment and travel in the future but as pensioners there aren’t the same implications for them. They are actually engaging in peaceful protest.

If the protests are about free speech and not about the proscription of Palestine Action, are people protesting for the freedom to support proscribed terrorist groups then? If so, why?

@Sometimeswinning "I’d love to know when and why you believe this conflict started?"

This was discussed on another thread but to keep people up to speed :

On May 15, 1948, the day the British Mandate over Palestine ended, the armies of five neighbouring Arab states invaded the new State of Israel, which had declared its independence the previous day.

And Arabs have been attacking and killing Israelis ever since.

The only difference now is that they call themselves "Palestinians" and we have Yasser Arafat (who was Egyptian BTW) to thank for that.

I think you have missed an obvious point.

IRA, Hamas. Why do either of these groups exsist? I think both are fucking vile. I’m not so stupid as to understand why they exsist. You are of the position you have never needed a terrorist group to save you or fight your cause.

I don’t protest but I’m with the Palestines. I believe the majority of Jewish people have a very strong opinion about the whole thing which I disagree with.

I’d love to know when and why you believe this conflict started?

Oh for the laughing emoji !

@Plantatreetoday "The last one suggested people who demonstrated hadn’t got a clue what they are doing"

So why was someone carrying a "ban the bomb" placard? I can only just remember those so the protester is obviously really old and senile !

The protests are about free speech? How do you square that circle?

This posters love to put people down. The last one suggested people who demonstrated hadn’t got a clue what they are doing

They've got nothing else left but to insult people

Ignore.

58 yr old here too 😁

ps
Free speech is worth demonstrating for
Probably the most worthy of causes

I'd rather they were protesting about something actually worth it.

Because whether Palestine Action are correctly designated a terrorist group or not (and that's for the courts to decide), they're a shitty mix of Hamas supporters, thugs and idiots who plan to continue attacks our national security. That's not really something I can get behind.

But the poster said 'it's not so much the support for Palestine but the antisemitism and disruption' that was the problem.

Which it is. When people say 'antisemitism on the marches', they mean antisemitism on the marches. But someone will always say 'criticism of Israel isn't antisemitism'. Why did you think the poster thought it was, and weren't in fact referring to actual antisemitism?

A lot of old people are anti-semitic IMO.

What do you think I was doing? I’m a working class person, from a council estate, state educated who has worked since I was 16. I’ve been a paying tax now for 42 years. And employing people who also pay tax. I’ve brought up two working adults who also pay tax. I’m not sure what your point is! I still feel passionate about causes. I still care. I still have time to care.

Portraying me as some feckless work shy wastrel says more about you then it does about me.

I applaud people who still have the energy to be active for causes they care about.

signed, 58 year old socialist activist.