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

This isn't a comment on the politics but it is the same with Just Stop Oil and extinction rebellion, it was apparently much easier for them to get older people to do some of the more extreme actions than younger people. I think the founder even spoke about the psychology of it that at that age people are in transition looking for new identities, purpose, meaning and social belonging. Also for many a sense that they had less to lose. A young person just starting out or an adult in mid life with a family might not feel able to risk being arrested or prison but an older person is more likely not to have a boss to appease or a family to support.

I think the founder of just stop oil / extinction rebellion was quite clear that they operated in such a way to draw these people out and essentially use them to their organisations ends in a way that seemed quite mercenary and to be fair he went to prison himself for a year and clearly felt that the situation was so dire that the ends very much justified the means.

Ah so there IS a hierarchy of Jewishness- good to know where we all stand thanks

World War 2 ended 80 years ago so anyone old enough to live through it would now be at least 81 like my MIL who can't actually remember the war as she was 5 when it ended.
People in their 60s did not live through the war. We really need to get away from this narrative of "pensioners" as part of the generation who resisted Hitler because that's not the case.

sabababa ·
"My experience is that for most claiming to be Jewish, its usually one grandparent or similar and people who dont menaingfully participate in Jewish cultural or religious"

Which shows that your experience is very limited.

My comments were on topic, unlike yours as self-appointed thread police.

Watch you trying to spin the narrative?

And you quoted me because...?

I dont think the pensioners we see represent the vast majority of pensioners in this country. Palestine action is trying to make itself look respectable by making the oldest (as well as disabled people and people with any kind of jewish connection, no matter how tenuous) the most visible. Its very clever actually. Hamas and Hezbollah should take note.

I am a tad younger but was proudly joining anti Nazi marches in the 80s. And - who knows - maybe I still do ?

Or even whcih genocide?
Apparently there is only one (which is trendy at least)
What are they going to do now theres a ceasefire?

Nope not what I said. But if youre gonna be wheeled out as a token Jew it'd be good if you actually had participated in jewish communal life.

Of course there's a massive difference in what it means to be Jewish between someone who is ultra orthodox, for example, for whom Judaism permeates every aspect of their day to day lives versus someone who maybe had one jewish grandparent and lives a totally assimilated life but suddenly remembers that they have some jewish heritage as it fits their agenda and boldly then states 'As a jew, I support Palestine Action blah blah'
Big difference.

Do people imagine Palestinians heading to the voting booth weighing up whether to go Green or Hamas or Monster Loony party?

Not according to this -

https://www.al-monitor.com/originals/2025/07/why-are-gazans-not-getting-sorely-needed-aid

What genocide ?

Oh so there’s a hierarchy of Jewishness? And according to you some people just aren’t Jewish enough?? Who knew?

Errr, @ThreeDeafMice ‘s maths is way off.

The costs of arrest, court time, processing etc will be more than a £1k fine per person, and it adds up to £1.5 million, not £15m

My experience is that for most claiming to be Jewish, its usually one grandparent or similar and people who dont menaingfully participate in Jewish cultural or religious life but find it convenient in this context to be the token jew. Thats not to say there aren't a plethora of opinions within the jewish community (as within israel too) regarding gaza and the decisions of the israeli government but those who would support an extremist movement like Palestinian action would be the minority of the minority. The vast majority of British Jews are zionist (in the original meaning of the word, not the slur its been twisted into)

It’s always Mandela that’s cited. Always.

Never the Baader-Meinhof Group, or the Black September Organisation, or the Red Brigades or FARC narco terrorists. 🙄

Not your thread. Thread topic is pensioners. I'm talking about pensioners. Don't like it, start your own thread.

Oh and they’ll all remember that at one point Nelson Mandela was apparently a terrorist and understand that that popular opinion changes so it’s best to go with your own internal morality.

But that’s not what they’re protesting. They’re protesting in support of a pro-Hamas terrorist organisation. And Hamas surely take some responsibility for the deaths of innocent Gazans since 7 Oct.

As PP have said, they could easily march in support of Palestinians affected by war but that’s not what they are doing- or maybe they mistakenly think they are, hence the phrase ‘useful idiots’.

Just guessing here but I’d guess because they’ll have seen the story of Israel and Palestine unfold over decades, so they’ll understand that it didn’t just start two years ago. They’ve also seen this shit happen in other countries in different news cycles so they’ll recognise what is happening. Many of them might even be old enough to remember when the world hoped this would never happen again and they’ll have seen enough terrorist acts to recognise what is and isn’t terrorism when they see it.

Perhaps they see the deaths of 12,000 innocent children as worth protesting. Surely the question should be “why don’t you?”

I see my "topic" has sadly gone whooshing over your head.

Where do they live?