Is anyone's mental health affected by simply reading about the horrors of October 7th

@thinkfast @ProvincialLady1 I absolutely have empathy for anti-Semitism. I present as white-ish, I have Jewish ancestry (although I don’t know much about who they were, but it was something I found out), multiple people (both Jewish and not Jewish) have assumed I’m Jewish. My two best friends are both Jewish. I was even abused by the parents of one of my friends at school for being Jewish, despite not being Jewish, simply because of how I look!

Even though I present as white-ish, as soon as I explain where my parents came from, and I am “outed” as a secret ethnic minority, I have been on the receiving end of everything from the classic “go back home” (thanks, but I was born here) to being told by a work colleague that my parents must “have a sob story of arriving here on a banana boat” - one of my parents is indeed a refugee, so that was a fun one to navigate.

My two best friends have been my best friends for 15+ years, and something that we first bonded over, time and again, is having to make self-deprecating jokes in order to feel somewhat accepted. Our experiences are very similar.

With all that being said, I am absolutely tired of this concept that all dissent against the Israeli government is as a result of anti-Semitic feelings that have had a chance to take hold.

I absolutely agree that there are racists amongst us, but to suggest that one of the worst humanitarian disasters in recent history, with a disgustingly high death toll of kids and babies, is only being so vehemently criticised is because of latent anti-Semitism requires such cognitive dissonance that I truly find it hard to fathom. That’s without even mentioning the oppression, torture and routine killing and detention of Palestinian kids that came before this.

How can you justify their suffering in your head and call it legitimate?

A little 6 year old kid was stabbed to death for being Muslim in the States. His mum barely survived her wounds. The killer used to be their friend, but listened to a large amount of right-wing talk radio prior to killing a child; his neighbour. There have also been other Muslims killed and hate crimes against Muslims off the back of this. Muslim women who wear hijab are very clearly “marked” and are prime targets for this.

So this is happening to both Muslims and Jewish people. People must unite, rather than turning inwards to only their own community and living with fear. Only those in power will stand to benefit.

I am so sorry people have made you feel shit for being Jewish, but for the vast, vast majority of us, this isn’t that, and if/when those people pop up, we’ll all tell them to fuck off!

I read the same. Poor man

Just because you fail to understand, doesn't mean there is 'no other reason you can come to your conclusion'. There have been scores of verified antisemitic incidents in the past few weeks (far more if you include online activity), so that would be one reason to feel that way. Another is that there actually is a difference morally between deliberately murdering and torturing civilians, and taking military action to destroy the terrorist infrastructure which is an existential threat to your country. It doesn't mean the value of people's lives is suddenly measured on a score board.

@Milkandhoneybees please examine your own biases before you question mine.

Many posters on Mumsnet and on other social media platforms and in real life blame Jewish people and hold Jewish people responsible for the actions of the Israeli government. As far as I can see, the only possible reason to attribute blame to Jews for this is Jew hatred/antisemitism. Conflating Jews and Israelis is a classic example of antisemitism.

By all means criticise the Israeli government if you wish (but please then criticise Hamas too). But no one should be scapegoating Jews for Israeli government actions - and plenty of people are.

Where did you read this? Please link to your source if you're going to make these kind of statements on MN.

I read a report somewhere that one of the first responders to the massacre on 7 October was so traumatised that he has killed himself. I can't even imagine how awful it was and to see the rise of antisemitism in the West is horrific

@Irishwelshetal I've never seen antisemitism referred to as a "vibe" before, but you know what, it's an absolutely perfect descriptor of much of the casual antisemitism I've encountered or seen over the last 10 years, particularly among the left.

This. My feelings and thoughts.

No, it didn't affect my mental health. I got emotional , I still do, but it's nothing compared with what the people that are in the war are going through. I'm safe, I'm waking up in the morning, I have heat, food, water, health....

I was horrified by what human beings are able to do and surprised to see other human beings looking for excuses. I found the debate around beheaded babies appalling. Does it matter?! Babies were murdered intentionally, does it matter how?! I am still disgusted about that. Nothing, absolutely nothing justifies murdering a baby or child, kidnapping a baby or child.

Nobody cared about Palestine Israel conflict 2 months ago. Most of the people didn't even know where they are. Even now, most of them just follow the crowd and crave to be included, without having a clue of what's happening or why.

It makes me sad to see masses of people in Europe, America, Australia calling for Jews to be killed. In the year of 2023! Worse: it's called freedom of speech. But telling a man in a dress he's not a woman is hate speech

Nobody cares about the Armenians now, or Afghans, or Christians in Nigeria, or Christians in Nicaragua, or minorities in China, or many other horrific events happening around the globe. Because media doesn't care about them.

The Israeli government and IDF have killed 3,500 kids and babies in 3 weeks.

But your conclusion is that it’s because everyone hates Jewish people?

The only way that you can see the world that way is if you truly do not see all lives as equal. 30 to 40 Jewish child deaths on the 7th October is immeasurably more important to you, than nearly 4,000 Palestinian child deaths. That’s without noting the ones that are suffering the horror of mangled little limbs, no anaesthetic, no food, no clean water, the constant sound of death and destruction, and those who are slowly dying whilst being trapped under rubble.

There is simply no other reason that you can come to your conclusion.

At least try examine your own biases and prejudices. Please.

Yep. shit isn’t it?

I've just read something absolutely horrific. I can't get the image out of my mind now. I know every war is horrible and people die. But torturing babies is a whole other thing.

Thanks for your comments. It means a lot. The answer is easy though, many many many people hate Jews. That's the simple reason behind it.

It's made me feel so sad. I'm not Jewish but I hate, and I can never understand why, Jewish people are always blamed for everything and made to be scapegoats. I hate it so much.

Yes and she knows some of them personally! Do you honestly expect people to be equally upset about what happens to strangers as to what happens to people they know? That's just not how people operate.

This, 100%

Personally, after reading a zillion of these threads on the war - unlike any other level of interest in other wars - and reading much ignorance, I’m shocked at the vibe of antisemitism that seems to be rife.

perhaps that’s why so many people are getting involved in voicing their feelings about this war - a chance for their latent antisemitism to emerge

You don't come across rape claims from the massacre in October, or you don't believe the rape claims from the massacre in October?

Rape, genocide put me in distress. I really dint come across rape claims fro Hamas attacks. So I am more distressed with Genocide. Why Israelis haven't been against atrocities in West Bank and Gaza before 7 th october ???

You don't have to watch the news either

As I said upthread, I've stopped watching the news.

You don't have to watch the news either.

There are about 32 going on right now. Involving ethnic cleansing, genocide, rape , killing children, all the same stuff and yet no one gives a shit

But you don't see these on the 10 o'clock news. I could probably very easily seek out reports and images of the other genocides but I'm truly not inclined to. Every one of them is tragic and inhuman, I don't think anyone would disagree with that.

For a start, this conflict has caused more child deaths than the conflicts in the rest of the world combined for the whole year, in just 3 weeks. More child deaths than the world total in each of the previous few years as well. So this can't really be conpared to other conflicts right now.

See this is what I don't get. It isn't just Israel / Palestine. This isn't the only war. There are about 32 going on right now. Involving ethnic cleansing, genocide, rape , killing children, all the same stuff and yet no one gives a shit.

BUt suddenly all of you would find it difficult not to be affected by this well why don't you say that about all the other wars?

It's so odd. Most of you don't have skin in the game and it's just self indulgent emoting.

I am horrified by the atrocities on 7th October however I'm not about to start making it about myself by claiming my mental health is affected.

Where were you and are you over all the other wars going on right now?

tbh I feel pretty awful for everyone there and I think it’s natural to find it extremely distressing. But I tend to keep my language and my thoughts on this not too emotive, it doesn’t actually aid discussion and it feels a bit self indulgent to emote about it all over the place. I completely understand when people who have family in the region do though, those people can emote away.

I've found the videos and photos to be horrifying and I can't see them anymore.