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

[Doubtfulso]

I’ve got a close friends wedding in Israel in 2 months and I am a bridesmaid. She is Israeli and so of course having her wedding in her home country.

I need to book the time off work now, and I work in the kind of company where everyone asks where you’re going or where you’ve been when you book leave.

there’s a lot of anger and strong feelings against Israel at the moment, and I’m worried that colleagues will turn against me or start treating me different when they know that I’m going to Israel.

would I be unreasonable to lie and tell them I’m going somewhere else, or should I be honest?

Obviously you should be able to tell the truth with no fear of any snide comments, but that is such an inflamed conversation at the moment and if your workplace comprises colleagues with natural sympathy to the other side in the conflict I would probably try to avoid the confrontation. I don't think it should be necessary at all but it's just one of those things I'd accept as best not spoken about. And I'm not someone who is bothered by confrontation in the slightest - it's more to avoid everyone else having to deal with it.

I wouldn’t say I was going to Cyprus in case something happened in Israel, flights were cancelled, and you had to explain to your bewildered boss that you were going to be delayed due to events in the Middle East. It would look shifty.

Just tell the truth. If you’re genuinely ok with going, why not be upfront 🤷‍♀️

Referencing the holocaust in relation to the Israel/Gaza conflict is generally considered to be anti semetic.

Whatever you post on MN is picked apart. NOBODY IN THEIR RIGHT MIND would deny what happened during the holocaust. Sorry - wrong wording because I was trying not to offend, so used the official definition. Won’t make that mistake again. Fucking awful thread.

There was literally no need to make any reference to the holocaust though was there?

I learned the hard way. Some time ago, something totally inconsequential (I thought) I said in passing, was used against me, about which I found out much, much later. It was very detrimental for my career, very damaging.

@LBFseBrom

"I fail to understand why they cannot just peacefully co-exist"

Because Hamas doesn't want to.
It wants Israel gone. There have been countless attempts at peace deals.

I find it unconscionable that a race of people such as the Jews, who have suffered through history and were the target of attempted genocide by the Nazis, should find it so easy to subject another race to this kind of treatment.

Nothing antisemitic at all about comparing "the Jews" to the Nazis, nope, nothing to see here.

Gaza will be gone long before Israel at this rate.

I wouldn't use the Holocaust in this way

Indeed. Hamas, and the PLO before them and Hezbollah also. Most of the Middle East is a place of Jew hatred and they want Israel gone. They’ve shown this again and again.

And who's going to be doing your work while you're stuck there? Could be several weeks.
As a manager I'd take a dim view of employees travelling to warzones for unnecessary reasons. I'd turn a blind eye for family but not this.

You know, if it all goes well, there'll be zero issues. You'll be there and back, claiming to have been to Cyprus, no problem.

But if the situation worsens the truth will come out and you could lose your job if you're away for too long. Unless you're in a field that finds it hard to recruit.

There’s a particular reason why Orthodox Jews may be anti-Zionist. It’s nothing to do with disapproving of the actions of the Israeli government, being pro-Palestine or whatever. It’s a religious stance.

OMG that’s awful @Doubtfulso Of course you should go What a terrible experience for your friend.

Murdering scumbags Hamas.

Also adding OP you might want to check your employer's policies.
Ours require a note made for travelling to places against FCDO advice. We don't need further authorisation but some workplaces do.

We have quite a few people working as Army Reservists who go on deployments, when I worked for the NHS people travelling for doctors without borders or similar.

I can work from anywhere remotely, so will be taking my laptop. No issues there.

How can you be guaranteed a stable internet connection 😂

@scorpio931
Guinea pig - no connection to New Guinea or pigs.

But thanks for pointing out you narrow-minded views. It’s pretty clear.

Peace to all :)

And who's going to be doing your work while you're stuck there? Could be several weeks.
As a manager I'd take a dim view of employees travelling to warzones for unnecessary reasons. I'd turn a blind eye for family but not this.

That’s quite a prejudiced attitude. Do you police your employees going skiing or water-skiing, or mountain or rock climbing on their private holidays? Or doing anything risky which could incapacitate them.

Because they could easily be injured and unable to get back to work for several weeks.

It’s no business of yours where someone goes when on approved vacation leave.

I think you have to tell the truth if you are going to go, and let people have their opinions whatever those may be. The fact remains that an unprecedented (in this century) number of babies and children are being slaughtered by that country currently and it has galvanised people - quite rightly. It is the largest mass murder of children in our lifetimes and it is happening now, so of course people are going to feel a bit weird about the country whose name it is being carried out in. You could always say “I feel weird about going” when it comes up. If indeed it does (and you do).

No, just about Israel. Strange.

The op doesn't have to say if she prefers not to. She can just say she's going to a friend's wedding and then change the topic

People are likely just asking out of politeness and don't really care that much

Same here

I think so too.

However, op, you have to weigh it all up after reading all the advice about travel to and from Israel at the moment, of which there is quite a lot. That's more important than caring about what your colleagues think, the majority of whom probably won't think anything.