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?

The war in Israel has been going on for goodness knows how many years but people still go there for holidays and enjoy. The conflict takes place in certain areas, not everywhere. My ex neighbours go every year, his family is there. One of my ex-colleagues went for a holiday, churches arrange religious themed guided holidays/tours and other folk travel to and from Israel for business all the time and come to no harm.

I'm sure there will be no comments, there's no need to lie or to fear. Just go and have a good time.

OP, I'm not sure whether you've been to Israel before but just wanted to give you a bit of friendly advice before your trip.
If you happen to be non-white and (to a lesser extent non Jewish), please allow yourself extra time for clearing immigration and getting through passport control. Be prepared for some extremely invasive questioning - particularly around financial stuff, details of and Arab or Muslim sounds contact names stored in your phone and so on.
I've been a regular visitor over the last 20 or so years (work related) and I'm not white. I'm from a black Carribean background and have no involvement in anything political. Without failure, I get "randomly" selected for the special treatment each time... Same happens to a few of my black Jewish friends from Ethiopian backgrounds who are settled in London but visit Israel.
I've watched with curiously each time...It goes like this:
Flight lands and yellow-vested security personal are scanning everyone disembarking the flight. Anyone non-white or visibly Muslim (even if white) are "selected" to be taken away for questioning.
So, just wanted to make you aware of this.
A cursory google search of "harassment in Tel Aviv Airport" would yield countless stories.

Ridiculous isn’t it ? I’ve seen many comments on many different SM sites including MN from Jewish people expressing their opposition to what the lsraeli government is doing. So Jews are anti - semites too according to this poster.

Honestly, who gives a sh*t op? Israel is a beautiful country. Enjoy the wedding 🙄

Why would you judge her? Serious question.???

This argument is very tiresome and not particularly original

Thanks for your advice.

I am white and have been a number of times to Israel before to visit my friend. I have also been grilled extensively and questioned for long amounts of time, so will be prepared for it. I expect it will be even more intense than usual this time around with everything going on!

This was covered several pages ago. Why are you coming across as so aggressive?

Antisemitism is at an all time high worldwide. 😞

OP, it sounds lovely that you are there for your friend.

Just bear in mind that they may be at a brink of an even bigger war, and there may be curfews and changes to rules regarding social activities in a couple of month’s time. She might also be scared herself to be setting a wedding in such turbulent times, especially if things escalate and involve other countries.

I wouldn’t even mention to work friends, especially with a risk that it may be cancelled.

Triple check your insurance. Getting cover for a country actively engaged in a war isn't easy.

If there are any comments about Israeli Government/ Military committing Genocide, have the grace to understand that is NOTHING to do with a totally different topic of anti-semitism. The two are not mutual, that is a sensationalist trap designed to deflect from Genocide.

You've decided to go so best stand by your decision. Pretendng that you're going somewhere else would feel uncomfortable and you might get found out. Say whatever has made you decide to go, eg 'this is a very close friend and much as I deplore what is going on in that part of the world, I want to be at her wedding.'

It may be we are using computers which were made using forced labour. Today’s equivalent of concentration camps. A sort of genocide. So, we are all sanctimonious hypocrites if we go on about how virtuous we are while typing away on our gadgets made by forced labour . We probably do what is within our comfort zone, so no sweat off our backs at all. I wouldn’t go to Dubai or Saudi Arabia either, for a variety of reasons. Or pick another spot I don’t have to go to. What a great girl am I?

Presumably if you have Israeli friends and loved ones you wouldn't care less about anyone who is a Palestinian supporter?

Completely agree... you can call out genocide and war crimes, without being antisemitic. So sick of any criticism of Israel and its abhorrent actions being cast aside because every last one of the critics are apparently just being antisemitic 🙄

You say that like there hasn't been a sharp rise in antisemitism in the past year.

One poster on this thread implied that either Israel isn't a legitimate country or Hamas and Hezbollah aren't terrorists. Which is quite antisemitic.

@Doubtfulso Well done for supporting your friend - my response to colleagues would either be the truth or " Going to a wedding" and not entertain any further questions.

Have a wonderful time at the wedding.

Another boring tiresome argument....that apparently anyone who criticises Israel is called an anti semite. It's just not true. And like a pp said anti semitism is at an all time high and anytime we try to call it out we are told it's not happening.

In all honesty, id be concerned for your safety. I wouldn’t think anything bad about it.

What a load of nonsense you're spouting and that's being polite.

I wouldn’t judge at all and neither should anyone else.

If you were a close friend I might ask you if you really expect to actually be able to get there given what might be happening in the region in 2 months time.

Very true though