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?

Yes I do, same way the Iranian government coined the term islamaphobia to try and silence criticism of it's horrendous behaviour. But pp above me has put it more eloquently, using fear of being labelled antisemitic to shut down criticism. I don't deny that antisemitism has increased more widely but I think there's a pretty obvious explanation for that

I'd be worried about my safety in Israel and wouldn't go for that reason. That's the only thing that comes to mind.

I am extremely critical of Israel's policies and have been for many years.
But if my dear friend from Israel invited me to the most important event of her life, in her home country, surrounded by her favourite and most important people, I would have no problem telling friends and colleagues I'm off to Israel to celebrate my friend's marriage.
You're not Bibi or Ben-Gvir or the rest. You're just a person going to your friends wedding. Mazel to your friend and have a great time. I sure hope things calm down by the time you go. That would be great for the whole planet, but mostly for the Palestinian and Lebanese people who are suffering the unfathomable.

So what percentage of people who report antisemitism are lying do you think? Last I chrcked rates are up 50% from the same time last year, so fifty percent of teports are about people being critical of Netanyahu? How many of thr Jewish people who are scared to go about their day are simply frightened of people criticising a foreign government? The increase in damage to Jewish property, the increase in threats to Jewish schools, the vandalism of Holocaust memorials, that's just because people don't like what's happening in Gaza is it?

What's that then?

See my previous post.

I don't deny that antisemitism has increased more widely but I think there's a pretty obvious explanation for that.

Yes, the explanation is that antisemitic cunts feel more free to be antisemitic cunts.

As if anti semetism didn't exist before 1948....

No it’s not.

On point.

Even the Amy winehouse statue was vandalized. I don't recall her being an outspoken supporter of Israel or even saying anything about them? It was the fact that Amy was proudly Jewish so the statue features a star of David which some people deemed objectionable. But yeah it's totally just about Israel and gaza 🙄

some people are just being wilfully ignorant at this stage if they deny that general anti semitism plays a big part in what's been going on lately.

No I wouldn’t say where I was going. I don’t even tell people at work I’m Jewish any more and I’m as secular as it gets.
I’m sick of listening to people opine about things they don’t understand using language that they think disguises or mitigates their antisemitism. My great great grandparents who changed their name to appear less openly Jewish would surely be upset to know it’s still something that some of us feel we have to hide.

The black British experience can testify that the Israeli government is hostile to us. Ignore the poster who discounted the other person. The current government has members who openly call my people animals. I in no way support the big baby bibi BBB. But that would stop me from going to a wedding. Find an Israeli on the other side or in the airport if you're nervous. But be careful not to choose as Israeli, who will become enraged that you may have been offended and, though being about 85 and 5 feet, visibly prepare themselves to attack the border guards. Trust me, pick a millennial and a chill person.

Discretion is the better part of valour in this case I think.

Do you understand what Zionism is? And that the majority of Jews support it in some form?

I try not to get involved in these types of threads for obvious reasons. But having had a Socialist Worker seller screeching in my ear about the need to eliminate Zionism, I’m curious to know what people imagine it to be.

My great great grandparents changed their Polish Jewish name to one that still sounded rather Jewish when they came here...
I disagree that you have to be an expert to have an opinion on the Middle Eastern affairs, even if does help. I wonder if you'd call my opinions- totally in favour of Israel's right to exist within its pre-1967 borders, and totally against Hamas terrorism and Israel's completely over-the-top response to it- anti-Semitic?

Not at all. I can’t think why I would?

When I was travelling to a place I knew I would get judgment and/or concern for travelling to - but not, I stress, a country whose regime is before the courts for genocide - I didn't tell people at work. I couldn't be bothered with judgment/concern or questions as to my risk appetite (working in a conservative organisation). I just said I was spending some time with my mother in Hampshire - something so supremely uninteresting nobody asked anything further

I can only speak for myself, I am very much against the actions of the Israeli government and the atrocities committed by them and the IDF. I can only hope I see Netanyahu and his cronies seriously punished in the international courts for what has happened, and even then it wouldn't bring back all the innocent people they have killed.
I wouldn't have an opinion on anyone going to a wedding in Israel, if your friend is Israeli it makes sense to have her wedding there. I wouldn't relate the event to the actions of a government at all.
Would I go there myself? I'd have to say probably not, as I wouldn't want to indirectly show support through tourism and paying into the economy, but each to their own.

I would definitely not say this. Hope ‘everything calms down’….it’s a genocide not a few protests. This would rub ALOT of people up the wrong way by minimalizing the situation.

I would just be honest and say why you’re going and nothing more

I've seen it used as one on Mumsnet.
I've heard illegal West Bank settlers say that anyone who disagrees with killing Palestinian children ('future terrorists') being Hamas supporters (C4 news interviews within the last year).

YANBU

Its sad how everyones antisemitism has flared up recently, Israel is such a beautiful country and I hope you have a lovely time and stay safe 💙 🇮🇱

In the interests of accuracy, Israel is not “before the courts for genocide”.

The one thing we can all be sure of in this terrible, tragic situation is that anyone who thinks you can pick a side is a fool.

Great- I've had these views described as anti-Semitic before on Mumsnet!

Like I say, it’s such a complex situation and so ridiculous that people see it as having a right and wrong side as though you could just hop over the road to the supposed right side of history.
Netanyahu is monstrous and there’s a fair argument to say he’s acting as he is to avoid future prosecution and loss of power. But Hamas is equally appalling. I try to stick to the facts and avoid too much emotive rhetoric, including the misuse/premature use of the term “genocide. That kind of behaviour plays straight into the hands of the hate mongers who would see us divided.

In the interests of balance, whilst what the IDF is doing is clearly committing war crimes at present, Israel is the only democracy in the Middle East right now. Many people on this thread who have said they wouldn't travel to Israel due to not wanting to support the Israeli economy, happily and without thought buy things from China. Of course, that country has a far worse human rights record (I include myself in this bunch of hypocrites).