To have reservations about a friendship with a woman who refers to Israel's actions in Gaza as a genocide?

[Oodiks]

I like this woman a lot, but we have very differing world views, specifically her belief that Israel is committing genocide in Gaza.

We work at a university and were coming back from lunch together when she commented that she was pleased the protestors hadn't come back. I agreed, noting how nerve wracking it must have been for Jewish students on campus to run the gauntlet of pro-Palestinian / anti-Zionist posters in the encampment.

We'd been talking about the American election over lunch, and I thought we'd agreed that Kamala Harris was the better candidate for her views on climate change, if nothing else, but then my 'friend' commented on Biden/Harris sending arms "to support the genocide" and I was left kind of speechless.

Am I being unreasonable to feel unsure about continuing this friendship?

What part of it do you not think is genocide? You're the one with the worrying views.

Yes I'd proceed with caution. I don't agree it's a genocide either, but those who do are fanatics. They won't listen to ANY other points of view.

If it's not a genocide, how would you call Israel's actions in Gaza?

Oh I see they've arrived already!

@Oodiks , Mumsnet is awash with anti Jewish sentiment and thinly veiled antisemitism. I’d put my hard hat on if I were you.
By the way this person’s statement would put them firmly in the not for me category.

44,000 people dead. That’s a lot of people.

The international criminal court has an arrest warrant out for the Israeli prime minister

One of the accusations is genocide

I think your friend is correct and you should listen to her

Change the subject? We are all appalled at what's happening over there. People label it differently. Not worth falling out over.

Ofcourse it's a genocide. Your friend is the one who should be having reservations about you for downplaying it.

Considering what is going on as wholesale murder of thousands of people under the guise of combatting terrorism, is not anti semitism, it is anti evil. In just the same way as those that carried out the attack on the music festival were evil.

Exactly

In what way is being critical of a state’s specific actions the same as being anti-Semitic?

https://news.un.org/en/story/2024/03/1147976

Do you have some insight that's unavailable to the UN?

How do you describe/ consider the more than 40,000 dead and 90% of the population displaced OP?

You're the red flag here I'm afraid.

How exactly does bombing the hell out of a land indiscriminately so that everyone knows someone who's died not constitute genocide? The population is literally been being decimated as we speak

Actually, I think quite a lot of the people who stand with Israel on this are simply uneducated on what’s happening. I’d bet the OP doesn’t actually understood what is happening and simply thinks Israel equals good, Gaza equals terrorists and any other opinion is purely down to antisemitism.

It's currently alleged genocide as it's under investigation. However Israel have been found guilty of Apartheid and there are open plans for ethnic cleansing.

A modest estimation of deaths in Gaza is over 40,000 and that includes thousands of children. Thousands of Palestinians are being held in Israeli prisons with no charge and there is evidence of torture and rape.

Is it the specific term genocide you object to, or just their overall opposition to what Israel is doing?
Would you accept 'crimes against humanity'? Because that's fairly incontrovertible by international law standards.

It's tricky because there are arguments for calling and not calling it genocide. Both make sense. There are thousands of casualties, gaza had been blockaded and Palestinian leaders have used wildly questionable terminology that leans towards genocidal. Equally it is an ongoing conflict and I'm not sure that there's 'proof' that there is specific intent to destroy all Palestinians. Either way it's a horrific humanitarian crisis.

I have seen posters say that the UN is anti-semitic too so get your hard hat on.

In no way at all.