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?

the stats are totally proportionate? proportionate to what?

How is Hamas' demand unrealistic or stupid when Israel has done it before? In 2011, Israel released 1000 Palestinian prisoners in exchange for one Israeli solidier (Gilad Shalit) so why wouldn't they do so now in exchange for 100 Israeli hostages?

In the way that they can't really justify Israel's actions so the shout "look, antisemitism" to make everyone look away.

Any criticisms of Israel does not make the personal submitted, that’s true.

However, claims that Israel is committing genocide when it’s not, are particularly cruel to the country that’s inhabitants almost familiar with genocide. When you add to that the fact that a number of worst conflicts around the world are ignored by all the people who are condemning Israel you start to see a picture.

this picture is existed throughout history

Oh, you do see conversations about that? Well, that’s reassuring and convenient..

Could you link to a couple of them from Mumsnet for example?

I mean, oldies Noble worthy people on this thread I surely also posting about Russia, right?

Most will disagree with most of your friends on some things.

It was an atrocious act this time last year that escalated the continuing conflict between Israel and Gaza. The Palestinians should have encouraged the perpetrators to surrender instead of hiding in among their civilians. Israel's leader has gone WAY too far but also some on the Palestinian side speak like terrorists and call for more days like 7th Oct!

In those parts there will always be war and unrest.
So glad that I do not live there. I will never visit that region.

I feel sorry for every child and peaceful family (probably 99%) caught in the conflict.

Why would there be protests about Putin? The attacks on Ukraine was fairly universally condemned by the population, and the government and the population of this country even opened up their homes to Ukrainian refugees with the help of government aid and safe passage over the border.

There would have been protests if the government was supporting Russia in the same way that it supports Israel and ignored the plight of the Ukrainian refugees like it does the Palestinian ones.

10s of thousands dead, loads of them children. Hospitals, schools and refugees camps blown to bits. Water cut off, medical aid denied (and even international aid covoys destroyed with British aid volunteers killed) if it isn't a genocide I don't know what is.

I’ve cut off a group of friends who always were a checkbox of far left lunacy but their “me too, unless you’re a Jew” attitude broke our friendships.

It was like looking through a glass to an early 1930’s gathering of German academics. Blank, fanatical faces completely devoid of humanity and absolutely convinced that their abhorrent views were fine.

I'd just like to assert that in relation to this thread, I do not believe there is a friend, a lunch, or any concern over a continuing friendship.

But Israel is actually committing genocide. It is in the process exterminating a whole ethic group, the Palestinians - you know the ones who actually used to live in the current area called Israel. Because the inhabitants are familiar with genocide, one might think for that reason alone they might actually be able to define it. That is actually what is cruel.

Well said and I would add. Murdering the future generations families like is happening now, will do nothing create peace in the area. Only create more future terrorists on both sides.

Totally agree with all these fabricated stories to keep the agenda going.

Blank, fanatical faces completely devoid of humanity and absolutely convinced that their abhorrent views were fine.

I agree. It's horrific how people are justifying atrocities.

While I disagree with the lengths Israel are going to, I don't see many people at all who are afraid to condemn them, being concerned about being labelled antisemitic doesn't seem to be a concern.

It's a war, started by the terrorist regime Hamas a year ago today. The antisemites seem to be out in force.

It's actually shocking how ignorant people are about international law

https://ihl-databases.icrc.org/en/customary-ihl/v1/rule14

You are wrong, I had lunch with a woman I like and want to be friends with, and she raised the issue as we were walking back to our respective offices. I was so disconcerted I came here to think it through.

But you believe whatever you want.

How can a war exist between a country and a small enclave of people with no citizenship of any country which enclave is totally controlled by the country allegedly at war with it? There would have to be an independent Palestine before there could be a war with it. And an independent Palestine wouldn't be so stupid as to start such a war.

Why would they repeat the same mistake? Freeing 1000s who went back to Gaza to continue their terror campaign.

Israel withdrew from Gaza and left greenhouses behind. The people smashed them up. They left irrigation systems, and Hamas made rockets out of them.

How do you see this invasion ending?

Wow, that’s educated me. This genocide must be particularly terrifying for the 2 million Israeli citizens who are Arabs, 1.6 million who are Israeli Muslim. They must be desperate to renounce their Israeli passports and escape across Israel’s borders to freedom and to avoid this genocide. Surely they would be the first to be rounded up. I can’t understand why we are not seeing this exodus. Here was I believing that the 2 million Arab Israelis had full citizenship rights, filling out positions all through Israeli society, including politics and the Israeli Supreme Court. But it’s actually genocide.

My deep concern is that it could be the end for Israel and where do the Jewish people go? Back to Europe where pro-Palestinian marches have become common and attacks on Jews and Jewish concerns are rising? Back to the Arab lands they were kicked out of in 1948? Where?

In proportion to population, 40,000 in Gaza would be equivalent to three-quarters of a million in Ukraine.

Anti Jewish sentiment - so whatever atrocities Israel commit they can never be called out as that makes the rational person seeing the death toll statistics in front of them just anti Jew?? That’s just a very clever ploy to avoid accountability and play into anti Arab sentiment in the West. I think the opposite is true / the US will support Israel come hell or high water and Israel’s actions in Gaza and now in the Lebanon are barbaric. No issue with Jews but their past of persecution does not render them the perpetual victim in every circumstance - here they are the perpetrators.