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?

People get killed because Israel drops 2000lb bombs on refugee camps in the hopes to catch one terrorist that they think they saw. Or they think they saw someone with a gun so bomb an aid convoy multiple times. Guess what? It turned out it was someone holding a bag. That level of carelessness with Palestinians lives is why so many are dead. They bomb with impunity and commit massacre after massacre in the guise of self defence.
And to add insult to unjury their soldiers (IDF) video themselves committing war crimes and upload on social media for their fan bases.

Weird how foreign medics working in Gaza hospitals say they've never seen any militant activity but have seen children dying on a daily basis, isn't it?

Many people who disagree with you are setting out thoughtful, evidence based arguments, including the views of Israeli citizens and journalists.

You just come out with childish insults.

there we go. Like I said.

”it’s not our fault for bombing that hospital, it’s the people’s fault for being in it, and if it turns out they weren’t Hamas but innocent civilians (like children) well that’s not our fault either because they were ‘human shields’.”

See how that works?

I wouldn’t fall out with a friend over differing political views, no. If nothing else, that’s how we end up in an echo chamber. Either discuss your views withe each other, have a respectful debate and one or both of you might learn something, or stay away from the topic.

This is shocking. It should definitely put an end to the lie that the IDF is the 'most moral army in the world'.

I think part of the reason there are less protests is because people have generally accepted that Putin's, for example, actions are wrong yet some how people don't think that a state that has killed over 40,000 people and displaced 90% of it's population are doing anything wrong. It's absolutely baffling.

This. Olmert took over from Sharon and tried to enact Sharons’ policy of withdrawing from the illegal settlements. He was called anti semitic and accused of not having the interests of the Jewish people at heart as a result. He was making headway with his goal of a two state solution by 2010 when the negotiations were derailed by allegations of corruption, which he denied, stating he would step down if enough evidence was found to charge him. It was, and he did. Once he stepped down he went to trial and was acquitted on two of the three charges and received a suspended sentence on a lesser charge. He was subsequently indicted for allegedly taking bribes to advance construction projects, when he was Mayor of Jerusalem. He strenuously denied these charges too, but was convicted and sentenced to 6 years. The sentence was later reduced to 18 months, and subsequently declared unsafe, and he was paroled after serving 16 months. Witch hunt ? I couldn’t possibly comment.

Israel justifies its continued bombardment of civilians by claiming Hamas is using them as human shields, as they fire rockets from civilian areas. Several investigations have concluded that this in itself isn’t shielding as defined by international law, but Israel continues to see the people of Gaza, not as citizens, but as human shields, and as such fair game. Meanwhile all the international community can do is call for moderation. Calls which, so far, have fallen on deaf ears.

I can’t make it make sense. It’s terrible.

The alternative is that terrorists can commit whatever atrocities they like and then position themselves in residential areas, schools, hospitals secure in the knowledge that they are safe from capture or reprisal. I can’t make that make sense either.

I am certainly not a fanatic and I believe its genocide. Claiming those of us who think that are "fanatics" is a lazy way of silencing dissent (along with claiming anti semitism)
I do listen to other points of view and I have nothing but sympathy for those affected by the awful attacks on October 7th last year, I also believe that Israel has a right to defend itself BUT I do think what they are doing now is genocide.
In your colleagues shoes though OP I would have been more circumspect as the view isn't without contraversy and you have every right to decide not to be friends with her

The IDF were found to have abducted Palestinian civilians and used the as human shields during their operations. Total contravention of international law.

They aren't in hospitals according to actual medics who are actually there and have no reason whatsoever to lie.

Also the ID HAVE attacked schools and hospitals! So why on earth would they think they're "safe from capture or reprisal"?

They are not made safe by positioning themselves in these areas. Using civilians as human shields doesn’t protect them, it just makes the civilians legitimate targets. And several investigations including that of Amnesty International have found no evidence that Hamas’ use of civilian areas for military operations actually fits the description of human shielding under international law. Yet the bombardment continues.

The point is that they would be, if the IDF acted as many people say they should, and never attacked "civilian" targets!

Interesting that this thread has ended up in a debate about Israel rather than the issue at hand - can you be friends with someone who has differing political views…

The UN is antisemitic according to a post on another thread.

Then why do they position themselves there, thereby making their own civilians legitimate targets? Does that not make them culpable?

They aren't legitimate targets.

Mass displacement
Let's be very clear
Mass displacement occured since 1948
When Christian villagers were forced out of their homes and killed just because they had been at home.
There citizenship was stripped away despite living their for generations
It's an apartheid regime that started over 70years ago.
It's like me saying .. my ancestors lived in Nottingham so now all those with my belief will travel to Nottingham and drive all the people out. When they want to come back I will say they have zero citizenship but people will my belief can travel across the globe and claim the right.
This is still going on. Christians are getting thrown out and their land in Gaza is being sold to Americans and Canadians etc. outrageous. Doesn't end there. You run to a refugee camp and guess what. It gets set on fire. You go to your church. Guess what it's attacked. You don't know where to go.

The above scenario has been going on since the 1940's.

And numbers
Are you actually kidding me
18000 children in Gaza dead .. it's actually more than that. Way more. Oh and there are no hospitals because you guessed it ...rubble.

Israel don’t consider the population of Gaza civilians. They consider them human shields for Hamas. There is no evidence to support Israel’s accusation that Hamas are using civilians as human shields, as defined by international law. So there is no justification for Israel to treat civilians as human shields, and therefore legitimate targets. And yet the war crimes continue.

It's not genocide. Hamas use civilians are human shields. Hamas are responsible for the killings.

So I will ask you again, do you object to the term crimes against humanity?

Defined by the ICC as 'serious violations committed as part of a large-scale attack against any civilian population. The 15 forms of crimes against humanity listed in the Rome Statute include offences such as murder, rape, imprisonment, enforced disappearances, enslavement – particularly of women and children, sexual slavery, torture, apartheid and deportation.'

Because if you can't admit Israel is committing crimes against humanity, then you are willfully denying reality.