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?

And what about the Israelis sitting watching the bombing of Gaza and cheering as innocent civilians are killed ? Some people are willing to turn a blind eye to anything.

The general population targeted by Israel don’t choose to die as martyrs. When did anyone ask them ?

If we put down all the atrocities committed against the Palestinians, we'd run out of space. Most recently the man raped with objects in an Israeli prison which members of the Israeli government said was justified.
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/israel-hamas-war-idf-palestinian-prisoner-alleged-rape-sde-teinman-abuse-protest/

"If he is a Nukhba [Hamas militant], everything is legitimate to do! Everything!"

Did you watch the BBC panorama? One of the featured families was a family in Gaza, the father of which stating he would rather him and his family die in Gaza than leave. Guess what, he died.

Possibly because Israel is a nuclear state. The rest of the world are standing by wringing their hands and asking Israel to show moderation. Their words are falling on deaf ears.

You clearly don’t understand the conflict or you wouldn’t have posted as you did. Would you think the same of WW11 when Hitler and his henchmen were marching across Europe ? Just roll over and let them have it. Anything to live in peace. Ever heard the phrase I’d rather die on my feet than live on my knees ?
HTH

But their leaders are on record as saying that they welcome the "martyrdom" of their civilians.

Perhaps he was aware ethnic cleansing was in progress and didn't want to be a permanent refugee, which is what happened in the first Nakba.

Just because Hamas say something doesn't mean 2m people agree.

Odd, then, that we don’t hear of any protests against Hamas, or Gazans begging them to change their policies for the sake of all the poor civilians who are suffering.

Have you read the founding charter of Hamas? The bit where it says people should seek out and kill all Jews?

I think it’s fucking brilliant !!

They were living on the bloody land. Until it was decided that it was no longer theirs and now belonged Israel.

Imagine me knocking on your door and saying, get out this house is mine now. If you don't you will be removed by force, but hey it's ok. Heres a nice plot of less desirable land for you to build a house on. Oh you have cattle and there is no grazing at the new house, never mind. Run along and be nice won't you.

Hello again. I thought you were bowing out of the thread a while back because we were all too simplistic for you. Hamas are on record as saying that, yes. But as I asked you upthread, and you declined to answer, has anyone asked the Palestinian civilians who are being systematically annihilated ? Hamas certainly hasn’t because there have been no democratic elections since 2006.

It's not islamophobic to call out the heinous actions of terrorists in the region. Nor is it anti semitic to call out the actions of other terrorists in the region. Holding people around the world accountable for them, not ok. It's a genocide in every objective way and that has to be ok to say. The whole scale and focused obligation of entire bloodlines on either side?... Genocide.

No it doesn't, in fact it says it's about land, not religion or race.

Not only removed by force, but the front door is welded shut with all your possessions inside. Excellent documentary on exactly this and all the other atrocities being perpetrated in Hebron and lots of other areas.

Hamas are terrorists and denying that is illegal.

I doubt any more people have read it than the first ten times you brought it up on the thread before disappearing in a huff because almost no-one agreed with you.

This is a free country with free speech. And I’m not denying that in our eyes Hamas are terrorists. Because they have been declared as such by the government. But to assert that one mans’ terrorist is another’s freedom fighter is to state fact. How is that illegal ? Hamas have committed terrible acts. But so have Israel. There is fault on both sides. In a situation where the stakes are so high how do you determine who is right and who is wrong ?

I doubt the poster 'went off in a huff'. She probably has a life, family, job etc and no one needs to spend all their time on MN.

Nope. She declared she was bowing out of the thread because our arguments were too simplistic.

Most of the world calls them terrorists and lists them and describes them as such. Well apart from their supporters of course.