AIBU to say that graduation ceremonies are not the place to make political statements?

[anythingbutlillies]

Hard hat on.

DC's graduation today. Fabulous day, but it did not sit well with me that a few chose to unfurl a flag / raise a scarf while they were on the stage.
Just no! So very selfish.

Interested to hear if I am being precious?

Exactly didn’t and wouldn’t happen. All these people talking about their Jewish friends and flatmates who are super pro Palestinian and wouldn’t be offended by the flag.

Many Jews are appalled by the activites of the IsraelI government. Many Jews are actively opposed to it and have a huge issue with the Netanyahu government

However, they’re for the main part fundamentally Zionist in the purest sense of the word in that they believe in the existence of the state of Israel.

There are some who are busy with a Palestinian flag but the vast vast majority wouldn’t dream of it because ultimately given the level of anti Semitism in the world they know deep down that Israel is there for a reason

so no, sorry, there aren’t all these Jewish students proudly waving pro Palestine flags, many are neutral and quiet and simply wouldn’t do it. That’s not to say that they condone the Israel government, they’re vocally and actively against it but raising flags and going on protests vanishingly minute numbers sorry.

Ridiculous moral grandstanding. I don't know how you dare use other people's plight for your own self satisfaction. Appalling.

What kind of activism do you support?

Oh wouldn't you love for me to tell you that.
It's my own business and not here for the likes of you to pick holes in. Suffice it to say it's a central tenet to live by my moral ethics but not shout it from the rooftops so everyone can see how righteous I think I am.

But whatever, when your grandchildren ask you what you did when the Palestinian genocide was taking place

The absolute self-importance of this! 😆

Naturally.

Civilians are unfortunate victims in every war and half the population of Gaza are children (perhaps a good argument for Hamas not to have started the war in the first place).

So long as the bombing has military justification and they're not specifically targeted then the blame once again lies squarely with Hamas just as the 500k German civilians that died in WW2 was down to the Nazis (and Islamism just like Nazism is a cancer that needs to be completely destroyed).

They may be evil but Hamas are public relation geniuses, knowing footage of dead kids will rally useful idiots in the West to their cause whilst their own leaders live lives of luxury in the Gulf.

It is illuminating to see that this thread has rallied activists who are blind to any other point of view.

I still stand by my assertion that 90% of students - including those with a flag at graduation ceremonies - are either anti-establishmentarians just looking to disrupt an occasion for whatever reason, or sheep who’ll be on the next bandwagon as soon as you can say disposable bbq (let’s give them the courtesy of seven syllables).

If you can tolerate the deaths of tens of thousands of children at the hands of the IDF because they're 'military casualties' then you're just a profoundly different person to me.

Aren’t you the selfish one living in your bubble?

Also - Israel bombed the tents of displaced refugees in Rafah. What was the military justification for that, and countless other similar incidents?

www.theguardian.com/world/article/2024/may/27/global-shock-after-israeli-airstrike-kills-dozens-in-rafah-tent-camp

Except a soldier from the IDF has whistle blown that they do target civilians deliberately

I'm really sorry that happened to you, I can understand your concerns, I had a friend who was attacked for speaking Hebrew with visiting family.

People always seem to be able to deny that antisemitism happens and when they have no choice but to concede it occurred there is always an excuse as to why it's OK that it happened.

😂 I hope the view is nice from your high horse

A couple of years ago being opposed to child casualties of war was a fairly mainstream position that you could safely assume anyone with any kind of moral sense would hold. Not so any more apparently, dead kids and child amputees and babies starving to death are just par for the course.

Well said!

.

“And what did you do yourself Granny?”

”Well there was one time I really burned this lady on Mumsnet…”

I have respect for people who actually make some effort to drive change (even if I don't agree with the cause) by for example attending an official march, writing to their MP etc.. That's activism which might just make a modicum of difference (important in any democracy) and therefore not virtue signaling.

However anyone demonstrating self-righteousness with vacuous effortless tokens of support which will always make absolutely no difference to the cause (eg unveiling a flag, wearing a keffiyeh, etc.) marks them out as inauthentic virtue signallers.

Be careful to not injure yourself with that reach.
How on earth do you know about how I live - either in or out of a bubble.
All you know is that I have a DC who graduated in a traditional subject from a RG university this week, and that I am curious to know if that is the right occasion for political statements be made.

Oh, and that I don't like lillies.

Check yourself please.

I don't think anyone is in favour of child casualties but they're an inevitable consequence of a war that Israel didn't want or ask for.

Israel does want this war. Make no mistake.

And they’re deliberately killing civilians.

Check yourself mate. You don’t get to dictate what other students do with their 15 seconds or whatever.

I must have imagined the Oct 7th atrocity and the taking of hostages then, apologies

Israel are committing these acts. Israel is making these choices. You talk as though they have no option but genocide and it's categorically not true. What is currently happening in Gaza is a very clear decision by Israel.

What Hamas did on October 7th was absolutely despicable and unacceptable and absolutely warranted a response. That does not mean Israel is justified in committing acts of genocide and international war crimes.

Child deaths are not an inevitable consequence. Israel could choose not to target tented refugee camps and hospitals. They could choose not to bomb civilian areas. They could choose not to shoot people queuing for aid.

Israel is responsible for every act of war it chooses and will be held accountable for what they do.