How would you feel about this wording?

[ByTipsyRubyBalonz]

How do you feel about this wording about a pro Palestine meeting held on company time and that it singles that Israeli or Jewish can attend but they must meet the criteria?

The company is public sector ish. This is a group for work colleagues to help the world be anti racist.

You do understand the difference?!

No

OK. Well being against the Israeli state is anti-Zionism.
Being against Jews is anti-Semitism.
Jews live ALL over the world - they have thriving communities in most western countries for example. Israel is just one country they live in.

Some people are, of course, both anti-Zionist AND anti-Semitic.
But a lot of people just don’t agree with what the state of Israel is doing, especially at the moment in Gaza.
That doesn’t necessarily mean they are anti-Semites. They can have nothing against Jews, but just dislike the Israeli government’s actions.

typo

That is appalling!

I have already blacklisted Oxfam, and refuse to go in there, because of them 'picking sides' in the Palestine-Israel conflict. (No prizes for guessing who they support!) 🙄

What absolute bullshit though. Because the stipulation would be that Muslims are very welcome as long as they weren't subscribed to terrorist ideologies.

Anti-Zionism is being against the existence of the Israeli state. Otherwise that sounds more like being against the Israeli government.

Israel isn’t just one country they live in. It’s is the only Jewish state in the world.

Which they aren't. And neither is a Jew or Israeli in England

Which is all they needed to write ..... "We want to help those people affected by the current war".

There are, of course, some Jewish people in England who subscribe to zionist ideals. Their right and their choice. Similarly, there are some Muslims to subscribe to the more extreme sects.

Urgh 🤮 what the fuck?

The majority of Jewish people are zionists. It's really not an extreme position.

Everyone is affected by the current war, including Israeli’s. They don’t want to help everyone. They want to help Gazans.

It’s both.

I think you should do something about it at work if it bothers you, not keep posting about it on here.

Which of my statements are you referring to?

Zionism (the belief that the Jews should have a home of their own) isn’t an extreme belief.

What is "public sector ish " ?
No civil servants would publish that, local or national govt. Regardless of their personal views.

Does the "ish" mean university and is it a private group, like a society?
Is it a small charity (that would be "third sector" not public sector).
Is it a social group within a nationalised company like one of the rail companies?

I deplore what Israel is doing in Gaza and don't think the word genocide is unwarranted for what they are doing, but would only go along if I felt like people watching & verifying they were madder than a box of frogs.

It is just one of many countries that Jews live in.
And it’s the sole Jewish State in the world.

Thanks. Yes. I think your statements are downplaying what Israel is. It’s meant to be the one country in the world where Jews can finally be safe and not persecuted. It’s not “just another country where Jews live”.

What are you trying to achieve here OP?

I think they were foolish to explicity mention Israeli and Jewish colleagues but my view as to whether it was discriminatory would hinge on this:

If Israeli and Jewish colleagues wanted to set up their own group as a safe space for people who wanted to help the families of the 7th October terrorism attack, agreed with Israel's approach to Gaza and / or Zionist aims, or for people who wanted to learn more about it, and the group included criteria that excluded those who are pro-palestine, would it be allowed?

If it would, then the wording is not discriminatory as it is not excluding Israeli's or Jewish people, it is just saying it is a group for like-minded people to discuss the issues, not a debating group and they don't want it disrupted by people with differing views.

However, if that group wouldn't be allowed, then yes, it is discriminatory (but not antisemitic)

@Ddakji - If being Anti-zionist is viewed as being against the existence of Israeli state full stop, how can people describe their stance to summarise the view that they aren't against the state of Israel existing as is, but are against the concept of Greater Israel and the expansionist programme currently being advocated for and implemented by Revisionist and Religion Zionists?

How can people, who are genuinely not Anti-semetic, abhor anti-jewish sentiment and think that Israel has a right to exist within its existing borders, but who are against the illegal occupation of the West Bank and the destruction of Gaza express their views without being labelled antisemitic and accused of not wanting Israel to exist?

Genuine question by the way - not an attempt to be snide or play gotcha!

Yes I’m wondering how @NoSoupForUis defining it

This needs whistleblowing and should not be held in a workplace.

Yes, it’s a good question and I don’t have an answer to hand!

The point I’m making is that I think a lot of anti-Semitism hides behind “I’m
not anti-Semitic, I’m anti-Zionist”. Whether that’s deliberate or because people don’t understand that the belief in the Jews getting a home of their own is part of Judaism I don’t know.

I remember reading many years ago, in a school story of all things, a Jewish character explaining the difference between Jewish and Christian religious festivals - Jewish ones are about things that happened to the Jews (because they’re Jews), Christian ones are about things that happened to Christ. It really sums up the millennia long persecution of Jews.