Freedom of speech you say?

[Ohlalalalala]

So it's OK for famous/ less famous people to back one side but not OK for others to back another side?

These are just a few examples of how pressures/ firings are directed at those criticising Israel. Is this normal? What the heck is happening? Is this to silence anyone from voicing what they think is the truth?

BBC News - Melissa Barrera: Actress fired from Scream 7 over Israel-Gaza posts
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-67494374

Susan Sarandon
https://deadline.com/2023/11/susan-sarandon-pro-palestinian-remarks-uta-dropped-1235632398/

Agent Maha Dakhil
https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/films/news/tom-cruise-agent-maha-dakhil-palestine-b2451581.html

I would have understood if they imposed a kind of blanket gag order on all actors/ celebrities not to discuss the conflict.

But!

This is happening while hundreds of others publically supported Israel and were instead celebrated.

McCarthyite witch hunt, I say.

How could Hamas stop this at any minute? Even if they released all the hostages Israel has said they will continue the war. Do you mean Hamas surrender?

Freedom of speech is not freedom from consequence. You can say what you want, the people who pay your wages can decide if they wish to carry on employing you or working with you.

I don’t think schools should ever be political, support for all who have or are suffering should be the goal.

They could surrender, hand over their weapons and identify all sites they use for military operations. Unlikely but yeah theres a good chance that would stop the war.

One thing I'm really sick of in all this is constantly conflating the Israeli government with Jewish people regardless of where in the world they live and that any criticism of the Israeli government actions is antisemitic. My family is part Jewish, not in our name, this Israeli government wasn't even popular in Israel with Israeli citizens and most Jews I know have never even been to Israel, they're third/fourth/fifth generation British.

A lot of this thread smells suspiciously like “Jews secretly control the world”.

People using code words for Jews isn’t helping. There is no section for “supporters of Israel”. Guess who there is a section for?

Very much so. There's a nasty tone to this thread. If you find yourself talking about 'THE zionisists' you need to reflect on your prejudices.

Israel needs to destroy Hamas's capability so they cannot carry out their stated intention to repeat October 7th and kill all Jews. The release of the hostages is one aspect of this war but not the military objective. Hamas leaders could surrender & open up access to the tunnels and decommission their weaponry. As with any conflict.

@Kendodd unfortunately this is the same thing with anything really. Whatever happens in some part of the world where you have no connection whatsoever shouldn't be connected back to you just because you share the same belief. Same thing happens with Muslims everyday.

@SharonEllis How about Israel stops illegally occupying for starters and holding 5 million people hostage. You sound like one of those people who joins a Netflix series from season 8. Go back and watch season 1 ep 1 before you comment.

Twitter was trying to cancel University Challenge and indeed the entire BBC because an episode recorded months ago featured a toy octopus as a mascot. This is 'open anti semitism' apparently and 'racist'. I literally only realised in the past month that this faultline existed in the western world, it's never crossed my mind once to think of a person as Jewish or to have any opinion about them whatsoever. But apparently we hate them.

twitter.com/bbcpress/status/1726973252839354667

Israel has not occupied Gaza for over 20 years - I think perhaps you haven't watched the whole series. It withdrew and Hamas took over. Are you seriously suggesting that Hamas bears no responsibility for this war? Or that Israel is in any way responsible for how Hamas behaves? Do you know how Hamas runs Gaza? That they are funded & largely directed by Iran a brutal theocratic dictatorship? Anyone who cares about Palesti ians would surely wish for their release from Hamas.There are lots of things successive Israeli governments have done wrong, mistakes made etc but Hamas's position is crystal clear (to destroy Israel & kill Jews) & completely incompatible with peace in the region. Unless of course you believe that the eradication of Israel, rather than 2 states is the route to peace.

You sound like one of those people who joins a Netflix series from season 8. Go back and watch season 1 ep 1 before you comment.
Beautifully articulated 👏👏👏👏👏

I wonder how many people moaning about being cancelled for having the wrong opinion now were quite happy to ignore, possibly cheering on,when it was women being cancelled for having the wrong opinion? I bet it’s lots.

we told you so. We warned you that you might not be so keen on cancel culture when it was your opinion that was deemed unpopular or unpalatable. It didn’t take long, did it? You didn’t listen. I bet there’s still a large number of you who will ignore or cheer on when people who you disagree with are cancelled. play stupid games, win stupid prizes.

So no settlers in Palestine since Israel left with idf allowing it ?

https://www.amnesty.org/en/latest/campaigns/2017/06/israel-occupation-50-years-of-dispossession/

Well of course, on cancel culture the Terfs were right and some of us advocated for voices we didn't like to be heard and were labelled right wing.

Doesn't matter though now, in that so many more peoples eyes are open to cancel culture that the whole stupid framework may be on the brink of being destroyed.

I find it particularly funny how quickly the "right wing" anti cancel culture crew have embraced it now that they can get their own back. It's all semantics and posturing and gotchas as people die.

Where did I say that there were no settlers? Obviously there are settlers in the West Bank and they should not be there and settler violence is wrong. The current war is against Hamas. Hamas runs Gaza, Israel has not occupied it for a long time. The West Bank is run by the Palestinian Authority/Fatah which is different. I think you're a bit muddled. Hamas perpetrated the worst attack on Jews since the Holocaust. Pre-planned brutal attack designed to attack, torture, mutilate and murder civilians. To equate that with the admittedly awful ongoing attacks from both sides that go on in the West Bank is very disturbing.

What is 'The Zionist Project'?

See a definition here: https://www.holocaustremembrance.com/resources/working-definitions-charters/working-definition-antisemitism

If you say things like “The Zionist project are in a state of shock. Never did they think the world would speak out” it’s strongly suggestive of anti-Semitic conspiracy theories in which a shadowy cabal of Jews control everything. It has been used time and time again, alongside ideas of Jews having too much power. Now you can say you are just criticising ‘zionists’ but if you are using anti-Semitic tropes to do that it would be worth thinking about where they’ve come from and how close to the line you are. This is why people ask whether you take an interest in the activity of other states or movements, because a disproportionate focus on Israel and Zionism may well come from a place of anti-semitism.

Not even the government are saying the current war is about Hamas. They've said they want to wipe all Palestinians out, leave no memory of them, make Judea and Samaria Jewish. Previous posters have shared direct quotes straight out if their mouths. Very few people believe this is about Hamas now. Why are they bombing hospitals in the West Bank?

I've come to the conclusion that a one state solution is the only answer. Equality for all, one rule for Jewish people, the same one for Palestinians. A democratically elected government. Israel gave made it clear a 2 state solution is never going to happen. They want more land, they will never give up anything.

Exactly.

This.

This. A lot of other threads too.

This also.