People With Very Strong or Definite Views on the 'Right' Side

[miniaturepixieonacid]

This is mainly me being curious and struggling to understand my own feelings on all this.

I am neither Jewish nor Muslim (I'm a Christian) and have no links to Israel or Palestine. So my knowledge and understanding of the recent past is, perhaps wrongly, quite limited. All I feel is horror and sadness at what is happening to both sides in this conflict. (Other than feeling that the particular Hamas men who committed the 7th October atrocities are evidently evil and knowing that Netanyahu is very right wing of course.) I support a 2 state solution but know I don't understand all the complexities. I'd love a ceasefire but have no idea if that's possible or even advisable.

On this board and elsewhere on Mumsnet there are so many people who have come down very strongly on one side or the other and have lots of apparent evidence and knowledge to support their opinions. So, I'm wondering, if that's you, are you:
a) Israeli and/or Jewish or have family/friends who are?
b) Palestinian and/or Muslim or have family/friends who are?
c) Neither religion with no links to either country but have very clear opinions and lots of knowledge regardless.

I don't know where to go for accurate information or if knowing what I think is right or wrong even matters. I'm obsessively following the BBC but know it's probably not completely unbiased.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nakba_denial

@MrTiddlesTheCat the article above will help you understand.

It's occupying that land as a consequence of the 1948 war which the arab states started. I don't agree that they should be occupying that land but I understand why they are and why they refuse to hand it back.

@KinS24 I don't think you have quite finished examining your own prejudices and biases yet.

I have concluded I have more sympathy with the Israelis as they have acted less unreasonably overall

LOL

It's occupying that land as a consequence of the 1948 war which the arab states started

No. The Six Day War. 1967.
Israel started that one.

It's funny in a way that people still view the actions of the Israeli government as reasonable. They may be a minority, but really... destroying entire cities with weak excuses, I wouldn't call that even slightly reasonable.

You've expressed my feelings perfectly. I cannot understand this left/right wing divide.

God of Isaac and Ishmael, who were born in the Middle East,
God of Samson, who was a prisoner in Gaza,
Father of the baby Jesus, who was carried to safety in Egypt,
Father of the adult Jesus, who lost his temper in the Temple when he saw wrong-doing,
comfort and strengthen your people in Gaza and Israel,
give healing and hope in the midst of devestation,
confound all people who teach their children to hate,
direct the brokers and negotiators and peacemakers

Thank you for posting that. While I have no idea how to help and am still not sure exactly what to believe, that is a prayer I can and will pray.

I know. I’m reading these posts with my mouth open. Bizarre.

It’s hard to be neutral when you read about Israel’s treatment of Palestinians over the past 75 years once you understand the full horror of it. Isreal is supported by the west due to a bizarre ideology that the holocaust in Europe justifies it and for many a belief that somehow this is what God wants.

A bizarre ideology

Wow.

Yes totally bizarre to think that God has chosen a land for one ethnic group over another , Also totally bizarre that Another ethnic group should be oppressed, ethnically cleansed because of what happened in Europe last century. This is so cruel and bizarre to me.

I think historically anti-Semitism in Europe was a lot worse that it was in the Middle East. And then a European country committed the horrors of the Holocaust. And then Europeans decided that the Jewish people must have a homeland - which is of course not unreasonable. But then why should that homeland be at the expense of the people who were already living there?

The argument about Jewish people's historical claims from centuries ago is in my opinion not really valid. In that case give Australia back to the Maori people, USA back to the Native Americans etc - not going to happen is it?

But, now that Israel is a fait accompli the two-state solution must be the aim. And yet when we came close to that it was right wing Israeli who killed Rabin which derailed everything. And now it is the extreme right wingers in Israel who are building illegal settlements. It doesn't exactly show good faith.

The Palestinians are the victims of Israel and of Hamas. The powers who fund and control Hamas do not care about them. They will sacrifice them all. Israel does not care about them. They will quite happily and without any qualms kill them off too.

To me it is crystal clear who is right and who is wrong.

Do many Israelis really think that God has chosen them to occupy this land?

Just today I watched this. I came across this YouTube, he's Israeli and does a lot of Ask... videos. There's a man of Moroccan heritage who explains the King offered refuge to the Jewish refugees.

Thereissomelight, I’m not sure about Israeli’s ideology in that respect I’ll be perfectly honest, however the opinion expressed by Angelina Jolie’s father after she criticised the Israeli bombardment reflects many in the American Bible Belt.

I'm similar in my view to you OP. Not Jewish or Muslim. Never set foot in the middle-east. I am totally horrified by what has been happening, and feel very sorry for all the innocents regardless of religion or nationality.
I agree Hamas are evil, like all terrorists. I personally think Netanyahu and many of those far-right crazies in the Israeli government are evil too. Their language and actions are extremely racist.

I feel very sorry for ordinary Muslims and ordinary Jews just about everywhere. Just a tragedy all round really 😔