Dehumanising of Palestinians

[dreamingdays]

The persistent dehumanising of Palestinian civilians is everywhere, including here on MN and across social media, the news and more.

From branding all civilians including babies and young children as terrorists, to people saying innocent children sent to jail as deserving it, posts smearing all Palestinians with celebrating terrorist atrocities, others celebrating the death of young children (yes really), to politicians branding them “children of darkness”. To Palestinian men all lumped as Hamas or rapists. Palestinians called human animals or worse.

To the language used to describe Palestinians in the news is completely different, often using double standards. I also feel that leeway and downplaying is given towards people being racist towards Palestinians. It is brushed off or ignored or denied, not always taken seriously.

Maltreatment of Palestinian civilians is also ignored or excused or waved away and minimised, outright denied or ignored by many.

it just really gets me down. Please everyone, remember Palestinians are human beings. They have families, jobs, culture, skills, likes and dislikes, empathy and humanity.

if you see anyone displaying or downplaying racist attitudes, or making offensive dehumanising remarks please call them out. Please also take time to recognise and challenge dehumanising language used in the media and elsewhere.

On a broader level this dehumanising emboldens those undertaking their mistreatment, excuses and justifies illegal violence made towards them, as well as affecting each Palestinian on an individual level.

The same obviously goes for anyone using dehumanising language to anyone, whatever their nationality or religion.

Palestinians need support now.

NB I do not think the Israelis murdered by Hamas Oct 7 were the equivalent to nothing more than cows.

My point was about a sort of hypocrisy it is easy to fall into when things are difficult to admit to oneself.

From Al Jazeera

‘Please do something for us’

Yaser Abu Asi, a displaced Palestinian now living in al-Mawasi in Gaza, says while there’s no bombing, there is also no food, water, or medicine.
“The problem is if we don’t die from bombing we’re going to die from disease. There’s no food or water. There are supplies that come on lorries, but I don’t know where they go. We don’t see anything. I’ve been here for two weeks. How are we going to survive with our children?” he told Al Jazeera.
“Nobody cares about us for sure. Open the borders so we can leave. We’re not animals. We’re human beings. We’re just waiting for death. So please do something for us.”

I totally agree with you OP, and thank you for writing this out here on Mumsnet.
The constant berating and downplaying of the the treatment of Palestinians on Mumsnet put me off from Mumsnet for a while, because it just hurt so much seeing people filled with that much hatred and racism towards Palestinian/Arabs/Muslim, which I feel is the underlying reason for it. It definitely triggered traumas of my teenage years growing up wearing a hijab in the uk and have people call me a terrorist or have kids chase us and throw stones at me and my mum post 9/11.
To those racist people out there I have a question, Is your heart filled with that much hatred, that much brainwashing, that innocent babies dying doesn't even strike a vein in you with empathy? How hard are your hearts? May God guide such people and make the world a better place.

Totally agree with you op.

I agree. I think quite a lot of it is due to the way it’s being reported and some of it is due to our brains being unable to connect with a story about a mass of people. We miss the details and find it harder to relate. I would like to know more about the hopes and dreams of people living in Gaza and the West Bank. I would like to hear more about the things they loved about their old lives, what made them laugh, what they enjoyed doing, what they ate for breakfast, what they studied, where they worked. I would like to hear about things that they have lost we don’t always think about, besides the most obvious things a person needs to survive.

@Pinkdressinggownbelt I think you mean the government. Well I hope that is what is meant. We spent so much time saying a people is different from its government.

100% against The government and the soldiers and the settlers bullying people out their homes in the West Bank (let’s not pretend it’s unrelated ) and the “Israel has a right to defend itself” crew justifying bombing tens of thousands of people.

100% against non Israelis supporting this.

I personally always held Israel in some high regards given the history and previously I thought regarding the land “guys, you know, just share please “ Why I thought Israel had better conscience than other nations is probably down to religion/religious brainwashing. Always saw Israel as part of the global “oppressed”.

Now with this spotlight shining on Israel , I have learnt of its riches, powerful tech innovations, possible nuclear capabilities , super intelligence services, it’s becoming clear Israel is just another powerful and oppressive country especially if given all this , the only solution to Oct 7 is to bomb and flatten its much poorer aggressors. This is just murderous anger and spite and I will never support it.

What do the Palestinians have ? No nation of their own, no homes, clinging to a land that was once theirs. At every turn Israel’s reaction to their plight is force and apathy. Very pitiful. If Hamas is the reason for the bombing why killing civilians? With all its advancements in tech is Israel expecting people to believe it can’t infiltrate and take out people who only want to negotiate by violence? And why is Israel doing nothing about murderous West Bank settlers ? If it’s about Hamas why are Israeli soldiers so gleeful about sending bombs into Gaza that will undoubtedly kill civilians and destroy their homes.

We are watching genocide and an expansion of land the language used about Palestinians is dehumanizing to try and gain support for this.

That’s how I feel about what’s going on and Im 100% against Israel and anyone in Israel or outside supporting this genocide

I and so many people see through the dehumanizing of Palestinians as being a way to justify genocide There are many examples of this in world history, shame on Israel I thought it was better than this God knows why….

@Pinkdressinggownbelt
"With all its advancements in tech is Israel expecting people to believe it can’t infiltrate and take out people who only want to negotiate by violence?"

They clearly don't have quite the tech everyone keeps saying they have, or else Israeli soldiers wouldn't be getting seriously wounded trying to save hostages. Plus, they'd obviously have successfully saved at least some hostages by now. I really wish people would stop going on about this, just because it suits their narrative as big, evil Israel Vs poor, innocent freedom fighters who just want their land back. No, they fucking don't. Hamas and their little terrorist friends want to kill Jews. As many Jews as possible. They want to eradicate all of Israel. They are the ones who are openly trying for genocide and ethnic cleansing.

https://www.timesofisrael.com/2-troops-seriously-hurt-in-failed-gaza-hostage-rescue-idf-signs-hamas-is-breaking/

You really are so full of hate towards all Israelis. It's highly disconcerting.

You seem to be using the fact that Israel has made something of itself in the tech industry in such a short period of time as a negative? It's such a weird, unnecessarily hateful stance to take. I hope you realise you are absolutely no better than those who dehumanise Palestinians. Your rhetoric is really, truly awful. Even the bits I partly agree with you on, I can't agree with you because of how you're saying it.

"They clearly don't have quite the tech everyone keeps saying they have, or else Israeli soldiers wouldn't be getting seriously wounded trying to save hostages."

Or maybe they just don't really care about killing tens of thousands of innocent children and Palestinian civilians, as recognised by United Nations, Amnesty, Human Rights Watch and other organisations suggesting it is a genocide. Maybe the collective punishment and withholding of food and water and aid to millions is a war crime and completely unnecessary with regards to eradicating Hamas. Maybe bombing "safe zones" and murdering journalists is a war crime with nothing to do with eradicating Hamas.

"Hamas and their little terrorist friends want to kill Jews. As many Jews as possible. They want to eradicate all of Israel. They are the ones who are openly trying for genocide and ethnic cleansing."

Nobody is saying Hamas is innocent, but have you missed the genocidal rhetoric the Israeli politicians are spewing out towards Palestinians on a daily basis and have done for decades? The land they have stolen the last few decades? The thousands of innocent civilians killed for nothing prior to this conflict? The rape and torture of innocent Palestinian women and children in Israeli jails?

I am also concerned that with this statement you are conflating all Palestinians with Hamas, a dehumanising stance.

If you'd care to educate yourself there's a link to an article about the genocidal rhetoric at the top of the page and you can research the Amnesty reports into Gaza and Palestine to learn about the systemic, decades long oppression of Palestinians.

At what point did I conflate Hamas and Palestinians, or dehumanise anyone? Don't cry wolf, it will diminish your efforts to rightfully make sure Palestinians aren't dehumanised.

@Humdingerydoo My problem was the use of "and their little terrorist friends" as it felt somewhat suggestive that all Palestinians are terrorists, in the context of a post about the ongoing war crimes against Palestinians. Provided you weren't trying to do that, it's fine.

I’m not full of hate, I’m full of so much sadness at what I’m witnessing. Israel’s tech advancement can be used to assist with a solution is what I’m saying

No, I meant the people who joined Hamas in the massacre in Israel. There were people from other terrorist groups who joined in as well. Hamas took responsibility, but it wasn't just them.

@Humdingerydoo thanks for clarifying.

This was said by the head of the UNWRA today and I 100% agree with it.

“Dehumanisation of Palestinians has allowed the international community to bear continued Israeli attacks in Gaza,”

This is one of the things that's upsetting me the most.
It's illegal to siege places and starve the citizens. There is no justification I can see that can be made about "arming Hamas" by providing water and food.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-67670679

The israeli IDF are also brutal and evil. Israeli children are also taught hate. Singing sings. Israeli MP calling them animals and not caring who is killed. Stop the double standards please. We have a lot more information available, great Israeli speakers and jews speaking out. We are better travelled now, myself having been the Palestinian terrorities and Jerusalem. We know the IDF and certain Israelis are no angel. Thank you

@Divinespark it's not a pissing contest.

We are better travelled now, myself having been the Palestinian terrorities and Jerusalem. We know the IDF and certain Israelis are no angel. Thank you

Who is 'we'?
You 'know' the IDF? And 'certain' Israelis?

Wow.

In fairness, the poster they quoted made a sweeping statement about "ordinary Palestinians". Also brought religion into it for some strange reason.

I think they may be a little bit preoccupied with survival.

I'm sure you'll enjoy this if you pretend it isn't satire.

@stomachameleon Picking out individual words in an attempt to paint a poster in an entirely different light to that they intended almost feels like troll hunting or intentional smearing.

Some posters seem to like doing this on different threads.

@ChickHenLittle I can see that now.
I would dislike the term ' ordinary Israelis' just as much.

@dreamingdays if you think I am troll hunting report me. I asked for clarification to understand a post. And I Don't get this new narrative of 'intentional smearing' if someone disagrees with you. Smearing over what or where? Odd. You know as well as I do you have to substantiate things.

'Some posters' all sounds a bit vague and an attempt to be intimidating. Remember it's just an internet forum.

@stomachameleon I believe your implication was that the poster was being anti-semitic by picking out individual words attempting to paint a picture that had nothing to do with what they said. Was that not what you were trying to do?

@dreamingdays why are you talking for them? How do you know what they were saying or not saying?
Weird.
And actually that's not what I meant. I just would have said it if that's what I thought. And as a rule (if you looked at my other posts) I don't accuse people of antisemitism. As I don't feel I should. That feeling is in you wether I accuse you or not so I don't see the point. No one is actually going to say.... yep you got me!

@stomachameleon thanks for clarifying.

I'm speaking out in defence of the poster as I've seen it elsewhere across MN and I don't think it is a fair tactic.

Thank you and we will leave it there.