Israel supporting counter marches in London - about time

[mids2019]

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-13304895/Met-Police-arrest-Palestine-Israel-march-London-protest-Gaza.html

I think in a democracy this is absolutely necessary. Obviously policing will be important but it is good to see that in terms of street protest this is not a come sided issue.

I wonder how many are going to be arrested losing their rag seeing Israeli flags an masse after getting themselves riled up calling for a ceasefire.....

No, the only reason no one was killed is because Iran had announced their intentions loud and clear, even sharing the types of weapons they would use ( very slow drones, easy to intercept).
The USA protects Israel; without them, they would never have been able to inflict so much suffering on so many people.
I do not support terrorism but I think you support a terrorist state, funded by the USA/UK/EU.
Israel and Iran are both evil in their deeds. At least, I am able to recognise this.

The attack was calibrated by Iran to be within Israel’s capability to fully block.
So there is no “only reason”. It’s both.

Please do not twist my words.

For what it's worth, I think that Israel had lost a lot of popular support. The suffering people have seen is just unbearable. I can't believe anyone with a shred of humanity can possibly support what's happening.

Indeed.

Totally agree.

Source please? I can’t find any reports saying anything other than two Syrian civilians deaths- a woman and her son, as well as five Iranian backed and armed Syrian militants. This is from the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights report and casualty list. I don’t wish to quibble over numbers like this as obviously a single civilian death is one too many, but it’s important to clarify where your information came from and whether it’s been verified before stating it as fact.

They are on this thread...

@ohthejoys21 I can only assume you are comfortable with name calling and intimidation, so it seems quite normal to you. Most people would not want to engage with such behaviour, and remove themselves, partly for safety reasons. First rule of city life in the UK, though perhaps you are not familiar with it.

Throwing insults about people supporting Israel in defence of itself against terrorist organisations isn't a great look. Some posters just hate Israel.

There has been support for The Houthis, Iran and/or Hezbollah and Hamas. All these 'fluffy' terrorists and despicable groups need wiping out. They aren't the heroes some make out them to be. They kill or rape you rather than give you the time of day. I've heard the term 'useful idiots ' used before and I can see why.

It will just rumble on and on sadly since terrorists realise the more innocents that die the more their cause gains support. None of the terrorists from any of these groups give a rats ass about the children. Just fodder in their aim.

Being British it's ingrained into me, but as I said previously, nothing you wrote that she said sounded 'abusive'. I could say I felt intimidated by anyone if it suited me to say that.

Supporting Israel or the Israeli government? Two different things.
One is a country, who has the right to exist; the other is a far right entity hell bent on killing by any means, dressed as self defence.
If you think that "wiping terrorists out" works, then you are in for a shock. Ideologies aren't killed. This has been proved time and time again.
This Israeli government is responsible for the terrorists of the future and for the danger they are putting the Israeli citizens in.
Finally, as you put is so eloquently, do you think Netanyahu ( who willingly funded Hamas) and his cabinet give a rat's ass about the hostages? The IDF were happy to murder 3 of them and to bomb/starve the rest.
Hamas and others are terrorist organisations; Israel is governed by terrorists.

'began to hiss at me, called me 'a self-hating jew' and how my family 'must be ashamed of you're and 'I know I would not talk to my children if they turned into terrorists'

quote from @Pumpkinatmidnight
I think this is name calling, abusive and intimidating and would certainly judge this person as potentially dangerous. You said you didn't know why anyone would feel threatened being spoken to like this, so just answering that point. However, I'll leave it there as it's not my post and would not like to speak for the poster who I have quoted.

You are happy to minimise this poster's experience when you didn't witness anything. She saw the lady's body language, she heard the tone/pitch of her words; you didn't.
What you think is irrelevant here.
Once again, the double standard and the irony are strong here!

Potentially because an unknown individual was engaging in intimidating behaviour such as taking photos of people (including children) without people knowing what those photos would be used for, while being verbally aggressive towards the people in question, including accusations of supporting terrorism (which could have serious repercussions for people).

Oh for goodness sake I was pointing out that nothing she said sounded aggressive at all.. which it didn't.

Although I agree she shouldn't have been taking photos of children!

@ohthejoys21 I think you will find that hissing at strangers and calling them names is not generally considered reasonable behaviour anywhere.

What a goady thread. I have been on all of the marches. These counter protesters are there as a propaganda exercise taunting the pro Palestinian demonstrators. And lo and behold all photographers ( obviously part of the counter demonstrators) were trying to take photos of our reactions.
Even the police that we chatted too were very much aware of this and were so nice towards us.

The marches are not hate marches. They are very peaceful.
You write as if you have been stopped from having your own protests. No one is stopping you. Yes it is a democracy, hence why we have every right to demonstrate. Incidentally, there was also another protest outside New Scotland Yard against the ban on XL bullies. Is that okay by you?

And finally, before you label me as pro Hamas as the counter protesters did, I am a Christian Palestinian who wants a peaceful secular solution, but understands what 75 years years of theft and brutality can do to people.

Well said👏You make a good point.

As previous posters helpfully pointed out, the person who approached was aggressively confrontational, very quickly and suddenly got personal, called me names like ('self-loathingJew' etc) had this been from a non-Jew it would surely have been labelled antisemitic that alongside her harsh voice, her glare, the hatred that those witnessing fed back on. She seemed unbalanced, unable engage in conversation and in hindsight I could imagine her losing control and getting physically violent. This is More than many who claim to feel threatened by a chant or sight of a flag at the marches (!). What was shocking too is that I instinctively worried for her, unsure if she was just lashing out or was trying to somehow reach out to engage and connect. She asked for my full name and where I lived, where my family lived and when I refused to share these she flipped and shouted abuse at me. I was frightened (felt frozen initially) and I don't scare easy.

The sad reality is that many Jewish people articulating their position against Israel's actions, and even the problematic nature of its existence, are subjected to horrendous name calling, intimidations, excommunication from family and/ or community, and if in Israel, then it's beatings and arrest. I don't read about this in the news, and I fear the normalisation of this dynamic.

thank you to all those who were empathic and stepped in to speak for my position. Much appreciated.

“I am a Christian Palestinian who wants a peaceful secular solution, but understands what 75 years years of theft and brutality can do to people.”
I understand and agree with this. I just wish the marches had made it possible to condemn Hamas and ask for the hostages release as well as condemn Netanyahu and ask for justice for Palestinians.

You quote a poster who mentions the 75 years of occupation and yet you still mention hamas and the hostages? I don't imagine anyone is against the release of the hostages and hamas would not have come into existence without the 75+ years of brutality. Massacres of entire villages, gang rapes of children, slaughtering entire families in their homes, 7\10 multiplied occurred ahead of the Palestinians exodus, the catastrophe that saw this insidious group flee the only homeland they know. Where was the condemnation? Where is the condemnation? Where is the aknowledgement? Can you see the irony, the double standard here?

What I find sad and quite dangerous too is the mockery that has been made of 'antisemitism' and 'condem hamas's because of its over use and misusage.

I've an uncle who is convinced that the Israeli government was never interested in releasing the hostages because mAny who were taken (unfortunately) were peace activists, Israelis fighting for the rights of Palestinians etc. The far right in power do not care for their lives as would rather use them as an excuse to commit genocide (or whatever you want to call the slaughter of thousands upon thousands of civilians).

No, Iran has been attacking Israel for years by arming proxies.

I’ve walked past these counter-protests and seen 50 people at most - that’s probably being generous. Either people don’t care enough about Israel to show up or they are embarrassed to publicly support genocide.