How To Respond?

[Oodiks]

So, I met a really nice woman last week who helped me move house. She was terrific, drove a red pick-up truck and was brilliant helping me lug a load of stuff from my old house to my new house. We got along really well and shared lots of stories about ourselves while we worked. I suggested we meet for a coffee/tea as she works near me.

What's this got to do with the conflict in the ME I hear you ask...

She emailed me to suggest that we could meet for tea/coffee, or I could come to her house for a friendly social gathering of her 'Justice for Palestine' group and I don't know how to reply. It wasn't a topic we had discussed, but I am strongly pro-Israel (not Netanyahu in case you were wondering) and would find a 'Justice for Palestine' group quite challenging.

WWYD?

Exactly this. As I said previously, I can't imagine the responses on this board If someone posted that they were invited to an event for the hostages but they felt uncomfortable going because they were strongly pro-Palestine.

Try reading the thread.

I would, yes, but others, less so.

Just say 'no thank you' if you're not interested. She's not going to hunt you down and force you to go!

I have to add I am Jewish and have found pro-Palestinian people do not bite 😜

Sadly.

I would just say you're not interested. Some of those people can be quite fanatical

I agree. I think that people on this thread are being incredibly disingenuous by saying that all people calling for justice for Palestine condemn Hamas. They most certainly do not.

No group of people are homogeneous.

Everyone I know condemns Hamas.

Clearly you know different people .

But many people don’t just want an end to the war and bloodshed, they want it on their terms. The quickest and surest way to end it would have been for the abducted hostages, especially the civilians, to be released very quickly. I wonder how many of those calling for "Justice for Palestine" have been calling for that for the past fifteen months.

But many people don’t just want an end to the war and bloodshed, they want it on their terms.

This can be said for both sides.

I mean, we can keep going back and forth here.
I could then say i wonder how many of these people who identify as strong zionists, have been openly condemning Israel for indiscriminately murdering thousands of children and babies.

Many people have been calling for Justice for Palestine for a lot longer than 15 months because the injustices against Palestinian civilians has been going on a lot longer that 15 months.

A zionist is just someone who supports the existence of the state of Israel. I thought everybody on this board believed in Israel's right exist. People come on here every day to condemn Israel. Are you using a different definition of zionist - or are you saying you don't think Israel should exist?

Read the thread.

Cant see anywhere in the thread where you articulate your definition of zionist.

Precisely what I was thinking….

Well, how much does it bother you that you have differing opinions from your friend on this topic?

You can say you're busy and just not engage with it.

Or you can tell her that you can't come because you don't support the cause, discuss that with her, and see if you both still want a friendship.

Surely you just choose option a 'meet for tea or coffee'?

Netamhayu has said several times that releasing the hostages wouldn’t end the war so no that wouldn’t have been the quickest way

It would have made it far harder for allies such as the US to support him. It would have made it harder for people like me to support (most of) Israel's actions.

I would have expected any decent person to want the immediate release of abducted civilians, at the very least, and for the failure to do that to colour their views on the war.

Exactly. I think that if the hostages had been immediately released, the war would look very different even if it did not end at once.

Oh the US would still have given full support, money (and the associated power) talks.