Do people fully support Palestine?

[Dawk]

I read this article and the scales fell from my eyes a bit: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/feb/11/amid-the-ceasefire-wrangling-how-popular-is-hamas-in-gaza-now

I hadn’t realised that a majority of Gazans want a conservative Islamist state and the complete destruction of Israel to create an Islamic state covering the whole country (from the river to the sea I guess). They also support violence and even the sacrifice of their own lives.

I am appalled by the destruction and loss of life in Gaza, but having read this article I can’t understand why support for Palestine isn’t more caveated. Why are people waving flags and supporting Gaza so unconditionally? When you look at the polling described in the article it seems fairly clear that many/most don’t actually want peace unless it follows the complete destruction of Israel.

For me it’s a bit like supporting Iran. I would never wave the Iranian flag around because of what the country stands for. In this case I am horrified by the scale of destruction wrought by the IDF so support Palestine completely in that respect but I’d never wave the flag or chant the slogans.

If you consider yourself ‘pro-Palestine’, what do you think of the ideology described in the article?

It doesn't come only from a place of ignorance sadly. There is a deep-rooted hatred of Jews among people who damn Israel at every opportunity.

Nobody is gaslighting you here. You believe all the propaganda that Hamas puts out? That's alright then.

But a lot of people making antisemitic comments don't even appear to know they are being openly antisemitic? I think that's what I mean by ignorance... agree it's deep rooted and I've been shocked by quite a lot of what I've read on here the last week or so xx

Ok. That I agree with xx.

I think a similar board was set up about Ukraine, and obviously during lockdown here (uk) there was a board related to that. Is that what you mean? There were lots of marches about the war in Iraq when that was going on. I think for many of us brought up in more tolerant blended societies the idea that it’s antisemitic to criticise Israel is just nonsensical.

it's antisemitic to criticise Israel is nonsensical
By criticising the only Jewish state IS antisemitic imo so we will have to agree to disagree.

Holy moly. Well this explains a lot about the views I've been struggling to understand around here, if this view is widespread amongst those who support the Israeli state. Do you know if it is?

Nobody has ever said it is antisemitic to criticise Israel. You should educate yourself on the ways of criticisibg Israel that are antisemitic. Start with the IHRA definition, do your research if you don't understand.

I stated it is MY opinion. I'm not speaking for anyone else.

@lettherebelove did two posts above.

I appreciate that. I was just wondering if you knew whether this was a widespread opinion.

Or you could do a little research and educate yourself? The thing is, you see, when you are discussing something and disagree, suggesting the other party goes and “teaches themselves to think what you think” isn’t a terribly effective idea.

I’m glad the world’s eye is focused on Israel and that there are people who are free to express what they think. It is I think the only hope those in Gaza have of scraping some sort of life in their homeland.

The hope that people have of scraping a living would happen with the removal of Hamas.

"Hamas militias committed a massacre yesterday, Wednesday, February 12, in the western camp of Khan Younis, Gaza. They opened fire on five brothers, killing one of them, Fares Abu Salama, and critically injuring his four brothers."

Im not clear, what do you want me to research? When researching antisrmitism you'll find that a great deal of the material discussed is from people who don't think they're antisemitic and from debates around antisemitism so my research has been quite broad ranging. Its a large part of antisemitism education. Its not learning how to recognise an excerpt from Mein Kampf.

@SharonEllis sorry I should have been clearer. I don’t want you to research anything particularly. I just thought it was a daft thing to say and was trying (and obviously failing) to convey that.

I think it’s vanishingly unlikely that the vast majority of people today are motivated by antisemitism when they consider how they feel about the nightmare being played out in Gaza. In fact if I think about it I suspect the world’s reaction would have been very different if Gaza was not populated by dark skinned Arab Muslims.

I don’t think it’s a surprise to anyone that survivors on both sides are likely to become more entrenched in their views and cling to conservative traditional attitudes.

Saudi Arabia and Yemen are in the Middle East. This board would be the ideal place for people to discuss it.

I would have agreed with this until the last week honestly. But there has been so many posters minimizing the Holocaust, frequent Holocaust Inversion, repeated use of antisemitic tropes, and most posters seem literally unaware they're doing it. And when it's pointed out they don't seem to go online and check what they are being told, they double down. So if you're being antisemitic without knowing, are you really antisemitic? I'd argue you are. It's just so deeply ingrained into society that people just pop out with this stuff without thinking. But then refusing to think deeper once it's pointed out to you? I've come to believe if it walks like a duck and quacks like a duck, then it's probably a duck.

Given the widespread nature of antisemitism across time and geographically I think you need to evidence your statement that it is 'vanishingly unlikely' that people are motivated by antisemitism. Given the celebrations of the 7 October attack and huge spike in documented antisemitic attacks and incidents across the globe now and given that the Holocaust was in living memory. Given that people across the Middle East have very similar skin colour including Jewish people, and that Palestinians are not particularly dark skinned, I find your visible-race based approach unconvincing. And given that there is widespread evidence that coverage of this conflict is disproportionate, that no other conflict has seen weekly protest marches and that Israel is disproportionately tje subject of international censure such as UN resolutions.

Its a completely ridiculous and disingenous suggestion and I can assure you from personal experience not in tne least unlikely.

Anti semetism is like racism in the sense that a lot of people think unless you're being physically attacked whilst someone calls you a "insert vile word here" then it doesn't exist. But it's often subtle. I don't necessarily see all criticism of Israel as anti semetic but I can see when it tips over that line.

We all have “personal experience” and I would suggest guessing who is a duck, and who is a dove or indeed a falcon is problematic.

Bombing Gaza seems to have been a stupendously awful idea and I assume no one is looking for that to resume?

Syria, Iran, Iraq...some posters include Sudan

What do you think Israel should have done after 7/10?

@Comedycook Do you think bombing in the way they have was a good idea? I find it hard to believe anyone would be celebrating the last year+ of carnage.

If you take military action off the table, Israel will no longer exist.

I don't think anyone actively thinks war is a lovely thing....but military action is often needed.

I think Krav Maga type thinking which is what I believe is being displayed in this situation doesn’t lead to peace and is as damaging to the “winner” as the loser. I think Israel has lost its way and is damaging itself as much as its neighbours and what we need is to step away from these enormously damaging practices and ways of thinking.