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?

The issue is the difference between military action and military activities that constitute war crimes against the civilian population.

It is not reasonable to suggest that they are the same thing and are therefore both OK.

On the reason other major conflicts do not get as much attention as Gaza-Israel, we posed the question in reference to the genocide (recognised by US recently) in Sudan. Only a few posters contributed. There is very little coverage on Sudan. The Congo is getting more mentions than Sudan, but still not that covered.
Gaza-Israel is on the news, daily, several times a day.
We thought that the news cover more (or only) conflicts that do have a direct political or finantial influence on us.
Nothing much to do with race or religion (though there is a small contribution, most likely), but to do with effects on our own interests.
What do you think?
In my many years of life, I have not bumped into a single person who has anything against jews. I have witnessed racism against black and asian people, and some against white people, but that was quite it. That was long long time ago. I have not seen or heard anything in RL for years now.

You may not have come across antisemitism yourself personally but I and others most certainly have and since 7/10 it has risen considerably.

How do you know you have not bumped into someone who has a problem with Jewish people? Is it something you would expect to talk about on a daily basis? This website is awash with it. Posts are deleted for it in a daily basis. My suspicion is that you don't recognise it.

Never have I been in the presence of anyone who mentioned anything remotely anti-semitic.
Yes, there are some posts here that are anti-semitic.
Yes, there has been some griveous antisemitism in UK, like two women taken to court for assaulting a jewish man, I think it was a male and similar issues.
But nobody has ever presented themselves to think anywhere near antisemitic or talk negatively about Judaism or have I witnessed antisemitism in person.

I think you are far too bias to acknowledge or even stop to think about it, to be honest. Do you live in UK? If not, how are you going to know? And if you do, are you telling me that you think that there is any more than a miniscule amount of people who would entertain any racism or other sort of discrimination? I am a foreigner in UK. UK is not racist. I would know!
Yes, there are some idiots in all parts of the world and they take it with minorities any time they have the chance.
My experience in UK has been very very positive. And, yes, I had racial confrontations against myself, in the street, by UK teens was the worst, but that was years and years back. I had no issues since, neither have I observed in RL.

I live in the UK, in London and have witnessed antisemitism at the regular matches organised by the Palestine Solidarity Campaign. How dare you question those of us who know the truth about antisemitism in the UK? You don't have to be a foreigner in the UK to experience antisemitism. You just have to be Jewish.

Are you Jewish?

Because if you're not I'd suggest thinking carefully about whether or not you'd tell a black or Indian person whether or not they've experienced racism. I suspect you wouldn't.

If you are, then I'm glad you haven't experienced it.

Thank you for articulating something I've been struggling with. I had an argument with someone the other day who was explaining to me that the Arabs simply didn't have a history of organized government so couldn't be expected to organize effectively the way Israel did. It made me furious in ways I couldn't articulate at the time except to think it extremely patronizing to Arab states.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but I don't believe there are Mumsnet boards set up for other conflicts and disasters around the world, so where should people discuss them? And why aren't there?

What about before the marches?
Did you think then that antisemitism is extensive?
I have, by the way, not said that it does not happen, but that it does not appear to be a common issue.
Will it be more prevalent amongst activist in these marches, maybe some of them being from the area or pro- Hamas itself? Yes, I get that.
But are you extrapolating this to the rest of us?

(By the way, if you do not want me to question you, I will no longer engage with you, but I thought the idea of these forums is to talk, a debate.)

The message has been deleted which suggests it broke the guidelines - I don’t need to repeat it.

I said (imo) in my opinion. Don't twist my words.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-63707451

for instance.

Yes I live in the UK and no I am not too biased to think about it. Im glad you have had a good experience but If you are not Jewish you have absolutely no place telling Jewish people they are not experiencing antisemitism and even though I am not Jewish so I have never been attacked or abused there are plenty of documented examples. Consult the CST, read their latest report and ask yourself why Jewish organisations and synagogues have 24 hr security and why the security threat against them has been raised by the police
I have certainly witnessed it Or heard about it first hand Just a few examples - a friend of mine works for a charity completely unrelated to the Jewish community. She was talking about raising money at a conference. With no embarassment someone put up their hand and said 'Jewish people are rich, ask the Jews'. Another friend works for a Jewish organisation that does a lot of community work and events. After 7 October all their bookings stopped dead and people pulled out of their events. They have NO connection to Israel. The worst thing was the number of people who have said to her that tbey are not surprised as it was inevitable noone would want to work with them. One person said 'they'll come back when Israel stops being so shit'. This was just a few weeks after 7 October.

By the way, I live in a city, but nowhere near the size of London.
It is diverse here, but not as much as London.
For example, over the summer riots, we did not have any here or nearby, only some reports to be mindful one day, as the police had been following some atttempts to organise.

But I have not told them that they do not experience it. Read the post!
I have said I have zero personal experience and I do not consider UK to have any extended racism issue, against anyone. Read.

I don’t think that there aren’t any people anywhere that are racist or negative about one religious group or another. I am sure there are people with those views and bigotry in every country at every level. I don’t think that is why people want to help the Palestinians though.

The vast majority of people I know aren’t bigots and I would go so far as to say it’s been that way for many many years.

I think that’s sensible.

I think there was one for Ukraine. Normally separate boards are suggested when people want to go on with their lives and only see conflict posts when they are feeling more robust. I think it’s a kindness really. If you have never spent long periods out of contact with loved ones who are in danger, it is hard to imagine just how draining it can be and how much you need places to switch off.

Those are inderd rxamples of antisemitism.

I still think, this is not the general behaviour ad state of mind in UK. So I do not think that is a major contributor on the high news coverage on Gaza-Israel versus other conflicts.
I think it is the Middle East factor- the proximity to the Suez Canal, the ship traffic, extra insurance costs, higher cost of petrol and other goods from the area, risk of escalation of the conflict to other areas of ME and that US and UK troops are present there, that Israel is a militar ally ... This type of reasons.

Once again you insist 'this is not the general behaviour' with regard to anti semitism here in the UK even when given examples of it.

You say better than me. I do agree with this.
I seriously do not think antisemitism is at the core of the extensive reporting and I do think that people remain tuned to the conflict because it is reported about daily.
I do feel for Sudan, for example. Now they want to have a russian naval base. Imagine how hot this can get in the area!
I missed some of the conflicts mentioned here because I did not read a single news report about them.

Sorry, but why is your personal experience of any interest or significance unless you're using it to make a wider point? Listen to Jewish people. That is all.

Yes, exactly! It does exist, I have never denied, and yes, I know the thread level was raised. I think it is not extensive, only a minority of idiots are racist and discriminative.

My personal experience is as relevant as yours. As relevant as the next person. It builds my opinions. Yours builds yours. I do respect your opinion. I would like the same in return.