Why do you support Palestine?

[Wildflowers99]

After the horrific kidnapping of the Bibas family and the horrific murder of the mother and her two small children, the time has come to ask British supporters of Palestine why.

A significant number of Palestinians want Sharia law. This is not a conflict of politics to them - it’s a conflict of religion. Therefore, it’s simply a case of Islam must dominate no matter what. 4 in 10 support the attacks in October 2023, which was the mass rape, torture and murder of Israelis using the most psychopathic methods imaginable - not to mention the kidnappings.

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/feb/11/amid-the-ceasefire-wrangling-how-popular-is-hamas-in-gaza-now

While I am devastated by the killing of Gazan children in air strikes, and have always supported a ceasefire, I cannot support any advancing of the Palestinian state because I do not want to further a state with views such as those above.

So, please can I ask why you support Palestine as a state? I find it painful watching people blindly marching and demanding support for a state who are opposed to everything they stand for.

But, which is your solution? How do you see this progressing going forward?
The second stage of the ceasefire is getting closer.

@Wildflowers99 Who are "they"? Hamas ? Absolutely, they repress women (and many other minorities). The Palestinian people? Women are actually highly educated and their repression is not embedded in Palestinian culture nearly as much as some other neighbouring countries. What do you know of what the people of Palestine would be prepared to accept as the price of peace? You seem to see them as some sort of homogenous group, and conflate them with Hamas.

The closest to a two-state solution was the Oslo Accords. While there were faults on both sides, Netanyahu did all he could to derail them. And he had the support of the majority of the Israeli population, many of whom were massively opposed to it. You could argue Israel doesn't want peace either. Netanyahu even went as far as supporting Hamas to ensure there was no Palestinian consensus. The Israeli Government has to take some responsibility for this climate of hate, fear and violence.

They are currently being talked about by Trump and Netanyahu as if they are vermin to be eradicated - even if this doesn't happen it is hardly likely to make the average Palestinian see there is hope for the future, supported by the international community - a recipe for further radicalisation.

There is no ‘alternative’ of a ‘free, democratic, peaceful’ Palestine because they don’t want that

Source? Because the link in your OP says that "a significant proportion feel that rule by Islamic law – a key part of the ideology of Hamas – is important". Note that a significant proportion is not defined. No numbers are provided. It does not mean that that is what a majority wants. It does not mean that it is the only important thing. It does not mean that people would prefer Sharia law over a peaceful settlement.

@Worryworrierworrying I've been, only for a day. I experienced what I would consider to be misogyny twice:

1. at the wailing wall where men and women are given separate sections - the men's section being much much bigger and where men are permitted to pray aloud and women are not.

1. at King David's Tomb where men and women have separate entrances. Men are able to walk freely around it whilst women must wait for their turn to look through a hole into it.

Not particularly progressive.

Have you looked into Hasidic Jews and their views on women.
Or How Jewish women are supposed to get a divorce?
Maybe look for women that have been forced to move seats on planes because Ultra orthodox Jews refuse to sit next to them.

You may also want to look up Women of the wall.

https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/the-countries-where-a-majority-of-muslims-want-to-live-under-sharia-law-a6773666.html

Most surveys put the proportion of Palestinians who want Sharia law at around 80-90%.

And how big a problem is this would you say compared with Sharia law and the effect on women in every country that is ruled by it?

@Worryworrierworrying Yes definitely, for instance all marriages are strictly religious, inter faith marriages are not recognised, and if a marriage breaks down and the husband does not sign a legal document then that woman remains married to him forever, there are lots of other things too which I'm not getting into here but yes not the most progressive country

Its a problem where ever their are Ultra orthodox Jews.

I did not even know this, wow

Yes, what a coincidence that you’re suddenly so amazed by and intrigued with an issue that is less than 1% of the one we’re discussing.

The fact that I posted “11,000 children were killed in Gaza by the Israeli military over the last 12 months” on Page 1, and the OP and everyone else has simply ignored it, is fascinating to me. On Mumsnet. You have children. That’s your child - times eleven thousand.

Focusing on religion and politics and a million other things that don’t matter instead. Ignoring thousands of dead, innocent children at the hands of the Israel military.

There is NO excuse for that figure.

Since October 7th, 60,000 Palestinians have been killed (majority women, children and the elderly), and 1,000 Israelis.

I honestly think you have to be evil
to look at those figures and still support Israel.

That answers your titular question of why people support Palestine. Because most people believe that that level of murder of civilians is abhorrent and inexcusable.

Okay, so let’s murder 60,000 of them in their homes? 11,000 children?

Shall we murder every human who has different religious or cultural beliefs to you? Everyone who doesn’t align with Western values? Or is it just all Muslims who you think should be genocided?

And what is the alternative to a two state solution?
I have asked quite a few times now.
Other posters have asked too.
But no reply.
If you do refuse the establishment of a Palestinian State, how do you intend to reach peace then? Which is the long term solution?

They weren’t murdered for being Muslim. They were tragically killed in retaliation airstrikes because the military wing of their leaders decided to commit mass rape, torture and murder against innocent civilians.

If IS had somehow landed in the UK in their hundreds and raped women after cutting off their breasts, set people on fire, and beat toddlers to death, what sort of retaliation would you expect the UK to carry out to defend its population? What would you want to happen if the body of your child was paraded for people to spit on?

I will never ever be ‘okay’ with the price of tens of thousands of Gazan children but frankly their own people have betrayed them by carrying out mass murder knowing the price would be air strikes raining down on their heads. They’ve been betrayed and condemned from every angle and it’s a travesty.

I didn't start the discussion, someone mentioned it was a progressive country, several of us said its not particularly a progressive country, we're allowed to do this

Yes, and I’m ‘allowed’ to respond with what I did.

What makes you think you weren't?

What makes you think you weren’t?

They weren’t murdered for being Muslim. They were tragically killed in retaliation airstrikes because the military wing of their leaders decided to commit mass rape, torture and murder against innocent civilians.

Ooh, the cognitive dissonance here is crazy. 60,000+ people killed by Israel military is “tragically killed in retaliation airstrikes”, but 1,000 Israelis killed by Hamas is “mass murder”? I would suggest that “mass murder” more accurately applies to the figure that is sixty times higher. 11,000 children dying is mass murder.

Militaries are responsible for avoiding civilian casualties. Are you aware of that? Murdering civilians is a war crime. Just like bombing hospitals is a war crime. That’s why the UN Commission inquiry found that Israel is guilty of committing war crimes and crime against humanity.

And I didn’t say I think Palestinians have been killed because they are
Muslim. You brought up Palestinian support for Sharia law. I asked if you think that justifies the genocide, otherwise why mention it? Reading comprehension.

But you do not have an alternative @Wildflowers99
No a single person opposing a Palestine State has come back to say how they think peace can be achieved without Palestine.
Therefore, there is no other option.
You are allowing fear to cloud your judgement. But you need to recognise, Palestinians are well justified to fear Israel at this point.
It will not be easy, it will take time, but there is no other way forward than the 2 states.

Because you said it was an issue only less than 1% of what everyone was discussing? You do know you replied to me first?

Did I say you weren’t ‘allowed’ to say that?

I will never ever be ‘okay’ with the price of tens of thousands of Gazan children but frankly their own people have betrayed them by carrying out mass murder knowing the price would be air strikes raining down on their heads. They’ve been betrayed and condemned from every angle and it’s a travesty.

Ah yes, Hamas killed 1,200 Israelis on Oct 7th. They should have known that Israel would kill 60,000+ Palestinians over the next year! Between 11,000-18,000 of them children! Totally proportionate response, right?

It’s basically their fault for not assuming eleven thousand innocent Palestinian children would be murdered in retaliation.

”their own people betrayed them” - that comment makes me sick. So the Israeli children who have died - did their “own people betray them” by perpetrating genocide against Gazans?

Well, it’s all murder then. I’m happy to say that. But we can’t say strangling toddlers is the same as an airstrike. It’s gratuitous and personal, the latter is hideously awful but not something carried out for the pleasure of suffering. We can’t pretend they’re the same, although of course the value of each life is the same.

I never said Palestinian support for Sharia law justified killing, I said it is the reason I cannot support a Palestinian state and you know this.

Because the creation of a Palestinian state would result in widespread human rights abuses and a theocracy which would be inherently dangerous to the West. Not a free, gentle and democratic Palestine like posters keep suggesting.