Does the CITME forum negatively affect your mental health?

[SomeoneSomewheree]

Personally, yes, it does.

To see people day in and day out try and justify a genocide does affect my mental health so I try to stay away at times.

I have also noticed it is the same handful of posters on both sides arguing, neither convincing the other.

I have unfortunately witnessed at times anti-semitic and anti-Palestinian comments, which are not pleasant to read.

Does it affect you? It is not always a pleasant place whatever your stance is on the conflict.

I’ve repeatedly condemned Hamas. I don’t support them in any way. That doesn’t mean I have to frame every argument around surrender or ceasefire hypotheticals. My focus here is on the scale of civilian suffering and the actions of those in power who are actively starving, bombing, and blocking aid to tens of thousands of children. That’s what I’m holding to account.

And frankly, it’s absurd to suggest I support a terrorist organisation simply because I think Israel is wrong to bomb, starve, and kill civilians- especially at a ratio of roughly 7:1. My concern is for the children and families suffering on the ground, not defending Hamas.

Also - because I also ‘can’t help myself’

Hamas has offered to disband- Israel just won’t accept the terms. It’s not “refusal to surrender”; both sides have conditions, and that’s why peace hasn’t happened.

Regarding the title of this thread:
I was about 14 during the Iraq war- probably in a field somewhere drinking Lambrini- so I wasn’t exactly a militant voice back then.

I remember the Srebrenica massacre in Bosnia when I was around 6. Witnessing an atrocity like that as a child deeply affected my mental health and probably shaped how I process conflict today.

That’s why following the Middle East forum impacts me so strongly: seeing civilians, especially children, being deliberately starved and bombed definitely triggers those old fears and horror all over again.

I also spend a great deal of time supporting refugee children who have fled war, so I see firsthand the outcomes of conflict and the lasting trauma it causes.

Hamas refuses to disarm until Palestinian state established

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/ce35nx49reko

Israeli settlement plans will 'bury' idea of Palestinian state, minister says - BBC News https://share.google/YdbcJKa40JvxkcsH2

Israel fully intends to clear all Palestinians out of all areas.

Is this affecting your mental health?

It's so depressing the lack of outrage about this.
The Israeli government have been so transparent in their intentions and the world just shrugs.

There's also the current plan in discussion to 'relocate' Gazans to South Sudan.

I despair.

So you're saying it does affect your mental health.

South Sudan?! Wtf?! Despair indeed!

Does it not yours? If not, what are you here?

The thread title does not say, only for those whose mental health is affected.

If I found my mental health being affected the sensible thing to do would be to disengage for a while.

The South Sudanese government have denied the plan:
https://northafricapost.com/89668-south-sudan-denies-involvement-in-israeli-plan-to-resettle-palestinians-from-gaza.html

However South Sudan is one of many rumored countries that are/were said to be in discussion to relocate Palestinians.

Ironically, the discussion of plans to relocate 1.5 million plus Palestinians opened the door to discussing the relocation of millions of others in the region (including the people that would be happy for the Palestinians to be moved).

Well Palestinians instead of Black Africans suffering a real genocide in South Sudan may focus the "peace activists'" attention where they have ignored it for the last few decades.

Silver lining and all that.

You are mixing up South Sudan and Sudan

This comment is disgusting and just wrong.

The genocide is happening in Sudan.

South Sudan has been an independent country since 2011. I lived there for 18 months. Those of us who are humanitarian actually do care about the plight of people around the world regardless of race. They have enough problems without having to host 2 million Palestinians ethnically cleansed by Israel. What the actual fuck!