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Conflict in the Middle East
Original poster

Are you neutral and knowledgable?

153 replies

Itsokaytomorrowisanewday · 08/04/2026 21:56

If you are both knowledgeable and neutral, please can you explain the current issues in the Middle East- why is there conflict between Israel with Lebanon, and Iran and Gaza? What is the history leading up to this current conflict ? Why are the USA involved? Why do the USA want NATO to be involved?

I thought I knew what was going on for a while, but the speed of information, and the bravado and bluster, has got me confused. It now feels like Orwell’s 1984 with a stream of endless wars and no one is quite sure who the enemy is anymore.

OP posts:
AnSpideog · 12/04/2026 09:57

Instead of these obvious deflections and purposeful misunderstandings maybe it'd be more useful to lay out from a neutral pov why you are so sure it is a genocide and are so comfortable with the accusation despite no legal finding having been made and in the context of rising antisemitism in this country

Nobody is going to be able to lay out the legal arguments for genocide in a post on Mumsnet. It really comes down to how much trust you have in the institutions who are saying these things - MSF, Amnesty, B’t selem - and others. The Israeli administration has put a lot of energy into demonising the human rights and other non profits working in the area in order to discredit their arguments.

I’m confused by your argument to be honest. You seem to agree that the Israeli administration’s actions in Gaza and the West Bank have been disproportionate and morally wrong and that they have killed too many innocent people but you don’t want people to call it genocide because it encourages antisemitism?

There very clearly is rising anti semitism and I don’t agree with that. I don’t conflate the actions of the Israeli government with Jewish people generally. I don’t think the answer to antisemitism is for the world to throw a blind eye to what’s happening in Gaza. Or to curtail their criticism of the Israeli administration who are a threat to world peace and now the global economy.

FloralDeerPattern · 12/04/2026 09:59

dairydebris · 12/04/2026 09:29

Disingenuous.

You've read and responded to enough of my posts criticizing BN and his nutjob buddies to know I've no sympathy or support for them.

"There are very many Jewish people who find it extremely offensive that debate around the genocide is being shut down by weaponising the Holocaust, so it depends which groups of people you are most worried about offending. Organised groups such as Jewish Voices for Peace and Na’amod amongst many others, protest against the use of the Holocaust to justify the Israeli government’s actions."

Strawman @Ellen2shoes. I would never use the Holocaust to justify Israeli government actions or shut down debate. I literally joined the debate to discuss whether or not the facts on the ground lead me to conclude genocide and laid out my reasons. That's hardly shutting it down is it? And I'm a frequent critic of both current Israeli actions and BN.

Instead of these obvious deflections and purposeful misunderstandings maybe it'd be more useful to lay out from a neutral pov why you are so sure it is a genocide and are so comfortable with the accusation despite no legal finding having been made and in the context of rising antisemitism in this country.

Or don't. I'm losing interest in the circular arguments over and over- when people are purposely failing to engage with the larger picture and instead just trying to win silly points.

Show quote history

I can only respond to what you post. If you don't mean what you are posting then correct that, don't name call.

Instead of these obvious deflections and purposeful misunderstandings maybe it'd be more useful to lay out from a neutral pov why you are so sure it is a genocide and are so comfortable with the accusation despite no legal finding having been made and in the context of rising antisemitism in this country.

I posted some links above from experts but there are many more. This is why I am comfortable calling it genocide. People who know war, have witnessed and documented multiple genocides, who have far more knowledge than me of what has actually happened on the ground in Gaza as they have actually had people there throughout this conflict are confident that it is genocide. I respect the work that they do and their decades of experience working in conflict zones.

To me it is foolhardy for the average layperson to think that they know better than well respected, experienced organisations full of experts on their fields. If others think that they know better then that is their choice, denying genocide in the face of expert knowledge and experience. Like I said I would rather walk back on calling it genocide than know that I had been denying it and trying to shut down accusations to the benefit of the perpetrators for years.

tofumad · 13/04/2026 07:26

Ellen2shoes · 12/04/2026 09:05

There are very many Jewish people who find it extremely offensive that debate around the genocide is being shut down by weaponising the Holocaust, so it depends which groups of people you are most worried about offending. Organised groups such as Jewish Voices for Peace and Na’amod amongst many others, protest against the use of the Holocaust to justify the Israeli government’s actions.

Jewish people are hugely diverse, not a collective who are all in agreement.

This is a really good point. Thank you for making it.

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