I thought long and hard about keeping quiet about the current situation in Israel/Palestine, what do we need another person throwing their two cents in for? But I can’t sit by any longer as hate, misinformation, blatant racism, double standards and extremist views rage online without any sign of slowing down. Some of this is deliberate, some totally unintended, either way it isn’t advancing peace or contributing to anything positive whatsoever. On the contrary, it’s causing mistrust and division. If even one person thinks twice before spreading more hate then this post has been worth writing. I last wrote a post about this some 2 years ago (posted at the very bottom of this) - I can’t quite believe I am still reading such deeply painful and unhelpful comments online - most of them from friends of mine. But never mind what I find hurtful. Let’s think about the dire and tragic situation the Palestinians find themselves in - (let’s not forget that they are often being used as human shields), and the insecurity and constant threat Israelis live in with rockets fired from a terrorist group whose charter calls for the annihilation of Israel, Israelis and Jews. In recent days I have come across deeply painful and alarming posts by friends of mine, who i don’t want to fall out with, but struggle to work out how they think it’s acceptable to peddle such hate and lies. Moments ago I turned to twitter and saw this post from a friend: What role does unprocessed holocaust pain play in Israels tragic, psychopathic & self-destructive genocide of fellow humans in Palestine?’- I see grave war crimes in other countries, and not a peep - there is a definite silence from people who shout about Palestine but nothing else. Rockets rain down over Israel after a ceasefire, not once but several times this past week, and no, not a peep of condemnation of rockets targeted at civilians in Israel with the sole aim of wiping out as many Israelis as possible or even recognition that there are two sides to this incredibly complex situation. When it comes to Israel/Palestine my news feed is alive and kicking. That’s fine - it’s totally fine for people to have a particular interest in a certain region, but don’t apply double standards and don’t for a second pretend you are helping a group of people totally misused and abuse by their own leadership by bringing boycotts, the holocaust, ‘hitler would be proud’, ‘justice for palestine’, ’stop the genocide or anything else in to the mix. I turn on the news and even on my own doorstep see a sharp rise in violent anti-semitic attacks - which the police want to record as criminal damage rather than racially motivated. These often woefully ignorant, misleading and vicious online rants are in no way advancing peace efforts nor are they in any way helping those who are suffering. We ought to be calling for justice and peace for all of the people suffering in the region, and in the world as a whole. Here’s what I posted in November 2012: I have moved from quiet reflection to utter disgust and disbelief at friends of mine who feel its acceptable to liken Israel and or those who support its right to exist to Nazis/the Third Reich and or terrorists. I am wondering why you think its a) acceptable and b) achieving anything to spread such hate? For those who are not aware Denying the Jewish people their right to self-determination, e.g., by claiming that the existence of a State of Israel is a racist endeavor is part of the EU working definition of anti-semitism. Hijacking and distorting the word Zionist doesnt help anyone. Moreover, telling half of a story achieves nothing. Not once have I heard any of these people who espouse freedom condemn the thousands of rockets fired deliberately at civilian targets in Israel over several years, nor have I heard condemnation of suicide bombings or of Hamas’ activities (like stopping explosives to animals) and their part in the plight of the suffering nor have I heard any criticism of their charter, which states that Jews are diabolical and deserving of slaughter. If all lives have equal value, as one friend recently insisted on Facebook, why are so many people choosing to be totally oblivious to the other half of the equation? A renewed plea - please stop and think before you write or say something.
Posted on: Sun, 20 Jul 2014 19:14:11 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015