#TW: Israeli/Palestinian Conflict

[screamingfromuz]

Why do you still call yourself a pro-Palestinian Zionist?

I assume you’ve seen for yourself the forty minutes worth of footage of what Hamas did, Gazans cheering them on?

Those animals deserve death.

Yes. Because the moment I stop, the moment I give up on this very possible alliance between Israeli and Palestinians, I will lose.

And losing will destroy me. This is the hill I stand on, and I will keep standing on it as long as I can. I will continue to support the right for self determination of both my people and of the Palestinians, my brethren. I will continue to support a peaceful solution. I will not concede and let neither Hamas or the right wing extremists win.

I do avoid the videos to my own sanity, but I have read the descriptions. I knew about the cheering from the first day, and it didn't stop me then and would not stop me now. You know that there are people on my side cheering for the death of Palestinians? people who celebrate their deaths?

How can I, knowing those people exist, expect any Palestinian to reach their hand to me if I do not do the same? If I am to generalize and declare all Palestinians the same, how can I ask them to not do the same to me? What gives me the right to put others on a higher moral standard that I uphold myself to?

If a hand is able to reach to me through all this hate, what right do I have to not reach my hand in response? what right do I have to not grab that hand and hold this person? how can I in good faith give up on this chance?

I am and will stay both pro-Palestinian and a Zionist, because this is the only way I can live to my ideals. Because the moment I stop, I have personally failed.

[thebrightestwitchofherage]

Let me make it short since all you antizionsits clearly don’t read past the headline:

October 7th

On October 7th Hamas and Palestinian citizens invaded Israel: They massacred 1300~ , kidnapped 250+, and gang raped women and children.

It doesn’t depend on the context

Hamas and why it’s ridiculous to support it

You can condemn Hamas while wanting to free Palestine.

Hamas isn’t a cool and woke liberation movement - it’s an extremist terror organisation.

“Israel controls Gaza”🤦‍♀️

in fact, dismantling Hamas is what will free them.

Israel doesn’t govern Gaza since 2006 when Israel completely withdrew from it.

Ever since, Hamas are responsible for their living conditions.

Solving the conflict

Israel isn’t going anywhere

Jews have always been in the Middle East and will continue to be there

[alwaysinbetweeninsaneandinsecure]

Hello dears! I am asking you to support my campaign to help me reach my goal. I am in dire need of your support now to help me stay alive and safe. Gaza is a very dangerous place both in terms of living and lives. The family consists of 20 members, most of them are young children. I need your financial support to enable me to get the basic needs for my family until the Rafah crossing is reopened to transport my family to safety and peace. Please help a family stay alive through your small donations or through your shares to others. Thank you very much for standing by those in need. My campaign 90-ghoset has been documented

This has, in fact, been verified by @90-ghost. Here's a link to the fundraiser:

Please give what you can & share!

[cree-n-jewish-thoughts]

What Palestinians REALLY Think About Israel & Jews 👀

[chronicangelca]

If you support Hamas, it is antisemitism. Full stop. No buts.

[cootcutebatkat]

People saying Aaron Bushnell is suffering mental illness as a way to discredit his message is another way of saying that those with mental illness should never be taken seriously. We are not worthy of respect to them.

If he's mentally ill, it doesn't erase his message.

It doesn't erase that countless Palestinians are and will suffer from mental illness due to the horrific traumas they have to endure.

It doesn't erase that serving for a system who forces you to murder and torture people of all ages, to carry on a genocide, and that you are not allowed to leave lest you be punished by law will do massive damage to one's psyche.

It doesn't erase the fact that war is pain and genocide is a nightmare and that your brain is an organ like your body. Stress kills. Stress causes damage. You have an illness on your mental state.

How does that make you less worthy? How should that take away your voice?

Oh, and if you already had a mental illness of any kind beforehand, that doesn't retract or dilute the message either. It shouldn't.

[gastromancer]

The interviews were taken from the documentary "Tantura", which was streamed by the Israeli documentary channel Hot8. [x]

Hebrew-to-English translation & transcripts of clip in hebrew & english by Targum.

[fortheammonites]

Falling for scams does hurt people, actually

TW: Human trafficking, SA, torture, discussion of scam farms

I see a whole bunch of people arguing that they would rather risk giving to a scammer than ignore someone's gofundme. I also see people saying things like "I can't believe some sick people are profiteering off genocide" and like, me neither, but I feel like you guys really don't understand who actually runs these kinds of scams and what they are.

Scams of noticeable scale-- like scam asks being sent from hundreds of accounts to every user on Tumblr!-- are typically related to organised crime in poor countries, not Susan from Milwaukee who wants a new coat and has no scruples. People get trafficked by gangs to scam farms in Asia and Africa where they're worked to the bone and tortured trying to get idiots in wealthy countries to part with their money. Genocide profiteering is pretty much the least evil thing these people do.

Here's a UN article on it. Obvious warnings for content related to human trafficking and SA.

When you donate to a scammer, you fund these organisations and give them a reason to exist. It's possible some of the fundraisers are legit. I honestly find it unlikely given I'm not seeing any from any other countries where urgent fundraisers would seem to have great reason to exist but which haven't captured the same level of attention on Tumblr-- the number of Sudanese, Congolese, Ukrainian, Burmese or Uyghur fundraisers in my DMs is a fat 0. In any case, there are safer ways to help.

If you want to help (which is great!) you don't have to take the risk of paying for human trafficking. Donate to legitimate charities which have the resources to safely and effectively ensure the money and help is getting to the right people. Funding human trafficking rings in Myanmar is not a good risk to be taking while trying to help.

[systemserendipity]

⚠️tw Israeli-Palestinian War⚠️

For those that want a firsthand account of the current conflict in Gaza, here's a link to a diary held by Atef Abu Saif, minister of culture for the Palestinian Authority. It began Oct. 7, and he's STILL in the strip with his young son.

[matan4il]

Hi Alice! All my love to you in these dark dark times. You've been instrumental to me learning more about what it's like in Israel on the ground right now, and helping me not get swept up in the vitriolic rhetoric so many of my fellow liberals are espousing. I've been horrified by some of the behavior I've seen from the pro-Palestine crowd. I quietly support both sides of the conflict, and hope to see a return of the hostages, a subsequent ceasefire, and a realistic path to a two-state solution in the near future.

I'm asking this in good faith because I trust your research and input on these things, and I'm curious about your perspective. TW for rape and torture. I've seen a report come out on one of the tumblrs I follow (who is very pro-Palestine and anti-Zionist, unfortunately, I only follow them for fandom content) stating that there's been torturous conditions inside Israeli prisons–Sde Teiman specifically–detaining Palestinians. It includes accusations of rape, beatings, and amputations due to injuries from being cuffed. I was wondering if you had seen this report and had thoughts about whether this is another anti-Israel smear campaign or a cruel reality of bad people doing bad things. I'm always inclined to believe victims, and as an American, I'm painfully aware of the atrocities that can happen in detentions centers, especially during wartime.

Please know I'm not accusing you of anything or trying to make this a gotcha thing! I'm curious about your thoughts as an Israeli who does good research and knows her country and history. Thank you again for all you do, and I'm so sorry to hear about your colleague's murder. May you and your loved ones find as much rest and peace as can be found in a time like this. Take care.

Hi Nonnie,

thank you so much for your kind words (especially regarding Alex), your humaneness and willingness to listen to Jews and Israelis! Absolutely, there is no contradiction in supporting regular people on both sides of this conflict. This is NOT a zero-sum game. Both sides can thrive, if we all choose and are just allowed to coexist.

Okay, the Sde Teiman accusations...

Let me start with the history of this army base, because it is relevant to how it was used.

In 1942, the Nazis landed in northern Africa, and were headed eastwards, toward the Land of Israel. As a part of getting ready for that, The British (who ruled Israel at the time) paved a strip of asphalt in the desert, not too far from the expected direction of the Nazis' invasion, and used it as an airfield. They also built a few hangars next to the runway, and this is what in the 1950's became the military base called Sde Teiman ("Field of Yemen," in honor of the Israeli's air force operation of airlifting the Jews of Yemen, and bringing them to Israel. Along with the operation to bring the Ethiopian and Indian Jews to Israel, these mark the only times when a "first world" country brought people from "third world" countries - with the goal of making them citizens with equal rights). I'm sharing this info, so everyone can get an idea of how small and insufficient this army base is for the purpose of detaining prisoners. And indeed, under normal circumstances, it is NOT used for that purpose.

However, when Hamas launches surprise attacks from Gaza, it has been used for temporary detention (until arrested terrorists can be transferred to more adequate facilities) simply because of its proximity to Israel's border with Gaza.

That's how it was used following the Oct 7 Hamas invasion of Israel, too. Things to note about this: Israel did not initiate the massacre and following war, so it didn't have time to prepare a better temporary detention center with personnel properly trained to be jailors, and also, while Sde Teiman had been used temporarily for terrorist detention before, it was never used for as many arrested terrorists as after Oct 7. Consider that on the day itself alone, around 3,500 terrorists invaded Israel, and that was just the first day of the war.

When it comes to general accusations of awful conditions there, which might lead to terrible consequences, a big part of it is probably down to the fact that this base was not meant for this purpose (and the fact that it was used this way is because of the nature of Hamas' attack rather than any intended maliciousness).

The conditions were all wrong as a result of the chaos of war regarding the sexual assault case, too. The guards were not trained to be jailors, they didn't have the right tools to deal with arrested terrorists, especially these terrorists, who belonged to the Nukhba, a Hamas "elite" unit and the main perpetrator of the massacre (the Nukhba to Hamas are like the Waffen SS to the Nazis, imagine what Israelis feel when they hear "Nukhba"). Think of the atrocities committed by these men: the rapes, the beheadings, the mutilations, the murder of children, the burning down of homes with people inside, the extermination of entire families, the destruction of Israel's southern communities, and the psychological trauma caused to the entire country, when many are already dealing with lots of trauma, including of the inter-generational kind. Now imagine being an ordinary reservist, a regular civilian, not someone who has chosen the army as a way of life, not someone who has seen the horrors off war recently (or maybe ever), someone with a family that could have easily been targeted on Oct 7, someone who isn't trained for how to jail the vilest of criminals, then tasked with guarding in over-crowded and extremely close settings such monsters while being psychologically affected by their terrorism (which is the main goal of terrorism! To terrorize even those not directly harmed!)...

Initially, 10 soldiers, who are all reservists, were arrested. Since then, it turns out only 5 of them will be indicted (indicating that there is no substantial evidence against the other 5) for supposedly sexually assaulting a Nukhba terrorist. Specifically, the Nukhba company commander of Jabalya. He's not any regular terrorist, he's someone who was a commander that partook in the Oct 7 massacre, he oversaw the committed atrocities, he didn't only commit crimes, he gave the orders. At least one of the suspected soldiers testified that this Nukhba commander was going haywire, and had to be physically subdued. According to reporters, a doctor initially checked this Nukhba commander and found no signs of abuse. Only later did the terrorist start bleeding from his behind. According to a submitted report by Prof. Alon Pikarsky, a senior doctor at Hadassah, the civilian hospital this terrorist was later admitted into, the harm to the terrorist's behind is most likely self-inflicted. Based on accounts from reporters, the overall medical and forensic testimonies submitted cannot confirm nor refute the claims of the Nukhba terrorist.

So when it comes to the case itself, I can't say much. The accusations are serious, the question marks are serious, and I don't have the professional tools to figure out where the truth lies. There will be a trial, more qualified people than me will decide.

Obviously, as an Israeli, I hope the accusations are false. Not because I think there is ANY society out there which is perfect, and in which no crimes ever take place, especially where extreme circumstances are involved, but because I think it's natural to hope for the best for one's people.

Where it comes to the people who tried to stop the arrest of the suspected soldiers, I believe they're in the wrong for multiple reasons: for the sake of justice, for the state of the Israeli justice system, and even for the sake of the soldiers, if it turns out they're innocent. At the same time, while I am NOT okay with the arrests being stopped, I can understand the sentiment. In Israel, especially post Oct 7, soldiers are our most immediate heroes. They risk themselves, they save countless lives, (even the ones "only" guarding terrorists know they could be killed doing this, and they're saving people by keeping the terrorists locked up), they're dealt shitty hands sometimes (like having to guard Nukhba terrorists when they're not even trained for it), and they do all this for us, as a collective, men and women, adults and kids, Jews and Arabs. We ALL owe them, every Israeli. So the sentiment is that there is something difficult to process about a situation where the word of a massacre-committing terrorist commander is believed over that of people who are perceived as heroes. It makes a protective side of people come out, even people who at the end accept that the justice system must do its thing.

And when it comes to the justice system, I think it matters SO MUCH that it will do its thing. No army can prevent every single one of its soldiers, as individuals, from committing crimes. But there are armies that, as a system, commit crimes. The justice system that prosecutes individual crimes is a part of the difference.

Still, even if the accusations are true, even while I'm happy they're investigated, I went into the details of the case, because I do believe that even at worst, there are extenuating circumstances. Those don't turn a wrong act into a right one, but they acknowledge that, under extreme circumstances, and without the right tools, many normative people without criminal intent might end up doing the wrong thing. The psychological burden of guarding extremist terrorists who have traumatized an entire society, including their guards, in close quarters and without the right training, it could be one that would make a lot of regular people crack. I'm glad I've never been tested like that. I'd like to believe I wouldn't have done the wrong thing, but who knows. We're all human, we all have our triggers. Especially in the face of complete evil that harmed our loved ones or threatens to. I feel lucky that I was never put in an extreme situation, like those soldiers, I hope they did the right thing, but I find it hard to morally judge them if they didn't, even where I recognize that if they did what they're accused of, they should be legally judged.

IDK if this helped, but I hope it at least reflects the fact that for quite a few Israelis ('coz I can't speak or all of us, but I think this probably represents a fair number of people), it is complicated, and not a clear-cut case of black and white, good vs evil...

(for all of my updates and ask replies regarding Israel, click here)

[vavuska]

PALESTINIAN GOFUNDMES FROM MY ASK BOX! - September 7th 2024

I've gotten many gfms in my ask box over the past few days. Usually I post each one individually but because I've gotten so many, I decided to compile them all into one post. I tried to find verification so I could divide this post between verified (by 90-ghost, nabulsi or el-shab-hussein) and unverified. I don't have the power to verify gfms, but the unverified ones I list here seemed legitimate enough that I felt comfortable posting them.

If you find any verification for an unverified post, message me with a link & I will add it on here. And, in general, if you find any information or see any errors in this post, just shoot me an ask or DM me with the info and I'll edit this to include it. (Though please, if you are going to message me saying a gfm is illegitimate you better have some proof to back it up because if you message me to say it's a scam based solely off vibes I will at best ignore you and at worst block you.)

VERIFIED FUNDRAISERS

Check also here to legit fundraisers to help and support:

Operation Olive Brunch | Nabulsi + el-shab-hussein spreadsheets | Gaza founds directory | Project watermelon | Strawberry seeds

@rehamjawad33 Status: 22.511 € raised of 70.000 € - 1,3 mila donations

@maram-gaza Status: 585 € raised of 70.000 € - 41 donations

@ranin3344 Status: €8,450 raised of €80,000 goal - 563 donations

@eman-kha Status: 1.196 $ USD raised of 40.000 $ - 84 donations

@shadowyavenuetaco Status: £4,685 raised of £50,000 goal - 303 donations

@mahmodsy Status: 2.391 $ USD raised over 25.000 $ goal - 169 donations

UNVERIFIED FUNDRAISERS*

*Unverified, and I do not have the power to verify, but in my personal opinion these all do look legitimate - I check daily for kyra45 tips about how to detect a scam and more

@hala-15 Status: 2.959 € raised of 5.000 € - 116 donations

Anonymous [this tumblr disappeared for some reason] - Status: 185 raised of 10.000 € - 12 donations

@mohammednasers-blog Status: 4.183 € raised of 38.000 € - 260 donations

@familygazaamal Status: $407 USD raised of $30,000 goal - 31 donations

@rewaa33 Status: $565 USD raised of $50,000 goal - 22 donations

@asmaayyad Status: 17.033 € raised over 45.000 € goal - 1,2 mila donations

@yasermohammad Status: 21.310 € raised over 35.000 € goal - 1,4 mila donations

DONATE TO ANY OR ALL IF YOU CAN, REBLOG IF YOU CAN'T!

*note: I do not verity fundraisers myself. All fundraisers I'm reblogging have either been shared or vetted by other blogs.

If you want to help, but don't trust donating to strangers through GFM and want to help with a transparent, non-profit and cost-effective international humanitarian organization, here is the link: http://www.rescue.org

However, if you choose to donate to a registered ngo charity instead of an individual, you should remember that not always ngo helps desperate people morally or logistically better then helping directly the single person asking for help.

[mjfsupremacy]

TW: This post talks about the current conflict in Palestine and mentions loss of life. Please look after yourself and proceed with caution. 🧡

MJF's silence in regards to the genocide has been bothering me for the last few weeks and I'm growing more and more concerned that he may be in support of the removal of Palestine and its people.

He has been unapologetically vocal about his Jewish beliefs and heritage for years but recently it's felt like it's been more frequent and I wonder if this is his way of showing his support to Israel or if he maybe hasn't considered the optics of doing all this, standing beside an Israeli flag to recieve rightfully deserved honours, but saying nothing about what that flag actually represents (the murder of nearly 20000 people and the oppression of millions just in the last 2 months.)

He's an amazing advocate for the Jewish community, and he deserves all this recognition, and I'm sure people much smarter than me have spoken about how fair it is to expect rules on how Jewish people navigate their faith online, but does anyone else think the timing is a bit strange? I don't know about anyone else, but I will never be able to separate the art from the artist and I can't support someone who thinks what is happening to Palestinians is or ever has been okay. I really hope I'm just reading all this wrong.

Maybe I've missed something and this isn't the red flag my gut is telling me it is, if I have please feel free to educate me and I will update this post with any and all relevant information.

Please consider boycotting Starbucks, McDonald's, Zara, and Disney. Please consider calling your representatives to demand and end to arms sales, a permanent ceasefire, and a return of all hostages, and if it is safe to do so, please get to the next rally in your local area. Our voices matter,and we can make a difference. We just have to try. 🍉

EDIT: I would like to add, though I am not American that there has been a 300% rise in antisemitic hate crimes since Oct 7 and this could very well be a reason Max has chosen not to speak on the genocide. As always, hate of any kind is not welcome on this page, especially antisemitism. We can be critical and discuss this issue without resulting to hate speech!

EDIT #2: it's okay to feel confused and scared and conflicted about this issue. Jewish people and Muslim people deserve our love and support right now. If you would like to talk or would like further information to better educate yourself on the Nekba, on the original Israeli solution, and how the UN and America and the UK came to create it, and what's happening now, please feel free to reach out anytime.

EDIT #3: I want to reiterate that I am not accusing Max of anything, I am airing my concerns and my confusions and feelings. Again, I understand that this is a complicated issue but we all have a responsibility to do the best we can and stand up for humanity whenever we can.

[sw33t4ngel]

Quick TW: this is a pro Palestine post, dni if you are with Israel/want to argue. Also mentions of rape. 🍉

hello !!! im randomly making this at 11 pm before I sleep because I wanted to talk about.

First off, I'm not a political person at all. I hate politics, war, ECT. It's not my thing nor is it my business.

The current genocide happening in Hamas was one of the many things I would simply roll my eyes over. I never understood it. I never understood why people were so adamant on it. I constantly got called a Zionist because I still ate Starbucks and listened to Lana del rey.

Most recently, shortly after the met gala this year, I decided to educate myself more and do my own personal research on the conflict and it's history. My heart completely shattered and broke. I felt sick to my stomach from the things I read about the babies, children, mother's and fathers. I believe NO ONE should ever have to go through that. No matter who "started it" or "who's fault it is". Its murder. It's mass murder, rape. Making innocent babies and children orphans in a matter of seconds. Parents losing their children feeling worthless.

This stands for the Israeli children as well. It's absolutely world crushing.

Im not Jewish, or Palestinian, I don't have family there. But, I am human. I believe in what's right and what's right is making sure the world is a better, safer place for everyone..no matter the race, sexuality, gender, religion, culture, ECT.

I don't care if I lose followers or mutuals, I needed to say this. It's how I feel and what I stand by.

I've listed charities below to donate to. Not forcing you! However it would be so incredible :)

Palestine Children's Relief Fund:

Women's Peace and Humanitarian Fund:

Thank you for listening :)

[chronicangelca]

Just a reminder of what this conflict actually, tangibly means for the Jews in your life while you get to sit at your desk untouched by this violence.

[a-krogan-skald-and-bearsark]

I am. Absolutely disgusted by my elected representative. TW for discussions of the situation in Gaza.

To preface this, a couple of things. First off, I didn't vote for the bastard. As I told one canvaser at the last election, you could not get me to vote Conservative if you held a gun to my head. Not going to happen.

Secondly, my spouse is Palestinian, on their mother's side. Their maternal great-grandfather actually owned an orange farm in what is now Israel that was expropriated during the Nakba. Their uncle was in politics in Israel until they resigned in protest over the treatment of Palestinians by the Israeli government. They also have family in the West Bank (All of whom have managed to make it to some sort of safety). So we've had a bit more reason than most to follow the situation in Gaza.

As such, when news came out that South Africa had presented a case to the International Court of Justice, charging Israel with acts of genocide against the Palestinian people in Gaza, and requesting that the ICJ try to impose a cease-fire, I contacted my MP, as my representative in Parliament, to inquire as to his stance on the matter, and explain mine, that Canada should support the motion as international censure is probably the only way to stop what's going on there. In fact, I'll include the text of my message below. (I've removed my name, cause I have common sense. I have not removed my MPs name, on accounts of he's a public figure, and how else are we to hold our elected representatives to account.)

Dear Representative Perkins. I am writing you in regards to the current situation in Palestine, and more specifically in regards to the motion brought by South Africa before the International Court of Justice on Dec 29th of 2023 to charge the nation of Israel with contravention the 1948 convention against genocide. I am one of your constituents, being resident in the community of Redacted, and as my representative in Parliament, I should hope that you would apply some pressure towards the government to support the South African motion.  I have been following the conflict closely, as my spouse has Palestinian relatives (all of whom, thankfully, have managed to find safety). Israel's breaches of the convention of 1948 are both numerous and well documented: Mortality amongst journalists in Gaza has been higher than in any conflict in the past century, and the majority of the deaths are the direct result of IDF actions.  The IDF has repeatedly targeted hospitals, educational facilities and refugee camps, and has boasted of this publically.  International aid to Gaza has been severely curtailed, with the Israeli government restricting the flow of relief to well below what is required to maintain the population, as well as completely blocking emergency supplies of fuel, leading to avoidable deaths when hospital generators fail for lack of fuel.  There have also been confirmed reports of Israeli snipers targeting civilians, and of looting by Israeli soldiers.  And this is not the complete list of transgressions. It is my hope that you will bear all these things in mind, and encourage the Prime Minister to support South Africa's motion to censure Israel for their actions and press for a peaceful resolution to the conflict before further innocents die.  Sincerely Your Constituent

Each of the charges I mentioned are discussed, with supporting evidence, in the 82 page report filed to the ICJ along with the charges presented by South Africa.

It took six days for me to receive a response. Historically, when contacting my MP or MLA, I've had one within 48 hours. Here's what he said.

Hi Redacted, Conservatives continue to unequivocally condemn the invasion of Israel by Hamas terrorists and the sadistic violence that Hamas has carried out against innocent civilians in both Israel and in Gaza. My thoughts remain with the families, especially Canadians, who have lost loved ones, be they Israeli or Palestinian. In addition, I would like to share a message from Pierre Poilievre, the Leader of the Opposition, on behalf of Conservatives as we continue to express our concern and sympathy for this situation: https://www.ourcommons.ca/DocumentViewer/en/44-1/house/sitting-232/hansard#Int-12365221. Reflecting on October 7th, the world continues to be shocked and angered by this deplorable day for people of the Jewish faith and for Israel. October 7th was the greatest mass murder of Jews since the Holocaust. Children were murdered, Holocaust survivors were kidnapped, and raped women were paraded through the streets of Gaza City in celebration. I strongly support Israel’s right to defend itself against these attacks and respond against these attackers, in the same way that Canada would if threatened by an extremist organization and cult with the sole goal of committing terrorism and genocide against a democratic state. I would like to provide a striking comparison between this situation and others in the region which have similarly been shocking in deaths and war crimes. Ethnic cleansing during the Syrian Civil War, the Yemeni Civil War, and the Yezidi genocide carried out by ISIS have totaled in excess of 300,000 preventable and innocent deaths. In Canada, these have received varying degrees of media coverage despite their profound effects on populations and communities throughout the Middle East. In all of these occasions, Conservatives have advocated for the Liberal government to take action and demonstrate their willingness to work with international partners on solutions to diplomacy and peace. However, we were left with disappointment. Conservatives continue to support a two-state solution, and the only path forward to accomplishing this is by ensuring that Hamas is eliminated so that Israelis and Palestinians can succeed in achieving peace. On five previous occasions, Israel has attempted to negotiate a solution in good faith with Palestinian authorities and failed. Right now, Hamas remains a threat to not just Israel, but also to Palestinians and global peace. It must be noted that Israel has not imposed any illegal restrictions on access to water, food, or electricity, and there is no international requirement for Israel to provide humanitarian aid during this crisis. Hamas is solely to blame for the humanitarian crisis we see, and they are the greatest roadblock to any permanent solution. Here in Canada, it is important that we condemn all displays of hate, antisemitism, and islamophobia. There is no place for the glorification of terror that we have witnessed at demonstrations and protests that have targeted Jewish businesses, openly displayed swastikas, and threatened community organizations and institutions which have nothing to do with this conflict. I would like to make it clear that I have no intention to meet with any organizations or groups that deny the state of Israel’s right to exist or demonstrate any support for Hamas. Peace can be achieved now if Hamas surrenders, releases all the hostages, and ends their sadistic violence. Conservatives will stand with the people of Israel, their democratic rights, their sovereignty, their right to self-determination, and their freedoms, now and forever. Sincerely, Rick Perkins

I'm not particularly impressed that he basically completely ignored my message, in favour of pushing his own preferred interpretation. So I made a response.

Dear Representative Perkins. There appears to be a misunderstanding here. I too acknowledge that Israel has a right to its existence and to defend itself, however I fail to see how acts that meet the legal definition of genocide against a civilian population constitutes self-defence.  While I find the actions of Hamas on October 7th deplorable, the response by the Israeli Defence Force has been totally out of proportion, and I find you and your party's refusal to condemn such genocidal actions and push for a ceasefire reprehensible.   I was already unlikely to vote Conservative in the next election, but your response to my reasonable communication has ensured that the PC Party of Canada has lost my vote in any future elections.  Disappointed and dissatisfied Your Constituent

It's less that I was already unlikely to vote Conservative, and more that I'm already completely predisposed to vote for practically anybody else. But he doesn't need to know that. Let him think he's lost a possible vote. Might cost him some sleep at night. I doubt it though.

I'm not going to let it discourage me though. Might try contacting my MLA and see if there's some way they can encourage the province to put pressure on the federal government, seeing as my MP isn't doing his job. You know, to represent my interests as his constituent, in Ottawa. Bastard.

[princessg3rard]

Uh, so... what's ur position on the ongoing genocide in Palestine? /genq

obvious disclaimer: tw war !! don’t try to debate this shit in the notes, this isn’t a discourse post. they asked for my opinion, and that’s what u get. if i see a “resistance with every means” or “genocider” type shit in the notes it will result in an instant block.

I was debating answering this ask for a while, for 2 major reasons:

a) this feels disingenuous, what with the use of “genocide” which factually doesn’t fit the situation at hand in i/p, and calling the entire area palestine which, again, is factually incorrect. the use of inflammatory language is obviously skewing the narrative immediately, and I don’t fuck with that. stick with facts.

b) im kind of sick of this game of good jew bad jew, where every jewish (or g-d forbid, israeli) person inexplicably owes the internet their stance on a 75 year long conflict. kinda fucking sick of it :3

my stance is, and has always been, that the deaths of innocents is fucking horrible. none of us deserves to go thru this shit, and it fucking sucks. as an israeli, I was raised under rocket fire and stab waves, worrying for friends and family every time a new war broke out - and im sure Palestinians experience that too. and while the israeli gov is absolutely to blame as well, most of the blame is on hamas.

hamas broke the ceasefire and massacred us on oct 7th. they are an internationally recognised terror organisation, and under their rule they only made civilians on both sides suffer. they use their own people as human shields and give about 0 fucks about the way gazans live, while hamas leadership are billionaires and live in qatar without worry. fuck them and everything they stand for.

we all deserve to live and have self determination in this land. neither group has anywhere else to go, and neither group is going anywhere. these are just the facts. all we can really do is strive for peace and equality atp.

most of us that live here literally just want to live in peace. that’s fucking all. we all just want to live. both leaderships should be overthrown, fucking obviously, and westerners should shut the fuck up about us if they don’t know anything about i/p. if ur just some just guy on the internet that read a tweet about this, kindly shut up. it’s already hard enough.