#because we will be protesting about israel REGARDLESS.

[bananonbinary]

someone who cant form coherent sentences and thoughts should not be in charge of a country and have access to nuclear weapons nothing ableist about that idiot. genocide joe isnt the better option they’re both equally horrible fascists fuck you asshole

"nothing ableist about that idiot" wow what a totally not telling sentence.

there hasn't been anything he's actually DONE in office to justify these fears. if he's so unfit to lead, why has his administration been coherent? why isn't he creating completely baffling and nonsensical policies? assuming that he's unfit to lead just because "he's mentally unstable" (an unproven idea anyway), when there is no evidence it affects his job in any meaningful way, is, in fact, ableism. i'd vote in a mute president, a deaf president, a president with schizophrenia. if you think a condition in and of itself, with no regard to how it's managed, makes someone Bad and Dangerous, you are ableist. get over it.

also "genocide joe" is a completely different criticism. is he confused and "unable to form coherent thoughts," or is he a fascist dictator? you can't have both.

anyway, biden has shut down federal use of private prisons, allocated funds to help people across the country convert their homes to energy efficient options and combat global warming, stood in defense of unions, pardoned everyone who was ever dishonorably discharged from the military for being gay, and is vocally pro-abortion. but nah ur right there's no difference at all and harm reduction is stupid and pointless.

[dabihawksluvr]

I had a recent argument with someone, and I'd like to share it.

To keep this part short (trust me it's not super important), I'm currently disabled due to both mental/physical issues and unable to work due to my living area being mostly heavy lifting/driving/customer service (three things I cannot do because of my issues). But with my current situation, my brother and his partner are trying to get me into having a job regardless of that.

So, we started discussing jobs I can do.

As we talked, I brought up that I'm not going to work for McDonald's. My main reason was not only because they treat employees like trash, but also because they directly support Israel and their genocide against the Palestinians. This spiraled into a discussion that caused my paranoia to skyrocket, basically my brother pointing out that I had to 'pick and choose my battles' because it was either get a job or end up homeless and starving on the streets.

Basically, by the end of it, the discussion went nowhere.

I kept on reiterating that this was just with McDonald's, I only brought it up because either of them may have suggested it anyways and I just wanted it to be clear why I wasn't going to work at such a place. Then my brother kept on stating that EVERY company was supporting Israel in some way, which I already knew and I stated that I wouldn't work for companies that gave direct support (basically if their money is being directly given to Israel rather than the government just taking bits and pieces from the profits made by any/all companies in the US).

I know he's right, but my issue was that I was getting paranoid from all this. I have my clear boundaries with these things, and yes I know that no matter what our tax dollars are going into funding this genocide. But, I'd rather keep myself from working for a business that gives direct support. And I do have other job options, I know that I do. So I don't know why he went off on me like that, when I gave him my clear points and he still said 'but if you support Palestine then just don't work at all or shut up and take the job' (he didn't say that exactly but with how he was wording it that's how I felt the argument was going.

[xclowniex]

Re a post going around about someone's feelings towards the Palestinian flag and them working on it and getting unfairly dunked on (forgot who made it but please tag them if you know who):

What I'm going to say is going to be controversial to a certain crowd.

It is not abnormal for jews, both in Israel and the diaspora to have gut reactions to the Palestinian flag. This is not because of Palestinians and is literally psychology.

For Israeli jews, they get attacked by Hamas. They have to run to bomb shelters, hide and hope that they or any of their loved ones don't get killed. So many Israelis either knew a victim of Oct 7th or knows someone who knew a victim. And Oct 7th wasn't the first tome Hamas or some other group has attacked Israel.

Whether you like it or not, Israelis are human beings. Regardless of the Israeli government's actions, Israelis are human beings. It is not abnormal for someone to develop a gut reaction to seeing the flag of a country where SOME people from that country have tried to kill you, regardless of what the government of your country has done.

For diaspora jews, we have seen so many people, often times people who are not Palestinian, weaponsize what is going on in Gaza to hurt us. And that fucking sucks for everyone. It sucks on the front that people are finding ways to excuse and justify their antisemitism, and it sucks on the front that people are weaponizing Palestinian suffering full stop.

I have been harassed by strangers who wear a Palestinian flag pin, who do not know my opinion but see that I'm Jewish and will walk up to me or past me and call me slurs and insult me. It has gotten to the point where I've almost been attacked.

Then you see online a 12 year old Jewish girl being raped. Jews being attacked for simply walking past a pro Palestine protest in Germany as they have a destination which requires them to walk past the protest. We see at counter protests how it's mainly the jews at these protests who get hurt and rarely pro Israel goyim.

You see all of that done by people who claim to support Palestinians and use their flag.

It is hard not to have a gut reaction.

I can imagine that it is the exact same, if not worse, for palestinians and the Israeli flag.

And the thing with all of this is, all of us are allowed to feel fear, anxiety, at seeing flags. It does not indicate that we hate the people from the countries those flags represent, or that we want them wiped out. It is a survival mechanism that our brains have learnt to keep us safe.

Where it matters is our actions and wants.

It is never okay to harm people for holding or wearing the Israeli or Palestine flag. It is never okay to want people dead because of the country they're born in. And that's where it really matters.

I and so many others on both sides actively work to get rid of this gut reaction. For me personally, I am grateful that I have a good foundation to start from in that I only get the gut reaction when a non Palestinian person wears, holds or has it in their bio. But it is okay if you're not there yet.

It is honestly disgusting to have this moral purity that you have to have started with no gut reaction and that working on it and changing doesn't matter. Because it does matter.

Calling whoever made that post a bad person for actively working to fix that gut reaction is wrong and doesn't do anything to help them improve.

[a-very-tired-jew]

Jew face in activist spaces

If you have followed the I/P War at all then you are well aware of organizations like JVP handing out kippahs and other Jewish garments to members of their protests. Other people, and myself, on this site have documented JVP's activities as New Age Messianics, and their repeated actions of dressing up their goy members as Jews hardly helps their image. With that in mind, there are certain slogans that we attribute to Jews within this time period. One of them is "Not In Our Name" or "Not In My Name". We often see this phrase used by actual antizionist Jews or those nonZionist/Zionist Jews that see Netanyahu's government as going too far. These Jews seek to distance themselves from the association with Israel, hence the phrase(s). It appears on banners, t-shirts, and other items. Well... Ally Beardsley of Dropout TV was recently arrested at a protest wearing a Not In Our Name shirt. Beardsley grew up as an Evangelical Christian. They're not Jewish, nor have they ever presented themself as being Jewish. So why are they wearing a shirt with a phrase used by Jews who are in opposition to Israel's actions? I do understand allyship, but this particular phrase says "Our", and Beardsley does not belong to the "Our" group in any capacity. Personally, I have the same feeling as when I see someone using slang, slurs, or language of a particular group in public because their immediate circle is made of those persons and thus they have an in-group while they themselves are an outgroup member. It's outside of the boundaries of that in-group, and it doesn't matter how many seders, BBQs, or whathaveyou that you're invited to, you don't use that language outside of your circle. I already had red flags and klaxon bells going off in my head about Beardsley before this (that's a whole separate post about my issues with Fantasy High and other Dropout media), and at present I've not seen anything that would be contrary to those warnings.

But why is this problematic? What is one person doing this actually impact? Beardsley has a relatively big following, and thus has a big impact. And it’s not just them doing it, there’s many accounts of goys doing this same behavior. Furthermore, due to their celebrity others will copy this behavior. They’re trying to represent a position within our community while not actually being a member of it. They’re speaking for Jews when they’re not Jews themselves. It’s another example of Jewish voices and phrases being coopted by goyim, regardless of the intention, and that’s not okay.

[anartificialsatellite]

related to the previous post (which is a good and useful post, this is not a criticism):

More than just the general antisemitism on tumblr, i've seen some real vicious hatred towards Israelis specifically that is just... beyond repulsive, and I do wish there was a little more focus in some areas on the fact that it's truly terrible to be awful about Israelis just because they are Israeli. While this behavior is certainly antisemitic, it is also a specific kind of hatred based on nationality that deserves particular acknowledgement.

The structure of Jewish community means that an attack on Israel feels like (and can often be) an attack on Jews broadly, but I think the focus people sometimes put on saying people shouldn't be attacking Jews elsewhere because they've got nothing to do with Israel neglects to really address the fact that it's actually also not okay to go after anyone purely because of their nationality, or more specifically because of what you assume about them based on their nationality?

There are people on this website who would not come after me for being Jewish in America in the same way that they would and do go after Israelis, as if it's justified because their government is terrible or what the fuck ever, regardless of what they as individuals think or believe or have done. Americans do not have a direct phoneline to Biden and we did not have one to Trump, so why the fuck would you expect an individual Israeli to have any more immediate power over their government than we have over ours?

The times i've been overwhelmed enough to cry about antisemitic behavior on the internet over the last several weeks have been pretty much exclusively these times, knowing that my friends in Israel are not only running to bomb shelters (as they have, over and over, their entire lives) and mourning horrific loss in their communities, but facing venom and hatred spit forth by people thousand of miles away who will never have to live even a fraction of what they do, who heard on fucking TikTok about the conflict they have always lived in the middle of and decided they know everything about it --

Knowing that no amount of trying to improve things in the only home they've ever known, no amount of commitment to peace, no amount of protesting and screaming for justice will ever, ever make them human in the eyes of so many people because of the country they live in. Knowing that, as conditional as people's acceptance of us as Jews in the US can be, there is no condition under which many of those same people would see my friends in Israel as being anything but one-dimensional villains.

That's what I have struggled with the most.

[mesetacadre]

On Spain, Palestine, and socialdemocracy

I'm sorry to my spanish-speaking friends but this post is mostly meant for the various people who aren't that familiar with Spanish politics so they fully understand the context of Spain's recognition of Palestine, so it'll be written in English instead of Spanish.

Ever since the Spanish government decided to recognize Palestine, amongst other events, I've seen many friends celebrating. This is normal, of course, but the over-enthusiasm makes me think some of you are lacking context.

First, the arms trade. At least since 1995, Spain has sold arms, munitions, explosives, and vehicles to Israel, according to the government's own sources. The total value of arms and munitions exports since 1995 amounts to 36,616,066.21€ ($39,730,901) and 800,417.6kg (1,764,616.6 pounds). The total of "airships and spatial vehicles" amounts to 233,622,074.13€ ($253,495,704.46). Officials have repeatedly stated that, since Oct 7 2023, there have been no arms sales to Israel. However, in November of 2023, this website shows an arms export worth 987,000€ ($1,070,961.56) in the subcategory of "bombs, grenades, torpedoes, missiles". In December of 2023 there is another export with the same category as the last one worth 125,240€ ($135,893.85). The government has stated that the November export was made up of "medium caliber munitions without explosives" (which is weird that it was classified under bombs, grenades, torpedoes and missiles but whatever) and that it had already been agreed upon before Oct 7th. I'm sure that the Palestinians appreciate the munitions they are being killed with do not explode, and that the 552kg (1,216.95 pounds) of "gunpowder and explosives" exported in 2023 will also go very well with those non-explosive munitions. And, regardless, we all know that the Palestinian genocide did not start last October. This is also just the publicly available data, but I think we can trust them to be honest :)

For some context on the political situation. In July of 2023 we had general elections in which a coalition government was formed. The biggest party in this coalition is the PSOE, the president's (Pedro Sánchez) party, a socialdemocratic party that has governed on-and-off since the establishment of the current liberal democracy in 1978, this will be important later. The other member of this coalition is Sumar, a further-left socialdemocratic party that is itself a broader coalition of almost all parliamentarty "leftist" groups, such as IU (United Left) and the PCE (Spanish Communist Party, don't get too caught up on the name because their eurocommunist turn in the 60s has rendered then just another socdem party). The election was very closed and the coalition was almost not formed, and in the end PSOE had to reach an agreement with the pro-Catalan independence parties. All of this means that it has been a weak government without much cohesion, which in turns means every member of the coalition has been doing everything they can to reinforce their position. One example of this was Pedro Sánchez's letter contemplating resigning because of the verbal attacks he and his wife had been recueveing from the opposition. That letter forced every entity in the parliamentary and even some in the extra-parliamentary left to express support for Sánchez, and after announcing he would not be resigning, polling shows support for his government increased, though this is disputed by some and I'm suspicious of it myself.

Anyhow, this is important because the parties that make up the government are being very conscious about their support, more than usual. The decision to finally recognize Palestine (and I'm not even getting into the Palestinian National Authority, which is what they're actually recognizing) comes in this context of insecurity regarding their support, and comes after weeks of encampments and other protests in universities across the entire country. The continued arms exports, the delay in taking the decision and the context of the decision makes it quite obviously an opportunistic move to garner support. But is the recognition actually meaningful for Palestinians suffering a genocide? Barely. It might pave the way for Palestine's inclusion in the UN (the US will veto anyway) (and it's not like the UN can do more than stern condemnations). What does not change is the continuous arms exports since at least when export data was first published, and the commercial relations the government and Spanish monopolies have with Israel, all of which allow Israel to carry out genocide. And even if Spain had never sold even a grain of gunpowder to Israel, and even if no economic relations had ever been established, Spain is an important member of NATO and the EU.

A few days ago it was 43 years since Spain officially joined NATO in 1982 without a referendum, since polling showed only 18% supported joining NATO, and 52% outright opposed it. It was only 4 years later, in 1986, when PSOE carried out a referendum on remaining in NATO (note: the PSOE had gone from fully opposing NATO membership when they were in the opposition to defending it after winning the elections). The question was "Do you consider Spain remaining in the Atlantic Alliance under the terms agreed upon by the Nation's Government to be convenient". This question did not actually say "NATO" (OTAN in Spanish) and it did not make clear what people were actually voting on. 52.24% voted yes. One of the unwritten prerequisites for joining the EU in 1985 was to also be a member of NATO.

NATO is an imperialist alliance that has always defended the continuity of Israel, and its member states have always supplied it with the resources necessary to displace, opress, and kill the Palestinian people. The economic benefits of this fact permeates the economy of every NATO member state. The same goes for the EU, which is one of the most significant trade partners of Israel. And the increase of intensity in the genocide Israel commits is happening parallel to the EU's turn towards a military economy. For example, the European Stability Mechanism, founded in 2011, has given the EU member states 400,000,000,000€ ($434,059,923,120) to invest in the "defense" industry and the "green transition". The European Commissioner Thierry Breton said in early April of this year that "we need to change the paradigm and transition to the mode of war production", amongst other warmongering statements by European leaders. Denmark, Sweden, the Netherlands and Germany have already expanded military service. This is all, of course, driven by the interimperialist war in Ukraine, but the investment in the war industry will undoubtedly continue to fuel Israel's occupation.

There is no group within the Spanish parliament (and very few outside the parliament) that even begins to question NATO and EU membership. The government can get away with this apparent pro-Palestine (more like two-state solution but that's beyond the point) posturing because regardless of Spain's own exports and positions, its membership in NATO and the EU will be the most relevant factor in its ties with Israel. Recognition of a nation as a "legitimate" country does not have a material effect on the Palestinians' situation, and the unquestioned participation in these imperialist alliances does. PSOE's slogan for next week's European elections is "More Europe". Do not let empty actions distract you from the real facts of Spain's unbroken complicitness in this genocide

[borisbubbles]

Eurovision 2024: Last Place

37. ISRAEL Eden Golan - "Hurricane" 5th place

Decade Ranking: 150/153 [Above Noa Kirel, below Roxen]

Where do we start?

Let's begin, perhaps by stating the obvious. Israel's participation in this year ruined the contest. You encounter an entrant or two that completely warp the meta around them at every contest, but never to an extent this cataclysmic. Every sour note of this contest, and there were plenty, sprouted from the decision to allow Israel into the year. That was the tipping point. I believe that makes "Hurricane" the worst entry of all times in terms of the sheer negative impact its presence had on the edition it parttook in.

The ESC discourse -on asocial media- completely revolved around the conflict in Palestine either to denounce the war crimes perpetrated by the Israeli goverment and the subsequent silencing of critical voices calling it out, or to make a stand against the Poor Young Girl who was unfairly maligned by radicalized leftists for a conflict she had no hand in.

So was it any surprise that Israel won every Western televote? Be honest. I know that the Twitter manchildren claim Israel cheated, but they are in denial. The televote was genuine. The scalpel slices both ways, sadly. For every heckler booing Eden or protesting for Palestine or announcing a Eurovision boycot or lecturing the general public to not vote for Israel, a sympathy vote for her arises because "Aw She Doesn't Deserve So Much Negativity, Poor Thing". That she willingly chose to rep israel at THIS time with THAT song is blissfully ignored. Eden Golan is not a child. She's fully accountable for the effects that her participation caused, and is perfectly a-OK with it.

So, wake the fuck up. The sympathizing nutcases were OPENLY mobilizing to vote for Israel without even watching a second of the contest, to prove a point against you know, "insane leftist wokery" or whatever they call it. "You can't make me think what you want or do what you want, TAKE THAT". It's the same principle that led to Brexit and Trump beating Clinton. Similarly, they attempted to hijack the results like a particularly nasty species of asian hornet because their 'Freedom of Speech' is more important to them than fair results in an entertainment show, or a potential genocide. Or maybe they were just indoctrinated. A smaller sample size due to boycots + 20 votes per crazed zionist, it's honestly a miracle Croatia STILL beat them in the TV overall.

In other words, pretty much every opinion about Eden revolved around the politics that accompanied the flag she flew under.

And I'm sorry, but Eurovision is not supposed to be about Israel. Why should THAT country get more attention, or even preferential treatment in this otherwise excellent line-up? That's not what it should be about.

It is THEM who it should be about:

None of these artists asked to be a part of this shambolic display. So in that sense, let's do something many have FAILED. Let's do what we're supposed to dp: Discuss the SONG, outside of context.

Frankly, there's remarkably little to say. Even without the context, "Hurricane" would have been bottom of the barrel for me regardless? It's a mediocre sappy ballad aimed to Make People Cry. We see such ballads pop up all the time in NFs (most recently Krick in Luxembourg and Noble in Portugal), where -more often than not- their sucktitude catches up with them and manifests a loss.

I've seen people be outraged that Norway's jury gave it points but I mean, look at any recent scandi NF and tell me a Hurricane wouldn't fit within its ranks. It's Undo, What if, A Monster Like Me, all the tacky soulless ballads with poor narratives preying on the soft-hearted and the guillible with cheap emotional manip. "Hurricane"was cut from the same dementor-esque, sympathy-craving cloth. Call me old fashioned, but I was taught that sympathy requires a modicum of respect, which needs to be earned, not begged for like a dog's dinner. (I hope the Europapa fans are reading this because this also applies to him, and that ghastly outro). If your song was written with the idea in mind of pinkwashing the deaths of a few thousand children, then perhaps you may have not fully earned the benefit of the doubt, jussaying.~

In terms of performance, Eden was vocally good, at least. It's her voice that carries it although i don't find her particularly likeable as a lead. Then again, she is a Russian nepo brat whose family emigrated to Israel after the Ukrainian war so that her daddy to secure his financial assets and the Golans could continue their lavish, privileged lifestyle in a safer country. It was always a challenge, so to say, to consider Eden Golan a likeable individual.

Also what is UP with the choreography? Why do the dancers look like they are loading air rifles? A Choice, to say the least.

So all in all, a pretty weak entry that always would have been in my bottom 3 for any country, but that probably had a ceiling of lower top 10 in a normal, generic year of ESC.

However, this was NOT a generic ESC. There's NO imagining "Hurricane" without its context which makes it so, SO much worse. It was specifically written in support of the Israeli victims in the war (why go through that trouble and not simply withdraw and spend the participation fee on providing for the families of the hostages? Isn't that more effective charity? But hey, what do I know.) There is no "depoliticizing", no matter how often you retcon the lyrics into gibberish. Hurricane's intentions are present in its rhythm, its instrumentation, the keys in which it is sung. The notion that you can separate it from its context is absurd.

And yet, that is precisely what the EBU were hoping for when they allowed it in, and it exploded into their face like a firework. I can't say they didn't deserve it. Ultimately, the full blame for all of this rests with them. If a certain entity threatens the integrity of your being, you get rid of the threat. You don't passively sit back crossing your fingers they leave at their own volition. The Israeli's would understand the reasons for exclusion, surely, as they've been applying the exact same principles to the Gaza Strip since mid October.

The EBU allowed them in, officially to prove Eurovision wasn't political and United By Music (in reality because they're cowards and didn't want to be the first organization to ban Israel from an international event, and be branded antisemites as a result). The result was the most politically charged and divisive contest of all time, rife with incidents that were as avoidable as they were outrageous. It couldn't have been further away from "apolitical unity" if it tried.

Hurricane was NEVER worth the price of admission. All the controversy, the security risks, the boycots, the antisemitism and xenophobia, the censorship, the harrassment of other delegations (which the Israeli delegation EAGERLY participated in) and of course the Israeli embassies in participating countries OPENLY advocating to vote for Israel as "a signal". Even the tensions that led to Joost's dubious DQ which I doubt would have happened at any other contest. This could all have been foreseen and avoided by excluding the country that clearly would have brought the contest into disrepute. Eurovision is now on life support. Congratulations EBU. You KILLED your own contest.

It briefly looked like Israel could win (leave to RAI to be woefully incompetent and blasé), which would have been the final nail in Eurovision's coffin but then they magically lost the televote (thank you SO much Eastern Europe, you are SO real for this) and stranded themselves in 5th place. Instead of being the Worst Winner of All Time, Israel are merely a mediocre also-ran, which I can live with. It makes "Hurricane"' marginally less appalling than "Unicorn" and "I.M" for me. Let their fifth place serve as a grim reminder for future editions that Hatred Breeds Hatred, and also, thankfully, that Love Can indeed Prevail.

THE RANKING

[therosielord]

I'm Pro-Palestine and I'm voting for Harris and YOU SHOULD BE TOO.

We are getting so close to the US election so I feel compelled to say that if I see ONE more person saying that Trump and Harris will be the same for Palestine I am going to SCREAM.

Let's just go over their stances on the matter real quick:

Harris:

Called the genocide in Gaza a "humanitarian crisis" and publicly acknowledged the suffering of the Palestinian people

Specifically, she said that she has a "serious concern about the scale of human suffering in Gaza, including the death of far too many innocent civilians"

Has called for a ceasefire

Aims to reach a resolution where both Israel and Palestine can be free and independent

Trump:

Wants Israel to "finish the job" because it's "taking too long"

Uses "Palestinian" as an insult

Told Netanyahu to "Have victory, get your victory and get it over with" (DIRECT QUOTE)

Criticized Harris for calling for a ceasefire, saying that she wants to "tie Israel's hands behind its back"

Said that Israel doesn't have the backing that it once had and that he would give it to them

Has repeatedly said he wants to put pro-Palestinian protesters in prison or DEPORT THEM.

Called himself the "best friend the people of Israel have ever had in the White House"

Do I wish Kamala was more strongly Pro-Palestine? Do I wish she'd take a stronger stance against Israel and call them out for their war crimes? Yes, obviously. But if you think that the situation in Palestine will be the same regardless of who gets elected, you are simply not paying attention.

You can criticize Harris' stance all you want. I encourage you to. Hell, I'll join you. They could be doing SO much more than they are. But if you aren't voting because you claim to care about Palestine, not only are you screwing over all of the millions of people in the US whose lives will be endangered under Trump, you are screwing over Palestinians.

Because the fact is that MORE PALESTINIANS WILL DIE UNDER TRUMP THAN UNDER HARRIS. We have one candidate who has a soft-hitting "We should all get along" stance and one candidate who is openly rooting for the country committing the genocide to "FINISH THE JOB." And you think there won't be a difference between them? Really????

I understand if it's hard for you to vote for someone who won't condemn Israel's war crimes. I get it, I really do. But please remember that voting for a candidate does not mean wholeheartedly supporting every opinion and policy they have. You are not sacrificing your morals by voting for a candidate who isn't fully aligned with those morals if voting for them means a real, tangible harm reduction for millions of people.

[jewishbarbies]

Have you seen Hunter Shafer was arrested for protesting with jvp in New York when she disrupted Biden at the late night show. I'm sorry but it's dumb. I can't believe she'd be this dumb. Biden have no control, It's not his war and why would she want to mess with Biden. She want Trump back in the office or ? My god the only peoples that have the power to end the war are hamas if they let go of the hostages and let go of the power in Gaza. Why are they the only ones the ceasfire crew never ask something from!!! I'm so done with all of them and you know what I'm done after months to think they do this because they don't want peoples to die, it's in good faith. When you blame and ask everyone but hamas for the war you're a piece of shit. Fuck hunter.

I haven’t heard about it.

they think Biden is responsible for gaza bc of the aid we’ve sent Israel. regardless of what’s going on, we can’t lose Israel as an ally in the middle east and the aid we’ve sent is actually totally normal. it would cause too much trouble NOT to send aid. they also believe for some reason that Biden can at all stop the Israeli government. we’ve put all the sanctions in the world on Russia and they’re still invading Ukraine at full force. these people are just wholeheartedly illiterate when it comes to foreign policy and international relations. they don’t understand the state of the world or how any of this works.

[fairuzfan]

Idk if it's okay to ask, but I thought that I'd better ask someone with a Palestinian perspective. How many months passed, I still cannot grasp why it's either hamas/houthis/whoever fights Israel and the West are either unexcusable terrorists who are completely evil, who don't have any rational reasoning behind their actions and anyone they're fighting is a poor attacked victim, OR they're picture perfect innocent noble fighters that have never done nothing wrong and any kind of criticism or questioning their methods or ideology means you're a zionist no matter how much you support Palestine and the military resistance of it's people. Or you're an antisemite just because you think that wanton murdering or thousands of people and erasing them from existance with all methods possible is unacceptable regardless of who commits it even if they're Jewish. Why? That doesn't make any sense.

i mean i can answer for hamas part specifically since i can't say much about houthis (i would check out bloglikeanegyptian's posts about them) but — hamas are rarely talked about as a legitimate government or resistance movement and instead portrayed as violent barbarians. its a blatant fact that hamas will never, under the current circumstances, inflict the same amount of systematic and constant damage on israelis as israel does on palestinians. just as a basic fact.

so people are so used to hamas's just... blatant dehumanization, and by extension the dehumanization of palestinian resistance in any form (see: bds criticisms, protests, march of return) that they are resistant to publicly criticizing hamas. there are definitely criticisms of hamas in palestinian society, obviously. we have diverse political opinions. but we usually won't air them out for everyone to see because israel is intent on erasing palestinians first and foremost.

and also— hamas is not like other islamist movements because it doesn't use religion as the main reason for it's efforts. their movement is rooted in liberating palestine first and thats really its only concern atm and it uses islam as a framework for that liberation. so when people call hamas a "terrorist org," they're usually thinking of like... alqaeda and isis for comparisons when they're pretty different ideologies. people tend to equate islam=bad in western politics without really examining what that means.

to be frank, palestinians will be called terrorists no matter what they do. people have been calling us antisemitic for refusing to buy from companies that either directly funded the idf or publicly supported it lol. so people aren't really going to trust those who criticize hamas right now because they aren't sure if this is coming from a genuine place or a place of looking down on palestinians.

[radmalenia]

Most retarded zionist shit I've seen. Cringe settler moment

Ah...wow. This response will be a little lengthy. There is a shit ton to unpack in these two braindead sentences and I won't even get to it all here.

So first off, you used an ableist slur. Great start /s.

Second, you must have seen a post on my blog earlier with a message that boiled down to - "Hamas have done Very Bad Things, and intend to do more if they can (specifically to Jewish Israelis;) and so they must be seen for what they are and stopped" - Because that's all I can remember reposting in the last few weeks concerning this conflict. So apparently you decided that wanting them stopped is "Zionist"?? Not only that but some of the most dumb "Zionist" shit you've seen?

...I'm not buying that. It feels like you're just saying bullshit to be inflammatory.

And it seems you wouldn't know genuine Zionism if it smacked you in the face. Because you just think "Zionism" is anything that says something else beyond a simple "free palestine". Right?

It's telling how people like you never want anyone to discuss anything else - you want the discussion to simply be "Palestine good, Israel bad, no other players involved and no further nuance". You never want people to freely discuss Hamas... even as Hamas harms Palestinians all the time. If people try to you call it "zionism"; trying to shut it down on the spot.

- Would you even believe it if you were shown proof of Hamas stealing trucks full of food and aid meant for palestinians? Of them shooting any palestinians who tried to get to the trucks first?

- Would you even condemn the horrific rapes and murders they committed against innocent festival goers back in October; or would you ignore it? Or dismiss the horrors they committed as lies or exaggeration? Despite all the nauseating, traumatizing video and photo evidence? Despite a photo of some of them with their boots on the corpse of a woman they gangraped and murdered, literally winning a fucking "photo of the year" award?? Or worse, would you maybe argue it's "justified" because they've "had their land stolen and been oppressed for decades" or some such bullshit?... Because I've read people say that more than once now.

And if so, you should go die; because that would make you a vile disgrace - seeing how plenty of people have been terribly oppressed and yet never turned to violently raping and torturing to "protest" it or to "defend themselves". Seeing how rape is never self defense. And how there is never any justification for rape. Period.

So! We can and should criticize Hamas. And that is not fucking "Zionism" - it's criticizing terrorists. Hamas also wishes to wipe out all Jews; if somehow they won this conflict they would carry out genocide in Israel against the seven million Jews there. Whatever you believe Israel is or is not doing; they do have to contend with this threat. Palestine needs to be freed from this mess, but its freedom cannot come at the cost of the psychopathic rapist monsters who believe they have a religious mandate to wipe out Jewish people (and ideally other non-believers too;) being allowed to enact their sick intentions.

Speaking about this is no indication of Zionism OR anti-Zionism, it is simply the truth. Regardless of whatever the current actions of the Israeli government are; the truth about Hamas remains the same - that they are an Islamic terrorist organization who has committed atrocities, abuses israelis and palestinians alike, and says how they intend death to all Jews. An organization who are run and funded by a group of multi-billionaires who live safely in Qatar and have worked with media and other sources around the world for years now to make it so that, once this happened; many people would fucking defend Hamas instead of condemn them for the monsters they are.

They've gotten people like you to talk like criticizing them is some fascist action. To throw around shameful nonsensical things like "criticizing Hamas...is a settler mindset" .

Your brain is more twisted around than a complicated knot. At best you are deeply cringe and embarrassing and are projecting that onto others. At worst you might defend horrific atrocities and do apologetics for violent rape; and therefore are someone who would be better off not wasting oxygen.

Hopefully it's just the former.

Either way, you've just made a complete fool of yourself here in my ask box.

I hope if you read this then at least it will untie the knots in your brain a little.

[mythica-ithaca]

I've decided to stop typing out the same responses to the same braindead US Liberal questions so I'm making this post in order to save time.

•"But Kamala has called for a ceasefire!"

She has called for a temporary humanitarian pause, which she and Biden have worked tirelessly for months to completely rebrand into a call for "ceasefire". If they truly wanted a permanent ceasefire they wouldn't have just sent Israel $20+ billion in financial aid and weapons. Use your brains. That is not something that someone who opposes more violence would do. Empty words mean nothing. She has not taken any actions so far that actually demonstrate a work towards a permanent ceasefire, in fact all her actions have been in complete opposite to her calls for one. She is lying to you and telling you what you want to hear in order to get elected. And you are letting her by falling it and not demanding any sort of results. And just because she wont spell it out for you like Trump will, her "ironclad support" for Israel translates to her allowing them to "finish the job" should it come down to it as well. There is no other way to interpret that.

•Trump can't be reasoned with but Kamala can be convinced/pushed left after we vote her in!

You people said this about Biden as well and look how well that worked out. Around 200k Palestinians are dead, and so is Roe v Wade, which they had the opportunity to codify and they didn't. His own staff were protesting in front of the white house and he didn't budge an inch. Neither will Kamala. You are deluding yourselves into believing that after you give these people all the power in the world that you have any sway over them whatsoever. Our votes are our leverage, and you are throwing yours away by voting for words over actions. You get exactly what you vote for, there is no putting in the work afterwards. And a vote for Kamala at this point is a vote for Genocide.

•"Why are you protesting Kamala and not Trump?!"

First of all. Do you people think he can be reasoned with or not? What is the point of going to his rallies with his violent supporters if you think he can't be swayed anyways? Cause if he's not going to change his position and he's not going to drop out, what exactly do you think it would accomplish?

Second of all, Trump isn't the one committing genocide right now. The democrats are in power. They are the ones responsible for this and the ones with the power to stop it. They deserve to be protested.

Third of all, we aren't voting for Trump regardless. Kamala is the one who needs to change her position and show actual results in order to earn our votes. If you think you can "push them left" then prove it and stop bitching when people actually start pushing instead of sitting around in complacency just because the dems are in charge. Supporting a genocide hurts her prospects way more than having anti genocide protestors at her rallies does. She wants to be president of the united states, she deserves constant pressure and criticism.

•"Trump will be even worse for Palestine! Vote for the lesser evil!"

This is incredibly callous, cruel and dismissive of what is happening to Palestine under the democrats right now. Gaza is completely destroyed already. Families are torn apart. Thousands of babies and children and men and women are literally being torn apart every. single. day. And every single day Kamala and Biden wake up and decide not to stop it. To not even condemn it. Their administration actively lies about it. We are far past the point of it getting worse. There is nothing worse than hell on earth. Would you ever tell a jewish person that the holocaust "could have been worse", simply because not every single jew was wiped out? By saying it can always get worse, you are ignoring and tolerating how catastrophic things are right now.

This is what voting for the "lesser" evil and voting blue no matter who has come to. There is no option that doesn't result in continued genocide. There is no lesser evil anymore. Only one that you will personally benefit from more than the other. You cannot look at what is happening in Palestine and Sudan and Congo and begin to tell me that the democrats are in any way "less" evil. You are downplaying the severity and suffering of these conflicts by implying that, and it's disgusting.

You need to realize that this line of thinking is enabling you to tolerate and excuse certain levels of depravity and that is unacceptable. In no world is the a "less evil" form of genocide.

•"What you expect Kamala to do about it right now? Shes not even president yet!"

This is probably the most pathetic attempt to absolve her of any responsibility. She is the fucking Vice President. She is not just there for show, she has power and influence. She is 100% able to disagree with and speak out against policy. She could have even resigned in protest if she was truly disgusted by Bidens actions. She acts his advisor and is currently not giving any push back to Biden on his policies. Biden can't just fire her and she's already the nominee.

•"We need to save ourselves first in order to help others!"

We are in a sinking ship and you are pushing peoples heads underwater and drowning them in order to get yourselves to a lifeboat, all while promising that once you're safe you'll help pull others up. But by the time you save yourselves everyone else is already dead and you're stranded all alone.

Nobody wants your fucking help. They want you to stop giving power to people fundamentally indifferent to human life so you can live just a bit more comfortably at the expense of everyone else's suffering. Stop trying to play the saviors of the world. They know that you will always have an excuse as to why it's not the right time for you to help anyways. They know you will never put anyone or anything before yourselves. And you all know it too.

•"There's never going to be a perfect candidate! Get over it!"

In what world is demanding someone be against genocide equal to demanding a perfect candidate? I'm aware that I am not going to ever agree with a politician, or anyone really, on every single issue. I'm absolutely willing to make sacrifices in certain areas. Genocide is a red line. Just like I wouldn't vote for anyone who was against abortion or lgbt rights, I'm not voting for anyone who is fundamentally indifferent to human rights.

•"So you want to just sacrifice (insert any vulnerable group in America)?"

No. It is a myth that you can sacrifice one group to liberate another. You can't sacrifice Palestinians in order to save your own rights. Ask yourselves why you should even have to. There are better ways to secure rights like abortion and healthcare than voting blue no matter who. Stop letting the democrats dangle abortion right over your heads in order to scare you into silence. Our rights and Palestinian live are not mutually exclusive, you are allowed to demand both. You are not allowed to act like our lives are somehow more important than theirs. What are you going to do when it's abortion, lgbt, disabled, or bipoc rights that have to be sacrificed to save democracy? Because it will eventually come to that if we let this "lesser evil" shit continue and refuse to fight for our rights and just keep giving more of them up in order to preserve others just a little longer.

•"You want a revolution and yet you haven't firebombed a Walmart??"

I mean. Considering that you all insist you can just sit back vote your way out of fascism by backing whatever candidate they decide to throw at you without making a single demand. Yeah, you're right, it's starting to look more likely that violence will be the only solution to this problem. But we aren't there yet. Because far too many of you are too comfortable living the way we do at the expense of people suffering all over the world. Until a significant amount of you become actually uncomfortable with the way things are, instead of just saying that you are and then continuing to reap the benefits of living in the empire, there won't be a revolution. Violent or otherwise. Because you're all content to play this rigged game. You are just comfortable enough with the way things are to be more scared of losing what little you have than fighting for what we deserve. A better world is still too inconvenient for you to do more than cast a vote every four years.

RIP to Aaron Bushnell btw. He lit himself on fire in order to protest Americas role in all this. I'd say that's braver than firebombing a walmart.

•"So you want us to just not vote at all then!?"

I want you to stop voting for empty words and demand action before throwing away your leverage. There is no pushing them left after you give them all the power in the world. You get exactly what you vote for. You say that voting third party is throwing your vote away, but what the hell do you call voting for empty promises over and over again? Bullshitting harm reduction? Because I don't think constant school shootings and police brutality is harm reduction.

The democrats have been promising $15 minimum wage for so long that it isn't even sufficient anymore. Promised to codify Roe. Didn't deliver. Promised assault rifle bans. Didn't deliver. Haven't abolished ICE. Haven't defunded or reformed the police. Haven't guaranteed parental leave or child care. Students are still drowning in debt. Kamala has stated that she will not push for medicare for all. How is it that they've been incapable of any of these things for years after having majority multiple times, and yet somehow the republicans are supposed to be able to pass project 2025 with ease?

I am telling you to demand that these people start earning your votes. Because you have made them entirely too comfortable by telling them to their faces that you will vote for them no matter what their policies are by chanting, 'vote blue no matter who'. Every single time you do that, you sacrifice something else instead of gaining anything for the vulnerable people you say you care about.

•"Democracy is on the ballot! We have to save democracy!"

You mean the democracy in which we have two choices, except one choice will be the end of democracy, so we really only have one choice, and that choice was chosen for us because the current president refused to step down until after the primaries, where his party made sure he had no real opponent in the first place, so they just went with his right hand man as a replacement? The democracy currently forcing you choose the annihilation of an entire people in order to maybe secure some of your own rights for just a little longer? That democracy? Does that sound like a system worth saving anymore in the first place?

You will not save democracy by committing genocide in front of the entire fucking world. And if you could, it wouldn't be worth saving.

[akajustmerry]

I'm not denying that anti-Jewish hate isn't a problem. It is. I also have huge admiration and respect for Jewish-led pro-Palestine and anti-colonial organisations like JVP. Jewish people have ALWAYS been on the front lines of anti-Zionist protest and I'll block anyone who tries to say otherwise. However, there's been some discourse™ here in Australia on whether asking a Jewish person about their stance on Palestine is an aggressive act and I would like to add my 2 cents as a Lebanese person who grew up in a very pro-Zionist country who's been attending Jewish-led Pro-Palestine protests since I was a teenager. I feel like people who get mad at Palestinians and SWANA people who are wary of anyone (including Jewish people) who do not denounce zionism and Israel need to redirect their anger at the Israeli terrorist state. Zionists and their allies are the ones who co-opted Judaism to justify ethno-supremacy and colonial violence for nearly 100 years. Not only that, but so many of the world's most influential governments (US, UK) support this co-opting of the Jewish faith and attempt to influence their general populations to do the same. sorry, but I'm over people of Christian and Jewish faiths complaining that being questioned on where they stand with Palestine is at all equivalent to how SWANA people are expected to justify our status as humans from birth. Palestinians, Muslims and other Brown people, regardless of whether we reside in the West or not, are born into a world where Zionists and colonisers co-opt Christianity and Judaism to colonise and slaughter us. I am truly sorry that people's sacred beliefs are being weaponised this way, but that's not mine or any other Arab's fault simply because we need to know for our own survival if you agree with it. Ultimately, the call is coming from inside the house. The biggest perpetrators of anti-Jewish hate are the Zionist institutions and governments like Israel, the UK, the US, Canada, Germany, and Australia. Because they're the ones co-opting Judaism to uphold a genocidal colonial project. Take your anger at being associated against your will with them up with THEM, not Palestinians, Muslims, and SWANA people who are simply trying to stay safe.

[apollos-olives]

what are your thoughts about what's going to happen on the 11th and 12th? I'm south african and although we've got a strong free Palestine and anti zionist community, as well as being the country to get Israhell to the ICJ, the pro zionist/Israel is very strong and very big. my fear is that if my country can be so against Palestine (and this is mainly because Israhell has sold this idea that Israel=the Holy land and Christianity is very strong here in SA) how is it going to be in other countries. Islamophobia is so much worse in western countries and I'm genuinely fearing for the outcome because the reality is whether Israhell is condemned or not, there's going to be outrage.

I'm not educated enough to even understand the implications of the ICJ, but I do pray that it goes in my country's favour, thereby going in Palestine's favour. I don't know if this is ignorant on my part, so do forgive me if this statement is tone deaf, but I remember reading something regarding the Syrian Civil War: that the healing process is painful but the result is worth it.

I sincerely believe that Israhell will not win and that Palestine will be free. My country is far from perfect, but we achieved democracy and ended our own Apartheid. Despite what many believe or think, I refuse to condemn Hamas because although I myself believed them to be in the wrong and thought of them as terrorists, the ANC were considered terrorists and Nelson Mandela was only removed from the CIAs terrorist list when Obama came into office. So it became clear to me that any act of resistance will always be considered an act of terror in the eyes of the oppressor, and we in Cape Town recognize this and we pray for Palestine's liberation.

I was born 11 years after Apartheid and grew up free, so I know that I will never be able to understand your pain, but I pray to Allah that this current generation will give birth to Palestinians who are like me and never have to experience oppression.

Allah will save this Ummah, I believe in it, and a powerful statement that was made by Alan Busack, a politician and theologian in my country, when he and Naledi Pandor, my country's Minister of International Relations, announced that the charge had been lodged with the UN was that "Palestine is already free." and i realized while listening to his speech that Palestinians are the bravest souls. Your children are braver than I could ever be and your faith is stronger than steel.

Regardless of the results of this case, we in South Africa will not give up on Palestine, we even have this new found tradition of fasting on Thursdays for Palestinians, and altho the Zionist movement is strong here and people are even being kicked out of public places for wearing the colours of the Palestinian flag, us supporters will take it in our stride.

May Allah bless you and free Palestine In Sha Allah Ameen ❤️

for the most part, what i hear and believe from my community is that the icj isn't actually gonna do anything or dismantle israel. but it WILL show the world the atrocities they've committed, and more and more people will be exposed to what has been happening, and therefore the intifada will become stronger. even if the icj doesn't do much (inshallah it will), it will still expose israel for what it is and will help change peoples minds over what is happening. that is the biggest thing we believe we will get out of from this whole situation.

islamophobia through christian zionism isn't new, nor is it something we don't know how to deal with. i don't really think you personally should be worrying about that, though we do appreciate the concern. people are waking up and more and more people are joining the intifada and not just protesting and supporting us but they're actually learning about palestine and it's history and culture and people and it's allowing people to learn about how palestine is the holy land and how we must protect it, etc etc. the world is turning to our side and taking apart christian zionism and proving it wrong, so while yes christian zionism is dangerous, it's easily dismissible and taken apart, and we are prepared to deal with that.

we are grateful for south africa helping us and inshallah palestine will be free soon. i hope the next generation of our children will never have to face hardship like this ever again. may allah accept all martyrs and send them to heaven ya rab. thank you for your kind message, it means a lot 🫶

[the-garbanzo-annex-jr]

by Shiryn Ghermezian

Amsterdam’s famed music hall the Concertgebouw has reversed its decision from earlier this week to cancel performances by the Israeli group Jerusalem Quartet amid concerns about anti-Israel protests taking place at the venue and around the city.

The Jerusalem Quartet was originally scheduled to perform at the Concertgebouw on Thursday and Saturday. The first show was cancelled, but Saturday’s show will take place inside the venue’s Recital Hall with “tightened security measures, adjusted visitor flow, and an adjusted start time,” the concert hall announced on Thursday. The in-person concert is sold out but will be available via livestream on the Concertgebouw’s website.

“The earlier decision to reschedule the planned concerts has been met with understanding as well as disapproval,” the Concertgebouw acknowledged, after organizers were called “cowards” and accused of capitulating to “bullying and terrorism” for its “shameful” decision on Tuesday to cancel performances by the Jerusalem Quartet.

“Every concert must be able to go ahead,” said the venue’s General Manager, Simon Reinink. “The Concertgebouw fully supports its mission to connect and enrich everyone with sublime music, regardless of background, religion, culture, or any distinction. We must continue to stand up for the free society we want to be. Every day.”

The Concertgebouw originally cancelled the Jerusalem Quartet’s two concerts because it said it could not guarantee the safety of the venue’s employees, visitors, and musicians while multiple anti-Israel demonstrations were set to take place in the area. Reinink said social media users also urged the public to demonstrate at the Concertgebouw and the music hall received “a flood of messages” from people who opposed the Jerusalem Quartet’s appearance at the venue, likely due to the Israel-Hamas war.

On Thursday, the venue further elaborated on its original decision to cancel the shows.

“A particular factor was that concerts were scheduled simultaneously in the Main Hall and Recital Hall; with so many visitors, the security situation could have become precarious if disturbances had occurred,” said the Concertgebouw. “The recent demonstrations in and around the University of Amsterdam were the direct and only reason to take this decision. The Concertgebouw felt the risk was too great. This decision was taken solely on the basis of our concerns for the safety of all those involved. With the extra security measures now in place, and changes to the start time and visitor flow, we are able to let the concert on May 18 go ahead.”

The Jerusalem Quartet shared news about the restoration of Saturday’s concert on its Instagram page, and thanked “all the people who supported us and helped make this happen.” They also commented on the original cancellation of their shows, saying that “due to violence in the streets, and threats to the Concertgebouw, ours were the only concerts cancelled, which evokes memories of darker times for Jewish artists in Europe.”

“Our quartet has a decades-long relationship with Concertgebouw, and we have a loyal and committed audience in The Netherlands,” added the string quartet, which is comprised of two violinists, a cellist and a violist. “We will not allow this bond to be broken and want to assure our audiences that we will continue to perform and share our music with them.”

[laineystein]

I am genuinely curious - what is your opinion on practicing streams of Judaism? (Orthodox vs conservative vs reform vs Reconstructionist). I’m aware there are Israelis have the opinion that diaspora Jews- especially Americans, are Jew(ish), and not necessarily Jewish, if that makes sense? I know there are asshats that get quite nasty towards Israelis and I find that to be disgusting.

Me personally, I always found that to be very hurtful. I’m American, grew up Reform. In the sanctuary part of the Temple, we had two flags positioned on each corner of the sanctuary in the front: one was American, one was Israeli. My Rabbi, my Cantor, and my Sunday school teachers raised us to believe Israelis are distant cousins. Different but similar ideas, customs etc, but all part of the same family. So when 10/07 happened I (like many diaspora Jewish people), were shaken to the core.

And no matter what my personal issues are about the process of the military operation, and Bibi and his govt, I wish and hope everyone stays as safe as they can be while trying to get the hostages out and destroy Hamas.

So I was just wondering what your thoughts are about the clashes between the different streams of practice. I always feel that now is not the time to argue about who is or isn’t more Jewish. We are all feeling the after effects of what Hamas did, and the anti semitism that it has sparked. Once we have peace, then people can debate and bicker if they wish (but I really hope less of us do that). ♥️

So I contemplated how (or if) I’d answer this because I really think Am Yisrael needs ahavas chinam right now and I don’t want to do anything to promote sinas chinam. But I think you can disagree with something and still respect it and show love for your fellow Jews who may practice differently than you do and I think that *is* Ahavas chinam.

So I’d just ask that just as I’m affording respect to others who are different that people respect my view points as well.

So here we go…

A Jew is a Jew is a Jew. Even antizionist Jews, those are still Jews. Even atheist Jews, those are still Jews. I do believe in matrilineal inheritance of Judaism but I’m not going to treat someone differently if their father is their only Jewish parent and they were raised Jewish. It is not my place to say who is Jewish and who is not; I can have my viewpoints but ultimately I am not a Rav.

I was raised orthodox. I didn’t meet a “reform” Jew until med school (which was the first time I ever went to school with goyim) — the denominations you’re referring to are mostly western constructs. There are a few reform shuls in Israel but they’re not as common as they are in America. I am going to be very honest with you and share that many reform practices make me incredibly uncomfortable. Do I think that people that practice them are any less Jewish? Absolutely not.

As someone who spent half of their life in the diaspora (albeit in very Jewish communities with little contact with goyim) I absolutely do not subscribe to any belief that diaspora Jews are any less Jewish. That’s abhorrent. I don’t personally know any Israelis that believe that but I’m sure they exist. All Jews, regardless of their location, are valid.

I will say that it is interesting to me to hear that your teachers referred to Israelis as “distant cousins” - all of am Yisrael is a single tribe. I would only ever refer to a fellow Jew as a brother or sister regardless of whether or not they lived in Israel or the diaspora. It seems there might be some anti-Israel bias in that teaching, which is unfortunate. And it’s amusing because your question insinuates that Orthodox Jews and Israelis are less accepting of reform Jews and diasporic Jews and that’s interesting to hear because my experience has always been the exact opposite.

But in Israel we have similar issues where our religious communities spar with our less observant communities. It was very apparent in our most recent elections and the protests that followed. I find myself existing in both communities and it can be challenging sometimes. Some of my secular friends do have negative attitudes toward more frum communities. Those same frum communities may look down on my more secular friends. Because I do and always have existed in both groups I see both sides. I think both of these black and white attitudes are a chillul hashem and will get us nowhere.

But bottom line, how a Jew lives their life and their relationship with Hashem is none of my business. You do you; Jew do Jew.

(This was kind of all over the place and there’s a lot of tangents I actually *didn’t* go down believe it or not so if you want some clarification, feel free to ask. Or you can DM me and I’m happy to chat about it that way too.)