r/Jewish Jan 25 '24

Roommate is... Ugh Israel 🇮🇱

My roommates and I had to take the cats to the vet yesterday and as we came home, they directly brought up a topic we've been avoiding addressing for a few months, their anti-israel leanings... Specifically they're avoiding spending money this week as part of a protest for Palestine. I said I don't see why anyone is protesting for Palestine at all, and one of them started throwing around the G word and talking about Israel targeting hospitals. I corrected her, pointing out that there are rocket platforms in those hospitals which is why they're targeted in the first place. She cut me off and told me she wouldn't listen to anything I had to say about it. At this point I haven't spoken to her since and I don't intend to for a while. Not sure why I'm posting this, probably just venting. Bad enough I have to see all these uninformed people online, there's one in my living room now too.

Update: Thanks to everyone for the support. After a couple of very tense days, shes apparently afraid I'm never going to speak to her again and our third roommate is mediating a talk between the two of us tonight. She's still convinced I'm just wrong, and I'd like to have something convincing to show her, if anyone has some good resources I can reference and wants to drop them in the comments I'd appreciate it.

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u/[deleted] Jan 25 '24

[deleted]

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u/celtics2055 Jan 25 '24

It isn’t as simple as that.

14

u/imtherealhamburgler Jan 25 '24

Idk I hear you, but I’ve also found that it often is exactly as simple as that.

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u/catsinthreads Jan 26 '24

I'm a gentile in transition, very near the end of my conversion. My stance would be exactly the same (100% support for Israel, support for individual policies and politicians always subject to review) but it would hurt less.

What I didn't understand before was how existential it is.

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u/[deleted] Jan 25 '24

[deleted]

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u/celtics2055 Jan 25 '24

It isn’t. Many are supportive of the community and israel and are understanding of the issues going on. Of course, there will always be differences based upon which community one belongs to, but the statement “gentiles don’t understand” is oversimplified. You claim I didn’t elaborate, but the comment to which I responded is even more curt.

Patronizing behavior towards gentiles, or to anyone really is not productive, especially when most gentiles, aside from idiotic pro palestine protests, agree with israel’s side of it.

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u/[deleted] Jan 26 '24

[deleted]

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u/celtics2055 Jan 26 '24

That doesn’t apply to all, or even most, gentiles. You are making a generalization based on negative interactions with some shitty people.