I am NOT leaving DU...

[ShazzieB]

48. I'm glad you're not leaving and understand your restraint.

As many have already said, I've been quite dismayed by the contentious atmosphere in most of the I/P related threads here at DU since 10/7. I've struggled with the whole thing myself, partly because I've never seen this as a case of "one side is all good and the other is all bad." I've always been pro-Israel and pro-Jewish. Whatever the opposite of antisemitism is, that's me. But I can't help seeing more than one side to everything, whether I want to or not.

I can understand why a lot of people are upset about some of the things that are happening at the same time that I instinctively recoil at anything that smacks of vilifying Israel. My reaction to all this has been a recognition that I didn't understand a fraction of the issues involved in how things got this way, and I've been doing a lot of reading to address that. And the more I read and learn, the more I realize the perils of oversimplifying any of this.

This awful situation didn't just come out of nowhere overnight. It's the result of decades upon decades of mistakes made by numerous different entities, going back over 100 years. As I've been reading about the history of modern Israel, I've gotten irritated with almost everyone involved at various points along the way, while also understanding why most of them did a lot of the things they did.

I support Israel and the Jewish people as much as ever, while disagreeing strongly with certain decisions made by certain Israeli leaders. I am sympathetic to the plight of the Palestinian people in Gaza, while at the same time understanding Israel's position on certain things. I absolutely detest Hamas as I detest terrorism in general, but at the same time I'm very much aware of the complex, multilayered relationship between them and the Palestinians in Gaza. I'm keenly aware of the fact that the Israelis don't trust the Palestinians as all, and the Palestinians don't trust them, either. Furthermore, I understand why they don't trust each other, AND I'm aware that they both have reasons for their distrust.

Because of all of the above, it gives me a headache to read any post that vilifies either side and paints the other as perfect angels, no matter which side is being portrayed which way. I know it's human nature to take sides, to see good guys and bad guys and root for the "good guys," but some things are just too complicated for that to be a viable approach, imo. Trying to explain that to people when passions are runnning high isn't always viable, either, though, so I have avoided getting too embroiled in any of these discussions for the most part.

Sorry for the long ramble. TL/dr: I get where you're coming from, I'm sorry you have been running into problems, and I look forward to the day when the Israel/Hamas war isn't a constant bone of contention here at DU. Best wishes to you and yours.