Coworker said Israel shouldn’t exist

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I mean… I think the US shouldn’t exist seeing as it’s the result of a genocidal land grab. And I’m descended from the white Europeans who committed said land grab. Admittedly from would-be-starving-or-press-ganged-if-we-stayed-in-Europe variety, but still. I don’t consider this an anti-white stance or even exactly anti-American because unfortunately it does and uncreating it isn’t an option but more a moral observation of the past. So I think the bald opinion of Israel shouldn’t exist (especially from someone whose family was literally disenfranchised by the creation of Israel) kind of makes sense. That being said, harping on it, at work no less, and using Israeli as a derogatory term, is unacceptable.

Well imagine you chose to share this opinion right after 9/11, and said it to someone whose relative died in the towers. Do you think this would be good workplace conversation?

[Anonymous]

Seriously just let it go.

I hear sexist and racist comments everyday and I cannot have the baggage of having to change the world. I am a woman leader and one time I even had a new hire - after I was 20 years in the company - tell me the ‘only reason I got that position was because I was a woman of color’. He was super casual and just repeating what he heard. My response was ‘oh? I thought it got this job because I was qualified. Are you more qualified than me?’. He was a young Indian guy. I didn’t go to HR - it would not change his world view. Just move on! You can casually say something like ‘you don’t think I should exist?’ or something like that.

[Anonymous]

I would let it go but not be friendly toward this person moving forward. Polite but distant.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Try to see the Palestinian coworker's perspective. Israel came into existence by ethnic cleansing of the Muslim and Christian population of the land. It continues this ethnic cleansing in the West Bank today and has moved to genocide in Gaza. How is any of that justified? Yes there was terrible violence against Jews in Europe but Palestinians had nothing to do with it.

Try to see it from the Jewish coworker's perspective: this guy just said that the slaughter and rape of Israelis is cool, and that hostages are dead or alive who cares. Kill some more.

[Anonymous]

In America we support Israel it's a nation policy. Palestinian mentally ill person needs to be hired immediately as this is against work policies and it is racist. This is a lawsuit waiting to happen this person is a liability.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:When Palestinians say Israel shouldn’t exist, they mean pushing the Jews into the sea and exterminating them.

When Israelis say Palestine shouldn’t exist, they mean the status quo that’s existed for decades.

Arabs-Israelis make up 21% of the Israeli population and have full voting rights in their system and freedom of movement and everything other Israelis have.

On the other hand, how many Jews live in Gaza or WB? Lots of Christians but no Jews. Wonder why that is?

This is why speaking about the elimination of Israel is anti-Semitic, because there is no path where Israel doesn’t exist and the Jews within its border continue to exist. There’s plenty of precedent to demonstrate that this is true.

There are a lot of problems with your comment, but the biggest one is you pretty much asking us to ignore that Israel is currently starving the 2 million people in Gaza and bombing all of their homes when thinking about what it could mean when an Israeli person is saying that there should be no Palestine.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:When Palestinians say Israel shouldn’t exist, they mean pushing the Jews into the sea and exterminating them.

When Israelis say Palestine shouldn’t exist, they mean the status quo that’s existed for decades.

Arabs-Israelis make up 21% of the Israeli population and have full voting rights in their system and freedom of movement and everything other Israelis have.

On the other hand, how many Jews live in Gaza or WB? Lots of Christians but no Jews. Wonder why that is?

This is why speaking about the elimination of Israel is anti-Semitic, because there is no path where Israel doesn’t exist and the Jews within its border continue to exist. There’s plenty of precedent to demonstrate that this is true.

There are a lot of problems with your comment, but the biggest one is you pretty much asking us to ignore that Israel is currently starving the 2 million people in Gaza and bombing all of their homes when thinking about what it could mean when an Israeli person is saying that there should be no Palestine.

That's fine, states or terror often suffer

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Try to see the Palestinian coworker's perspective. Israel came into existence by ethnic cleansing of the Muslim and Christian population of the land. It continues this ethnic cleansing in the West Bank today and has moved to genocide in Gaza. How is any of that justified? Yes there was terrible violence against Jews in Europe but Palestinians had nothing to do with it.

Try to see it from the Jewish coworker's perspective: this guy just said that the slaughter and rape of Israelis is cool, and that hostages are dead or alive who cares. Kill some more.

Both sides feel hurt personally, because they are. This is not a discussion that is appropriate for the workplace at ALL. Nobody should bring it up.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:When Palestinians say Israel shouldn’t exist, they mean pushing the Jews into the sea and exterminating them.

When Israelis say Palestine shouldn’t exist, they mean the status quo that’s existed for decades.

Arabs-Israelis make up 21% of the Israeli population and have full voting rights in their system and freedom of movement and everything other Israelis have.

On the other hand, how many Jews live in Gaza or WB? Lots of Christians but no Jews. Wonder why that is?

This is why speaking about the elimination of Israel is anti-Semitic, because there is no path where Israel doesn’t exist and the Jews within its border continue to exist. There’s plenty of precedent to demonstrate that this is true.

There are a lot of problems with your comment, but the biggest one is you pretty much asking us to ignore that Israel is currently starving the 2 million people in Gaza and bombing all of their homes when thinking about what it could mean when an Israeli person is saying that there should be no Palestine.

That's fine, states or terror often suffer

You could say the same about Israel.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Seriously just let it go.

I hear sexist and racist comments everyday and I cannot have the baggage of having to change the world. I am a woman leader and one time I even had a new hire - after I was 20 years in the company - tell me the ‘only reason I got that position was because I was a woman of color’. He was super casual and just repeating what he heard. My response was ‘oh? I thought it got this job because I was qualified. Are you more qualified than me?’. He was a young Indian guy. I didn’t go to HR - it would not change his world view. Just move on! You can casually say something like ‘you don’t think I should exist?’ or something like that.

Once dei is finally removed this attitude will go with it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Try to see the Palestinian coworker's perspective. Israel came into existence by ethnic cleansing of the Muslim and Christian population of the land. It continues this ethnic cleansing in the West Bank today and has moved to genocide in Gaza. How is any of that justified? Yes there was terrible violence against Jews in Europe but Palestinians had nothing to do with it.

Try to see it from the Jewish coworker's perspective: this guy just said that the slaughter and rape of Israelis is cool, and that hostages are dead or alive who cares. Kill some more.

Both sides feel hurt personally, because they are. This is not a discussion that is appropriate for the workplace at ALL. Nobody should bring it up.

Yes - exactly. And especially with someone who you can reasonably believe does not share your priors.

[Anonymous]

"And you can be anti Israeli policies without being anti-Semitic"

That is exactly what your work friend is being. He is making comments about ISRAEL. Are you Israeli?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Try to see the Palestinian coworker's perspective. Israel came into existence by ethnic cleansing of the Muslim and Christian population of the land. It continues this ethnic cleansing in the West Bank today and has moved to genocide in Gaza. How is any of that justified? Yes there was terrible violence against Jews in Europe but Palestinians had nothing to do with it.

Try to see it from the Jewish coworker's perspective: this guy just said that the slaughter and rape of Israelis is cool, and that hostages are dead or alive who cares. Kill some more.

Both sides feel hurt personally, because they are. This is not a discussion that is appropriate for the workplace at ALL. Nobody should bring it up.

This. Leave politics out of the workplace

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:When Palestinians say Israel shouldn’t exist, they mean pushing the Jews into the sea and exterminating them.

When Israelis say Palestine shouldn’t exist, they mean the status quo that’s existed for decades.

Arabs-Israelis make up 21% of the Israeli population and have full voting rights in their system and freedom of movement and everything other Israelis have.

On the other hand, how many Jews live in Gaza or WB? Lots of Christians but no Jews. Wonder why that is?

This is why speaking about the elimination of Israel is anti-Semitic, because there is no path where Israel doesn’t exist and the Jews within its border continue to exist. There’s plenty of precedent to demonstrate that this is true.

There are a lot of problems with your comment, but the biggest one is you pretty much asking us to ignore that Israel is currently starving the 2 million people in Gaza and bombing all of their homes when thinking about what it could mean when an Israeli person is saying that there should be no Palestine.

The status quo means the political balance that has existed for decades, not the current war or, even, the settlement expansion.

Yes the status quo has created unfair circumstances for residents of the PTs due to the actions of political leaders in Israel, West Bank, Gaza, and the Arab states. But the status quo isn’t a large incursion into Gaza any more than the status quo is the Oct 7 attacks.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:"And you can be anti Israeli policies without being anti-Semitic"

That is exactly what your work friend is being. He is making comments about ISRAEL. Are you Israeli?

You’re anti-Semitic.