Don’t Bother Responding
To angry, hateful people who are here not to read and write, but to argue and accuse
When you come across people who are scouring social media (and Medium) only to dehumanize Jews and accuse Israel of crimes committed by terrorist groups that promise Israel’s destruction. I recommend that you don’t bother responding.
Some of these are bots and trolls. Others have not written a single sentence of their own and are here only to spread misinformation about Israel and Jews. Don’t bother responding.
Some are busy opining about our personal connection to Judaism, Zionism, where we live, etc. Don’t bother responding.
Some people do NOT acknowledge that war is always horrible, that Hamas started the 10/7/23 war during a ceasefire, that 134 hostages are still being held captive in Gaza nearly six months later, that the death of all innocent civilians is horrific, or that many people other than Palestinians deserve help, hope, and support. Don’t bother responding.
Some people are so filled with hatred of Jews that they praise Hamas, the brutal massacre, the rapes and mutilation, and the kidnapping of babies, children, and women. Or they repost silly conspiracies, the kind you’d expect of Flat Earthers and other ridiculous idiots. Don’t bother responding.
Some of these haters defend Hamas, which uses its citizens as human shields, does not protect Gazans or allow them to escape harm, and does not respect anything about liberal democracy including all the freedoms we take for granted plus LGBTQ and women’s rights. Don’t bother responding.
Don’t read any of the “I know you are but what am I” arguments in which Israel is accused of everything Hamas and other terror organizations are engaged in, like GENOCIDE (the Hamas charter called for death to all Jews), APARTHEID (Jews were systematically murdered or expelled from every single Arab country and Iran), and COLONIALISM (despite persecution and expulsions, there is archeological evidence for Jews being in the land of Israel since the 13th century B.C.E. (Before the Common Era). You can easily find that information. Also, DON’T BOTHER RESPONDING.
Those who delegitimize and blame Israel for the long and complex history of Jews and Palestinians are only fueling the flames of hatred. Those who honestly want peace in the Middle East need to stop demanding a ceasefire only from Israel, stop reinventing Israel’s history, stop claiming that Israel, a democracy, treats its prisoners like Hamas does, and start demanding the expulsion of Hamas and the rebuilding of Gaza minus miles of tunnels, rockets, and weapons. Hamas’s aim is to kill Jews and destroy Israel. It’s not worth arguing with those who agree with calls for genocide of Jews.
If someone wishes to understand why Judaism is not just a religion but a people who share a religion, or if they have questions about how 53% of Israel could be comprised of people of color, then go ahead and explain. If they don’t understand that the Middle East is not the same as America or Europe or the reasons for Israel’s extreme retaliation, then go ahead and explain.
But if they lie, claim that Jews are all white settlers, or go on about any of the other nonsense they’ve garnered from huge amounts of publicity coming out of nuclear-armed countries just itching for war against all liberal democracies (including America and Israel), my advice is: DON’T BOTHER RESPONDING.
Why aren’t I heeding my own advice?
