A thread about the perils of being Jewish on a gloriously sunny day.
It’s a sunny Sunday. I’m in my mate’s car heading off to the coast to muck about on his boat. We’re on the motorway discussing his need to take a holiday
It’s a sunny Sunday. I’m in my mate’s car heading off to the coast to muck about on his boat. We’re on the motorway discussing his need to take a holiday
I’m encouraging him to get some rest as part of his management of a chronic health condition.
After a while the conversation went like this, with me sharing how in need of my upcoming holiday I am:
“I’m off to Israel for 2 weeks next month – it can’t come soon enough”.
After a while the conversation went like this, with me sharing how in need of my upcoming holiday I am:
“I’m off to Israel for 2 weeks next month – it can’t come soon enough”.
“I hate them”
“What”
“I hate them”
“Who?”
“Israelis. I won’t do business with them” (my mate owns a small engineering company).
“Why?”
“For what they do”
“What do they do?”
“What”
“I hate them”
“Who?”
“Israelis. I won’t do business with them” (my mate owns a small engineering company).
“Why?”
“For what they do”
“What do they do?”
“They keep on doing the same thing, they won’t give up an inch, they never learn. Look at what they did recently with the border in Gaza”
“But 85-90% of those shot were Hamas or Islamic Jihad commanders”
“No they weren’t”
“No, really. They were. Didn’t you know that?”
“But 85-90% of those shot were Hamas or Islamic Jihad commanders”
“No they weren’t”
“No, really. They were. Didn’t you know that?”
“I don’t believe it”
The conversation continued over 15 minutes where my mate made it clear that his dislike of Israel was founded in the fact that Israel refuses to give up its own land & security which he believes it ought to even if that imperils its continued existence.
The conversation continued over 15 minutes where my mate made it clear that his dislike of Israel was founded in the fact that Israel refuses to give up its own land & security which he believes it ought to even if that imperils its continued existence.
“But I want Israel to survive” I said.
“Well, you would say that, wouldn’t you?”
“Well, you would say that, wouldn’t you?”
Now my friend is not a Leftist – he’s economically to the right of Milton Friedman & socially possibly the same. He’s a plain-speaking Yorkshireman who didn’t even know when Israel was created.
He knows close to bugger all about anything to do with Israel yet has such strong opinions about Israel that it is the only country he refuses to trade with.
He knows nothing about my activism against antisemitism. I never discuss it with him. With us it’s all cars and boats. Boy’s stuff. Which is fine with me.
He does of course know that we are Jewish. So out it came:
“Well, you would say that, wouldn’t you?”
He does of course know that we are Jewish. So out it came:
“Well, you would say that, wouldn’t you?”
There’s no grand conclusion or lesson here in this thread, just a bleak reminder of why we sometimes just need the company of other Jews (even those of us who live tucked away in places like Yorkshire). Just so we don’t have to have those kinds of moments in a car on a sunny day.
So, I’m about to text our friends L & J & invite them over to ours. And we’ll talk Jewish stuff & Israel stuff. And all kinds of other stuff. And there’ll be nothing lurking under the surface.
And everything will be ok for a bit.
And everything will be ok for a bit.
A postscript in the form of a quote from Mrs Nuddering who just read my thread:
"I’m appalled-the guy is as insensitive as a mallet. I knew this but I mean....Ffs
1/2
"I’m appalled-the guy is as insensitive as a mallet. I knew this but I mean....Ffs
1/2
"I only let A (a Syrian friend of ours) off because she was brought up in a Soviet backed Arab country where Jews are depicted as sub-human. Given this - she does well.
J was brought up in Rotherham. I mean wtaf"
J was brought up in Rotherham. I mean wtaf"
