Just be clear, I am Jewish and I have family in Israel. Most of my family died in the Holocaust and now there is only my immediate family in the US and my cousins in Israel. They have young children who had to evacuate their village because Hezbollah rockets almost hit their school. I have never experienced that kind of fear, the fear that at any moment myself or the ones I love could be attacked. I haven't visited the country since I was a child, but the attitude is very different there.

I am not trying to justify Israel's actions, but I just want to say that real people live there. Good people. People who want only peace and the make the world a better place. People who don't agree with the government. The idea that all jews are brainwashed in supporting Israel is a blatant untruth. They support their family, those who escaped the Nazis and took refuge in Israel. They support the development and technological advancements made in Israel. The politics of the Region are extremely messy and there is no one can place all the blame on Israel, the Palestinians, or Egypt.

Just look at the short stories of Israeli author Etgar Keret and you'll get an image of the Israeli political climate. He is very critical of Israel's poltical system (you can get a taste of that here). The point is that like the US there are conservatives and progressives, those on the right and those on the left. Those at the Jewish Internet Defense Force are extremely supportive of Israel's government, and they likely see it as one and the same as the people of Israel who they wish to protect. I don't like their politics and I don't like their methods, but they are no worse than any right-wing group in the US. There isn't a zionist conspiracy on reddit.

But my Mother worries. She is from eastern Europe, she has witnessed true anti-Semitism and even pogroms, which is why she left as a teenager. It is because of this experience that she fears anti-Semitism, because she has seen the consequences of hate. She warned me not to tell others that I am Jewish, not to talk about politics. I have been called "Jew-Boy" and "a dirty Jew" by people who thought it was funny, but to my family those words carry weight. So let's disagree with Israel's government, but do it in a way that does not breed hatred. Hatred against anything cannot be good. No one can practice compassion with a hateful heart. It makes us no better than the ones we are criticizing. Let's remember that there are good people that live in Israel and in Palestine, and saying things like "Fuck Israel" or "I hate Israel" aren't really helping any of them. Let's change the tone of our rhetoric, reddit, and bit a bit more considerate.

td;dnr (sigh) just watch this