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﷽ Ask me questions! I love answering them. CAT TAX STILL STANDS

[jujusjunk]

Arabs are scary

Do we speak of the same Arabs?

[jujusjunk]

You know what’s really fucked up

I’ve been standing up for Palestine for years now, literal years, for fucks sake I am a Palestinian, I center Palestinians. And just because I come to a different conclusion than the majority, or I find out about something that was actually really hard for me to come to terms but is true, I have gotten over 30 death threat anons in the last 3 hours, cursing me for:

1. Humanizing Israelis

2. Humanizing Jews

3. Having a conversation with a Jew (that was months ago yet somehow it’s news now)

4. That Jew being Israeli

5. Having a convo with a different Jew

6. That Jew not being Israeli (they actually got mad that a talked to a non Israeli Jew)

7. Calling myself a Palestinian (even though I am one…)

8. Wanting peace

9. Not encouraging the Hezbollah-Israel war BECAUSE I DONT WANT MORE DEATH (and I’m in Lebanon and I swear I’m gonna pass out if I hear about another bomb)

10. Existing

11. Not wanting death in both sides (it’s ok if I don’t want death on the Palestinian but the second I also don’t want death in the Israeli side suddenly I’m a mastermind spy that’s been working against Palestinians since day 1)

I would like to remind everyone:

IM A PALESTINIAN. Just because I’ve had conversations with Israelis, just because I view them as humans deserving of life, just because I genuinely see no problem living side by side with them, just because I don’t want to kill them all.

DOESNT MEAN I SUPPORT WHAT ISRAEL (the government BY THE WAY) DOES. I can criticize a country without actively wanting to mass murder its people, without actively wanting to make their individual lives hell for being born into said country (which they can’t control JUST LIKE I CANT CONTROL BEING BORN INTO A PALESTINIAN FAMILY WITH FAMILY IN GAZA)

For fucks sake please, I beg, leave me alone, please.

[jujusjunk]

palestinian child wearing superman costume in gaza.

[jujusjunk]

Photos i took in Beirut, Lebanon

[jujusjunk]

ur gonna be such a good parent i can tell 🙏 and also i am totally with u on the c-section thing, if i ever have biological children they will be c-section babies. drug me up i’m not fucking with vaginal birth. also with c-section you can choose the surgery dates, which is how my brother and i ended up exactly four years and one month apart!

stop that's so cute thank you. and me too! i want my kids birthday to be in november like me (but i don't mind if they're not like i wont be sad but i will like it more if they're in november) idk why but i love that im born in november and even though i dont technically belive in zodiac signs (like i dont belive about them effecting your day or wishing you bad lack or making you a bad person) im a sagittarius and i love that.

[jujusjunk]

I misread and thought you said you were going to take lots of drugs during pregnancy and I was so confused and alarmed before i realized you said during BIRTH and were talking about like painkillers and maybe an epidural. Fully support you there lol.

HAHAHA NOOOO, i have never done any drugs thankfully but i will literally be taking EVERYTHING offered to me at the hospital, everything. from flavorless jello cups to needles in the back, i dont wanna feel this baby being cut out of me. and i stand with the c-section not vaginal birth, it's all just…better.

[jujusjunk]

damn i wanna be your kid, and you’re gonna be an amazing mom i just know it. you have a lot of empathy for people you disagree with, i can’t imagine what that’s like in your family and your community, but it’s really beautiful and powerful. i admire so much of what you wrote, the way you want your kids to feel safe, heard, proud of who they are, and connected to their roots. that’s the kind of intentional love that really shapes good people.

but i did want to gently say something that hit me kind of hard. i’m a christian lesbian who was kicked out of my house for being gay. so when i read the part about not teaching your kids about LGBTQ+ stuff unless you “have to,” and calling it homophobic, it kind of stung. i know you’re not trying to hurt anyone, and i know where that sentiment comes from culturally and religiously. but i really believe that letting kids know that queer people exist, and that it’s okay, isn’t harmful. it’s protective.

if i had known it was okay to be who i was when i was 7, or even 10, it might have saved me from so much confusion and pain. knowing you exist doesn’t make someone gay, but it does make them kinder, safer, and more understanding toward people who are. you clearly want your kids to grow up emotionally intelligent, thoughtful, and open-minded, maybe that can include room to know that people like me are part of the world too, and we deserve to be safe and loved like everyone else.

thank you for sharing your vision so honestly. i say this with love, not judgment. 🫶🏽

thank you for sending this, i can tell you meant it genuinely and from the heart, and that means a lot. i’m really sorry for what you went through, no one deserves to be kicked out or unloved for being who they are. i would never do that to my child, no matter what they grew up to be. when i say i’ll love them regardless, i mean it. nothing would ever make me stop being their mom.

but i also have to be honest and stay true to myself, my religion and my values don’t allow me to say that being gay is okay. i’m not gonna lie to my kids just to be more “acceptable” to people outside my faith or culture. i grew up with those values and i’m still choosing them now as an adult because i believe in them. teaching my kids what i believe in isn’t hate, it’s being a parent.

i’m not teaching them to bully anyone. i’m not raising them to hurt people or judge them or make them feel small. i’m teaching them that there are things we believe in, and there are things we don’t. that’s how values work. if my kid grows up and tells me they’re queer, i’m still gonna be there. i’m still gonna feed them, protect them, love them and make sure they know home is safe. that’s the difference between teaching values and raising with violence.

it’s okay if you don’t agree with me. you don’t have to. and you didn’t come here trying to change me, you just shared your experience, and that was real and kind of you. i do want my kids to be emotionally intelligent. i do want them to understand people are different. but understanding and agreeing are two different things and they’ll be taught both.

so thank you for being honest. and thank you for reading my words with love instead of anger. i respect that deeply, even if we don’t fully align.

[jujusjunk]

ok my household rules. cuz i wanna tell someone tbh.

also i have a birth plan ready and how im gonna raise my kid.

- im taking every single drug i can during the birth

- i'm getting a c-section because fuck me if i'm gonna ruin my hips and vagina.

-i'm gonna specifically ask they don't wash the baby and i won't wash them for the first 5 days

- my mom, my husband and his mom in the room with us *only*

-if it's a girl we don't accept any gifts that aren't gold (it's a thing in my family, a kind of a given)

-if it's a boy we don't expect someone to veer off the tradition masculin clothes or toys, no i am not putting my baby son in a tutu, leave me alone that's my child.

-if i live in a non-arab country we will only speak arabic at home and whatever the other language is outside. i wanna associate arabic with home, and love and comfort so this is really important to me.

- my kids will take quran lessons till they're 10 then i'll decide if that's enough or i want to give them more, that's a must.

- no sleepovers, only close family, ie. grandparents and aunts and uncles. i've gotten to sleep at friends house but only after i turned 14 and no man was allowed to be in the house (my friend and her mom and sister or my other friend where her parents were traveling to it was me her and her older sister, that's it)

- my kids will have sex ed. idc how controversial it is they will know what's right and what's wrong and they will learn to voice everything that makes them comfortable or uncomfortable. i want my kids to trust me and to know that i trust them and their judgment. it's a scary world and i don't want my kids to see that part of it.

- i will be stricter on the girls than i am on the boys in different things like curfew, but i will never ever make my kids feel like i favor one over the other.

- i don't mind a playful smack in the bum or a little slap ont he arm but i will never touch their face and i will never discipline them when im angry

- my husband is just as much in control as i am, he is their father not just my husband. i want them to love him and to have a good relationship with him.

- i will get my children whatever they ask for, it's how i was raised and i didn't turn out spoiled. i got every i asked for but i understood money and i understood that i was more privileged than other around me and i was taught this through allowances that would be saved up for when i grow up and by having to put a percentage away to give away to people in need.

- i want my children to be healthy, call me an almond mom or whatever but i do not want fat kids who are gonna have problem their whole life. my kids will learn all about food, i have a way with this where i don't label food as good or bad instead i label as a need or a want. its how my aunt raises her children and how i plan to raise mine. they are allowed to eat whatever they want, even things i wasn't allowed to as a child and that's gotten them to a point where they simply don't fancy disgusting food anymore because they have home

-my kids will never have to ask for money, they will just have it. my dad used to leave me money on my desk every few days wether i needed it or not. that helped a lot. (the allowances go into bank accounts this is money for them to spend on the daily, food water rides gifts whatever, they will have it)

- my kids will be proudly palestinian. i will raise them the way i was raised. im not scared of being palestinian no matter how scary it is to be a palestinian. i am open about it and im educated about my culture and my children will be too no matter where there father is from i want them to have an education about palestine because they will be at least half palestinian.

- call me privileged but my kids are going to private school, it's more trustworthy, safer and stricter in terms of child safety and knowing what to do when said child acts out.

- i will give my children room to make mistakes, room to breathe and have alone time, room to destress and room to make there own decisions ( depending on age + decision of course but mostly)

- my kids will supported by me and my husband as long as that's needed ( again this is a given in arab culture but apparently not in others so that's weird)

- no i will not be teaching my children my exact point of view especially about palestine because i want them to learn and understand the facts before they decide to make a decision.

- no my children will not be learning about lgbtq unless i live in a non-arab or non-muslim country where i have to teach them our point of views on it. call me homophobic but i don't my 7 year old child telling me he wants to become a girl or my 7 year old daughter telling me she's a lesbian. i found out about the lgbtq when i was 13, they can too. i'm letting my kids be kids.

i think that's it for now but i'm probably gonna keep adding to it .

[jujusjunk]

Maybe I wasn't a horrible person. Maybe I was just 15.

[jujusjunk]

I wanna have a conversation. Anyone who isn't a Muslim. Anyone who isn't actively pro-Palestine. I want to understand why. I am not trying to be mean I want to understand why.

[edenfenixblogs]

I think this is a good post, and I hope you get a lot of good responses. I am worried that many people who may feel inclined to answer, won’t. I think many people, and I’m speaking at least for myself and any Jews who share my mindset, may be hesitant to reply to this because they don’t know if they fit your criteria.

I consider myself pro-Palestine. I’m sure you know this from talking to me for so long. However, many people at least in the west like to tell Jews what we are and are not. They call us Zionists when we are not. They tell us that we can’t be both pro Israel and pro Palestine when we feel very “pro” about both peoples.

I’m pro-Palestinian welfare and sovereignty. I’m not anti-Palestinian statehood. But I also support Israeli statehood and Jewish people living safely in a self governed area of the Levant which includes our temples and ancient places. Despite this, as you know, I’m not a Zionist for many personal reasons but I’m also not anti-Zionist. I’m simply non-Zionist. I don’t know where that falls in the category of people you’re hoping to hear from though.

Also, just for clarity, are you asking WHY people who aren’t Muslim aren’t Muslim? Or are you asking that only non-Muslims reply?

[tikkunhayam]

Juju,

I originally wasn’t going to say anything myself— but I follow Eden and I’ve really enjoyed reading both of your conversations even though I’ve never really interacted. It fills me with hope and pride in both of you. And what Eden wrote above, about not knowing if I have the place to say something, rang true for me. But then I am hoping that maybe, in answering, I can provide something good too.

First off, I’m not an expert. I’m Jewish because my Jewish identity is what I am more than anything else. I’m a Jew before I’m an American, before I’m a woman, before I’m anything. To me, being Jewish is as real as the fact that I have a heart that beats and lungs that need oxygen— it’s a fact. I have an immense respect for Muslims, and I would add my voice to others who responded to your post with the sense that we are cousins. And while I take a hard stance against Islamophobia, while I want Palestinians to have self determination and autonomy, protection and support, I struggle to say that I’m pro-Palestine.

And this again is where I admit I’m not an expert. My (relative) distant in the diaspora frees me from a lot of the immediate reality of things— except for the second hand experiences of my friends and family in Israel, who have suffered at the hands of radical Islam. I could say a lot of things about why I don’t fully align with the pro-Palestine movement; the largest of which being its association with rampant antisemitism and violence.

But here is also where I’ll freely admit something, despite the shame, and I hope you will look and see it with the lens of understanding. I have read about the things you and your family suffered, and continue to deal with, and it fills me with pain and compassion. But also I think of the pain and suffering of my family. I think of violence and terrorist attacks, and cruelty. I think of hostages and captives, those brutally murdered, those returned missing pieces of themselves, those we still don’t know if they’ll return at all. It makes me angry, it makes me scared, it makes me grieve with a bone deep grief that feels as real as a broken rib. Selfishly, or perhaps more generously, in a very human way, I struggle with the idea of finding peace with people who inflicted such harm. That’s not to say I don’t want peace— I *do*, desperately. I wish my soul was unburdened by grief and anger, I wish I didn’t hold the hate it’s learned the past 18 months as the world seemed to turn its back on my family and friends.

In Judaism, we often use the term “am yisrael”— a concept of the jewish people. It’s a term that makes us family. Religiously, we celebrate (and commemorate) our past in the present. We still mourn the destruction of the temple and our exile like it was yesterday. What this means for me is that everything is immediate, and so even without personally knowing any of the hostages, it feels as real to me as if they were my sibling, my parent, my grandparent. I know their names and their faces and I miss them, despite not having met them. What this is to say is that I’m very human. I can’t fully give my heart to a cause that doesn’t stand for my family as well. If I only have so much energy, I’m going to give it to my family first. If I speak up, I speak up for them first.

In that same vein, I feel from what I’ve read from you that you feel the same way about your family, your friends, your people. And that’s where I have to believe that hope is found. I love my family more than I hate our enemies— and you are NOT my enemy. I don’t know if I articulated myself as well as I’d like— that’s what I get for trying to tackle a tricky subject that I doubt my own authority to speak on. But I hope if you have questions, or concerns, that you’ll reach out. Reaching out is the only way we’ll get through this. Thanks for listening, and for reaching out in the first place.

[jujusjunk]

I wanna give you a hug. So bad you don't understand. You seem like such a sweet and genuine person

I get what you mean too. And what your Jewish identity to you is what my Palestinian identity is to me. Being Palestinian (while it technically shouldn't come before being Muslim) to me it does. Because i live in Lebanon now which has a highly sensitive political situation, me being Palestinian is a "big thing". I hold the Jordanian citizenship and i have a the Jordanian passport as well as UN papers stating that i am Palestinian and that I have a right to specific plots of land in Yaffa and in Nablus that belonged to both my grandparents. I cannot change who i am just like you cannot change who you are

I said this before I'll say it again, while i deeply appreciate non-Arabs and specifically none Palestinians for fighting for us. And i send you lots of love. I want people to listen to us. Most of the time Palestinian voices and over shadowed with the more popular non- Arab voices who seem to think they know exactly how we feel and how we want to act. That's not true. We are complex human being with complex feelings and a very complex and detailed understanding of what's happening around us. We, as children, I'm taking Palestinian Lebanese and Jordanian children, are very hyper-aware of the world around us and what's happening in it because it's our truth. Having went to school in Jordan where i think over 90% of the people are Palestinian refugees including me, we are very aware of what's happening around us. I have never been outside the Middle East unless you count a week of Italy where i literally sat in the hotel for 3 days (TWICE THIS HAPPENED TWICE BECAUSE I TWISTED MY LEG BOTH FREAKING TIMES) but that's a story for another time. So i really do not have ANY non-Arab experiences. So belive me when i tell you, people who have legit never set foot in the Middle East have nothing on us.

I'm sorry about what happened to your family, no civilian should have to go through that, and i firmly believe that.

I have seen hell on earth, from when i was flung into a building because a bomb without warning to the time i had drive past children with missing limbs. I cannot bring myself to wish that in anyone. And while i hate to admit it, there is a part of me deep deep down that simply cannot forgive. I do not forgive people who stood for this, who funded it and excused it. Not when I've seen it with my own eyes. Not when I've touched it and experienced it. So i do understand how your feeling, especially about your family. I hate when i left Lebanon the last month of the war and it might sound genuinely psychotic to you but i was crying to my dad every single day to send me back. Why? My grandfather was there and he refused to leave because he wanted his workers in his store to still have a job. He didn't want to close up even with the war happening and barely anyone buying anything. I couldn't leave him, and i use to face time him upwards of 3 hours a day. I understand how you feel about your family.

I'm sorry if the English is weird I'm translating from Arabic and gibberish in my head. Sending you and hug and forehead kiss from Lebanon ( it's not a missle wallah j/)

[jujusjunk]

I wanna have a conversation. Anyone who isn't a Muslim. Anyone who isn't actively pro-Palestine. I want to understand why. I am not trying to be mean I want to understand why.

[jewish-kulindadromeus]

hi juju

I am not muslim because islam does not work for me as a religion. while there are many aspects of islamic philosophy and ritual I admire or like, overall it is far too high control for me and predicated on antisemitism. it, like xtianity, assumes that Jewish people do not understand Jewish texts or Judaism, which is textbook antisemitism. that doesn't mean I want islam - or xtianity - to go away. it just means I can't gel with it. meanwhile, judaism is home. I was raised catholic, but I converted to judaism after a lifelong wish to do so (made jewish friends as a young child). the culture, the traditions, the rituals, and the texts all make sense to me. it's also very similar to how I thought before converting. my rabbi said I was already jewish, they just had to formalize it, and he wasn't wrong. it is a religion designed around life and staying alive, because jewish ppl have had to fight and claw to be allowed to live for 3000 years, and as someone with chronic suicidality and mental illness, that has been very healing for me. it is also a religion built around questioning things and arguments and discussion and debate - the talmud is essentially an extremely long internet forum - and that works for me, extremely well, because I'm a scientist. finally, the community is filled with so many people who have made me feel like home. I have not found that anywhere else except with other paleontologists. Judaism is home for me.

I am pro palestine, in this sense: - I support the right for Palestinians to have self determination, whatever form that might take - I support the right for Palestinians to live and survive and thrive wherever they want to live - I support the ties of Palestinians to the land known as Palestine/Eretz Yisrael/the Levant and the deep connection to that land that Palstinians have - I advocate for the ending of all violence and hostilities in the region as quickly as possible, both because of the injustice involved in how the state of israel has treated palestinians and because of the increased loss of life and suffering it will cause - I never support ethnic cleansing or colonial hegemony even if the people doing it are part of my larger family (when you convert to judaism, you're adopted into the jewish people in every sense of the word)

I am not a part of the pro palestine movement in the united states because of its horrifying antisemitism and high control nature basically, having grown up not only catholic but with a weird mini cult for a family (based around my father trying to control my mother, long story), I have extremely sensitive "cult-dar". IE, I can smell the beginnings of unhealthy group dynamics like a bloodhound. and unfortunately, the propalestine movement in the usa? its a cult. and I live here, so its my only option. so... yeah, no. in the usa pal movement, you can't disagree, you can't go against the party line, you can't point out hypocrisy, you can't point out problems or how something is impractical or impossible. You just have to do what people say and not ask questions. and that's not for me. I'm a scientist and a jew. It is in my very bones to ask questions and disagree and poke things until they fall apart. and in terms of the antisemitism... maybe if it was just saying slogans that can be interpreted antisemitically. maybe if it was just saying that israel was doing bad things. maybe if it was just people yelling loudly. but there has been violence and consequences. and, more than even that, the movement is often ahistorical or downright historical revisionist. erasing the Jewish connection to the levant is just as bad as erasing the Palestinian connection to the levant. there's also tinges of Islam being the original religion and having a right to the area over Jews, which is... wrong. there is no original religion, and Jews have an equal right to our holy areas as anyone else do to theirs. and more to the point, all systems of oppression that we are dealing with in the world have been influenced by antisemitism, because it's the bedrock of societies built through xtianity and islam, which is most of the world. unfortunately. because both are the "jews are wrong or lying" religions. So ironically, islamophobia in the west is influenced by antisemitism. Racism directly evolved from it. you can't fix anything if you don't also fix antisemitism, which the propalestine movement in the usa clearly is not interested in doing. they either pretend it's not a problem (it really is) or act like it's a problem that only affects white people who don't matter (which... there are many jews of color. many. never mind white ppl can be hurt too, lol.) so it's not safe for me, and then in addition, it's not an effective movement. I mean, clearly, given how free palestine currently is (it isn't). and its also hypocritical - when asked what will happen to israelis, american activists just say ethnic cleansing. so ethnic cleansing is only okay if its being done by your blorbos? nah bro. I'm also an anarchist and while I recognize we won't have a stateless world any time soon, I get squicky supporting the founding or continuation of any state, including the most pluralistic and jew-friendly unified palestine that idealists pretend is possible. because states inherently take the power of the people and sequester it in the hands of a few and causes imbalances and pain because of that sequestering. see the impacts of borders alone.

in the end, I'm extremely passionate about rebuilding the connections between the Palestinian and Jewish communities and uniting ourselves against the rest of the world. Jews are the uppity ones who refused to assimilate and got kicked out every time the levant got conquered. Palestinians are the ones who refused to leave and adapted to stay in the area. We are each other's closest relatives. We are literally family. the science has been done. All this fighting is doing is letting the people who want control over the region - being the crossroads of Afroeurasia - get closer to their goal. and the propalestine movement doesn't have room for that, for some reason.

I hope that all made sense.

[jujusjunk]

Antisemitism is Haram in islam. I think it's really important that you know that.

We view Jews as something called Ahl Al Kitab, which means people of the book. Basically we hold respect for you because you're abrahamic religion. If you want to know more, I'm happy to explain.

I said this in another answer, but I'm also going to say to you too while I appreciate the other people are standing with Palestine. That's great. I do not agree with a lot of the points they make as a Palestinian, who lives in the Middle East and has been surrounded by nothing but this war for the last two years. I have been to funerals I have been bombed. I have legit experienced anything you can think of, so I promise you no matter what the non-Middle Eastern residing. People have to say it has nothing on me. I am begging you to not listen to them and listen to us. You can see the difference you can hear it. The difference between the reaction to the LA fires. The difference between the reactions to martyrdom. The difference between how we act and face of situations versus how they do it's a very big difference.

I think I believe in a very complicated situation that's unrealistic. I want to land for all maybe called the holy land. I want Golan Heights to be returned to Syria and I want jnoub to be returned to Lebanon I want Palestinians to freely walk on their land. I want for anyone who can prove they are Palestinian as well as proof they have a right to this land. I want a government that actually genuinely treats everyone equally not just for media and specific cases. I want everyone to be tolerant of everyone and I want to extremism abolished. Both sides this takes both sides.

[starlight-shadowbanned]

Maybe I'll just respond here sometimes cause it's easier. I was wondering if you can say more about jnoub? Cause when I looked it up, it looked like an area that is part of Lebanon and not claimed by Israel.

[jujusjunk]

Jnoub is the bottom part of Lebanon and is still considered Lebanon (THO THERE ARE 800 SWUARE KILOMETERS THAT ARE ACTUALLY UNDER OCCUPATION AND ARE CONSIDERED PART OF THE NORTH!) but there is a huge Israeli and American military presence there, there were supposed to withdraw before news years, which turned into middle of January, which turned in February and now we just don't have a date they are still actively in jnoub. People aren't able to return home, they are still bombing and they are sniping anyone who enters these specific territories they have "claimed". I'm actually a volunteer in the UN, while I'm still not allowed into jnoub (I'm 18 and reside in Beirut so that's where I volunteer) my friends in jnoub have to wear much thicker vests that us and have a different hat which has a white flag on it. This is what I mean by giving Lebanon its land back. I mean leave from Lebanon. And give us back the 800 square kilometers damn, they're ours. This is back in the older Hezbollah war in 2006 (WHICH I WAS BORN IN). TMI I know sorry I like talking to people who actually have convos. Anyways if you want to know more tell me!

[starlight-shadowbanned]

Wait so, is it the area that Israel has been refusing to retreat from in this current war, or an area Israel has been claiming since 2006?

[jujusjunk]

The 800 square kilometers is from the 2006 war. The rest of jnoub is under military occupation. Here's a map that shows the 800 square kilometers and the areas Israel told Lebanese not to come to

+ more accurate of where exactly the military presence is

The "evacuation zone" is Lebanese territory.

[starlight-shadowbanned]

I found an article about it in wikipedia that I can't link for some reason, it said that there was an 800 square km area that Israel occupied from 1982 to 2000. Which is still absolutely crazy, and I didn't know about it which means I know less about this than I thought cause that's a huge thing I didn't know. But I didn't find info about a post-2006 occupied area?

Sorry, not trying to be argumentative, genuinely confused 😅

[jujusjunk]

I have a history book about it somewhere but I'll have to look around for it. It's the Lebanese history book back when I was forced to do a Lebanese history exam to get into uni. I actually didn't check any sources but it's somewhere. I'll look for it and reply and if I'm wrong I'm sorry I must've remembered it wrong (my brain turns off in rants and my film fingers just type 🥲) give me a few minutes to look around and I'll either send you a translated page form my book or an apology lmao

[jujusjunk]

I wanna have a conversation. Anyone who isn't a Muslim. Anyone who isn't actively pro-Palestine. I want to understand why. I am not trying to be mean I want to understand why.

[jewish-kulindadromeus]

hi juju

I am not muslim because islam does not work for me as a religion. while there are many aspects of islamic philosophy and ritual I admire or like, overall it is far too high control for me and predicated on antisemitism. it, like xtianity, assumes that Jewish people do not understand Jewish texts or Judaism, which is textbook antisemitism. that doesn't mean I want islam - or xtianity - to go away. it just means I can't gel with it. meanwhile, judaism is home. I was raised catholic, but I converted to judaism after a lifelong wish to do so (made jewish friends as a young child). the culture, the traditions, the rituals, and the texts all make sense to me. it's also very similar to how I thought before converting. my rabbi said I was already jewish, they just had to formalize it, and he wasn't wrong. it is a religion designed around life and staying alive, because jewish ppl have had to fight and claw to be allowed to live for 3000 years, and as someone with chronic suicidality and mental illness, that has been very healing for me. it is also a religion built around questioning things and arguments and discussion and debate - the talmud is essentially an extremely long internet forum - and that works for me, extremely well, because I'm a scientist. finally, the community is filled with so many people who have made me feel like home. I have not found that anywhere else except with other paleontologists. Judaism is home for me.

I am pro palestine, in this sense: - I support the right for Palestinians to have self determination, whatever form that might take - I support the right for Palestinians to live and survive and thrive wherever they want to live - I support the ties of Palestinians to the land known as Palestine/Eretz Yisrael/the Levant and the deep connection to that land that Palstinians have - I advocate for the ending of all violence and hostilities in the region as quickly as possible, both because of the injustice involved in how the state of israel has treated palestinians and because of the increased loss of life and suffering it will cause - I never support ethnic cleansing or colonial hegemony even if the people doing it are part of my larger family (when you convert to judaism, you're adopted into the jewish people in every sense of the word)

I am not a part of the pro palestine movement in the united states because of its horrifying antisemitism and high control nature basically, having grown up not only catholic but with a weird mini cult for a family (based around my father trying to control my mother, long story), I have extremely sensitive "cult-dar". IE, I can smell the beginnings of unhealthy group dynamics like a bloodhound. and unfortunately, the propalestine movement in the usa? its a cult. and I live here, so its my only option. so... yeah, no. in the usa pal movement, you can't disagree, you can't go against the party line, you can't point out hypocrisy, you can't point out problems or how something is impractical or impossible. You just have to do what people say and not ask questions. and that's not for me. I'm a scientist and a jew. It is in my very bones to ask questions and disagree and poke things until they fall apart. and in terms of the antisemitism... maybe if it was just saying slogans that can be interpreted antisemitically. maybe if it was just saying that israel was doing bad things. maybe if it was just people yelling loudly. but there has been violence and consequences. and, more than even that, the movement is often ahistorical or downright historical revisionist. erasing the Jewish connection to the levant is just as bad as erasing the Palestinian connection to the levant. there's also tinges of Islam being the original religion and having a right to the area over Jews, which is... wrong. there is no original religion, and Jews have an equal right to our holy areas as anyone else do to theirs. and more to the point, all systems of oppression that we are dealing with in the world have been influenced by antisemitism, because it's the bedrock of societies built through xtianity and islam, which is most of the world. unfortunately. because both are the "jews are wrong or lying" religions. So ironically, islamophobia in the west is influenced by antisemitism. Racism directly evolved from it. you can't fix anything if you don't also fix antisemitism, which the propalestine movement in the usa clearly is not interested in doing. they either pretend it's not a problem (it really is) or act like it's a problem that only affects white people who don't matter (which... there are many jews of color. many. never mind white ppl can be hurt too, lol.) so it's not safe for me, and then in addition, it's not an effective movement. I mean, clearly, given how free palestine currently is (it isn't). and its also hypocritical - when asked what will happen to israelis, american activists just say ethnic cleansing. so ethnic cleansing is only okay if its being done by your blorbos? nah bro. I'm also an anarchist and while I recognize we won't have a stateless world any time soon, I get squicky supporting the founding or continuation of any state, including the most pluralistic and jew-friendly unified palestine that idealists pretend is possible. because states inherently take the power of the people and sequester it in the hands of a few and causes imbalances and pain because of that sequestering. see the impacts of borders alone.

in the end, I'm extremely passionate about rebuilding the connections between the Palestinian and Jewish communities and uniting ourselves against the rest of the world. Jews are the uppity ones who refused to assimilate and got kicked out every time the levant got conquered. Palestinians are the ones who refused to leave and adapted to stay in the area. We are each other's closest relatives. We are literally family. the science has been done. All this fighting is doing is letting the people who want control over the region - being the crossroads of Afroeurasia - get closer to their goal. and the propalestine movement doesn't have room for that, for some reason.

I hope that all made sense.

[jujusjunk]

Antisemitism is Haram in islam. I think it's really important that you know that.

We view Jews as something called Ahl Al Kitab, which means people of the book. Basically we hold respect for you because you're abrahamic religion. If you want to know more, I'm happy to explain.

I said this in another answer, but I'm also going to say to you too while I appreciate the other people are standing with Palestine. That's great. I do not agree with a lot of the points they make as a Palestinian, who lives in the Middle East and has been surrounded by nothing but this war for the last two years. I have been to funerals I have been bombed. I have legit experienced anything you can think of, so I promise you no matter what the non-Middle Eastern residing. People have to say it has nothing on me. I am begging you to not listen to them and listen to us. You can see the difference you can hear it. The difference between the reaction to the LA fires. The difference between the reactions to martyrdom. The difference between how we act and face of situations versus how they do it's a very big difference.

I think I believe in a very complicated situation that's unrealistic. I want to land for all maybe called the holy land. I want Golan Heights to be returned to Syria and I want jnoub to be returned to Lebanon I want Palestinians to freely walk on their land. I want for anyone who can prove they are Palestinian as well as proof they have a right to this land. I want a government that actually genuinely treats everyone equally not just for media and specific cases. I want everyone to be tolerant of everyone and I want to extremism abolished. Both sides this takes both sides.

[starlight-shadowbanned]

Maybe I'll just respond here sometimes cause it's easier. I was wondering if you can say more about jnoub? Cause when I looked it up, it looked like an area that is part of Lebanon and not claimed by Israel.

[jujusjunk]

Jnoub is the bottom part of Lebanon and is still considered Lebanon (THO THERE ARE 800 SWUARE KILOMETERS THAT ARE ACTUALLY UNDER OCCUPATION AND ARE CONSIDERED PART OF THE NORTH!) but there is a huge Israeli and American military presence there, there were supposed to withdraw before news years, which turned into middle of January, which turned in February and now we just don't have a date they are still actively in jnoub. People aren't able to return home, they are still bombing and they are sniping anyone who enters these specific territories they have "claimed". I'm actually a volunteer in the UN, while I'm still not allowed into jnoub (I'm 18 and reside in Beirut so that's where I volunteer) my friends in jnoub have to wear much thicker vests that us and have a different hat which has a white flag on it. This is what I mean by giving Lebanon its land back. I mean leave from Lebanon. And give us back the 800 square kilometers damn, they're ours. This is back in the older Hezbollah war in 2006 (WHICH I WAS BORN IN). TMI I know sorry I like talking to people who actually have convos. Anyways if you want to know more tell me!

[starlight-shadowbanned]

Wait so, is it the area that Israel has been refusing to retreat from in this current war, or an area Israel has been claiming since 2006?

[jujusjunk]

The 800 square kilometers is from the 2006 war. The rest of jnoub is under military occupation. Here's a map that shows the 800 square kilometers and the areas Israel told Lebanese not to come to

+ more accurate of where exactly the military presence is

The "evacuation zone" is Lebanese territory.

[jujusjunk]

I wanna have a conversation. Anyone who isn't a Muslim. Anyone who isn't actively pro-Palestine. I want to understand why. I am not trying to be mean I want to understand why.

[starlightomatic]

To the first, I'm not Muslim because I wasn't born Muslim and I am satisfied with my current religious practices and traditions.

To the second, I would not say that I am not pro-Palestine, but it's true I am not part of that political camp. The reasons for that are primarily the amount of antisemitism I see in that camp, as well as arguments based on false facts. For example, the relationship between Israel and Palestinians is a colonial one because of Israel's past and present actions, not because "Israelis are European foreigners who are pretending to be from Palestine" (which both is a blood-and-soil argument, and also not true). The hatred of Israelis as people (as distinct from opposition to the state) is also really not appealing either.

Also, I don't believe that people really understand the reasons that Zionism gained popularity or what question it is answering. It is answering the valid and legitimate question "how can Jews be safe in a world that has demonstrated again and again that it wants us dead?" Zionism is the wrong answer, but the vast majority of anti-Zionists dismiss the legitimacy of the question and instead insist that antisemitism is no longer a threat. I find this naive at best and antisemitic at worst.

With that being said, I hope for a future where Jews, Palestinians, and all of the other peoples in the land can live together in peace, safety, and without oppression or violence.

A note for others: please do not act unkindly toward the OP; if you do and you found them because of my reblog, I will feel guilty.

[it-was-me-zion]

i would add that personally, many organizations and groups that are pro-palestine that i've seen in america are pro-palestine to the exclusion of israel or israeli presence in any of the land in question. for them the end goal almost unilaterally seems to be "get rid of israel, replace with palestine" with no acknowledgement of what that would actually mean materially for both the people and the government system.

i'd also say that zionism, taken as it's base answer to the "how can jews be safe" question being "give jews control over their own state (in their ancestral homeland)" is acting within the bounds of reality for the majority of jewish people worldwide. there's a reason the sentiment grew popular and is still present today - at any opportunity, whoever is in control of wherever we are will decide that in some way, we are outsiders, and outsiders should be removed. a realistic answer to being driven out of "other people's" spaces is "get our own space." if we control it, we can't get kicked out. ha, ha.

[jujusjunk]

Here's the thing I'm not against a palestinian state and I'm not afraid to say that but I also know that that's not exactly doable. I need to think logically and I know that which is why I always take the idea of a one state solution and really kind of. Of course this is all imagination. Really kind of think it through. Now, if it were up to me, it would be called the holy land. I don't think the idea that any Jew can just randomly become part of this land is fair if it's not the same for anyone who can prove that their Palestinian. I have papers proving that I amPalestinian. And so do hundreds and thousands of other people I think they deserve a right of return. The government would actually be fair not like some piss poor government.

I think Zionism as a word is very scary to me. A lot of things have happened to me and my family in the name of Zionism and they are not pleasant, not a single pleasant thing has happened to me in the name of Zionism. I've seen bombs dropped on me in the name of Zionism. my grandfather has told me countless stories that have been done to him in the name of Zionism. I have been to well over 60 funerals in the past year and a half of family in Gaza that have been killed in the name of Zionism. So to me, Zionism has a very very bad meaning because of the experiences I have been through. And I think that's some thing you should be able to take into account. Forget people on the outside think about us forget the Americans forget the Brits forget the Indians forget literally anyone except us think about the Arabs, the Palestinians. Please take our word. If you want to know something about Palestine, ask a Palestinian if you want to know about our history, ask a Palestinian if you want to know about our beliefs ask a Palestinian please.

[starlightomatic]

I also support a one-state solution and I would hope that it has right of return for Palestinians but also retains law of return for Jews, because we still need a safe haven. I would hope a one-state Israel Palestine (or Canaan, or whatever it ends up being called) could function both as a safe haven for Jews and a place where Palestinians can return to and re-root. And maybe also teach each other our customs and practices and ways of relating to the land.

And yeah. I wish more people understand the associations that you have with Zionism. I don't totally get how people can identify with Zionism given that.

[jujusjunk]

YES I for example want to understand really what porim is CHZ I CANT FOR THE LIFE OF ME UNDERSTAND IT??? AND WHAT IS THAT BIKE DAY WHERE THEY DONT DRIVE CARS?? AND WHY DOES POURING BOILING WATER ON A COUNTER MAKE IT KOSHER??? So many things confuse me and I actually wanna know what they mean.

[jujusjunk]

I wanna have a conversation. Anyone who isn't a Muslim. Anyone who isn't actively pro-Palestine. I want to understand why. I am not trying to be mean I want to understand why.

[starlightomatic]

To the first, I'm not Muslim because I wasn't born Muslim and I am satisfied with my current religious practices and traditions.

To the second, I would not say that I am not pro-Palestine, but it's true I am not part of that political camp. The reasons for that are primarily the amount of antisemitism I see in that camp, as well as arguments based on false facts. For example, the relationship between Israel and Palestinians is a colonial one because of Israel's past and present actions, not because "Israelis are European foreigners who are pretending to be from Palestine" (which both is a blood-and-soil argument, and also not true). The hatred of Israelis as people (as distinct from opposition to the state) is also really not appealing either.

Also, I don't believe that people really understand the reasons that Zionism gained popularity or what question it is answering. It is answering the valid and legitimate question "how can Jews be safe in a world that has demonstrated again and again that it wants us dead?" Zionism is the wrong answer, but the vast majority of anti-Zionists dismiss the legitimacy of the question and instead insist that antisemitism is no longer a threat. I find this naive at best and antisemitic at worst.

With that being said, I hope for a future where Jews, Palestinians, and all of the other peoples in the land can live together in peace, safety, and without oppression or violence.

A note for others: please do not act unkindly toward the OP; if you do and you found them because of my reblog, I will feel guilty.

[it-was-me-zion]

i would add that personally, many organizations and groups that are pro-palestine that i've seen in america are pro-palestine to the exclusion of israel or israeli presence in any of the land in question. for them the end goal almost unilaterally seems to be "get rid of israel, replace with palestine" with no acknowledgement of what that would actually mean materially for both the people and the government system.

i'd also say that zionism, taken as it's base answer to the "how can jews be safe" question being "give jews control over their own state (in their ancestral homeland)" is acting within the bounds of reality for the majority of jewish people worldwide. there's a reason the sentiment grew popular and is still present today - at any opportunity, whoever is in control of wherever we are will decide that in some way, we are outsiders, and outsiders should be removed. a realistic answer to being driven out of "other people's" spaces is "get our own space." if we control it, we can't get kicked out. ha, ha.

[starlightomatic]

yeah. i won't claim to speak for op but i think the place where the rubber meets the road is, when we create our own space, what happens to the people already there? and in reality what happened was the nakba, and continued oppression and violence. op mentioned they're palestinian and their family lives in lebanon, so i might guess their family is nakba refugees - how does this land for them?

[starlight-shadowbanned]

@it-was-me-zion my response is above!

(intended tone is matter-of-fact, not confrontational)

[jujusjunk]

Yes they are Nakba refugees! And I like your response thank you for taking us into consideration.

[jujusjunk]

I wanna have a conversation. Anyone who isn't a Muslim. Anyone who isn't actively pro-Palestine. I want to understand why. I am not trying to be mean I want to understand why.

[wyf-of-bathe]

🙋‍♂️ I don't know if I count because I'm not actively for or against any side at this point but I am reasonably knowledgeable imo and I want to have a conversation in general so bad. (At least while I have time between my tasks at work.) What specifically are you asking? Like what do you want to know?

I may not be the kind of conversation you're looking for though.

[jujusjunk]

Honestly, I want to understand people point of view on what's going on as a non-Palestinian. I'm Palestinian and I'm in Lebanon so obviously I'm hella biased. Whatre you getting that we aren't? What news is reaching you? What how do you view Israel and how do you view me? As a Palestinian. How do you view Lebanese people? All of that.

[wyf-of-bathe]

Oh, this is gonna take me awhile but I actually do have some important insight for you regarding at least the general American population (definitely excluding tumblr members).

[jujusjunk]

Take your time love

[jujusjunk]

I wanna have a conversation. Anyone who isn't a Muslim. Anyone who isn't actively pro-Palestine. I want to understand why. I am not trying to be mean I want to understand why.

[starlightomatic]

To the first, I'm not Muslim because I wasn't born Muslim and I am satisfied with my current religious practices and traditions.

To the second, I would not say that I am not pro-Palestine, but it's true I am not part of that political camp. The reasons for that are primarily the amount of antisemitism I see in that camp, as well as arguments based on false facts. For example, the relationship between Israel and Palestinians is a colonial one because of Israel's past and present actions, not because "Israelis are European foreigners who are pretending to be from Palestine" (which both is a blood-and-soil argument, and also not true). The hatred of Israelis as people (as distinct from opposition to the state) is also really not appealing either.

Also, I don't believe that people really understand the reasons that Zionism gained popularity or what question it is answering. It is answering the valid and legitimate question "how can Jews be safe in a world that has demonstrated again and again that it wants us dead?" Zionism is the wrong answer, but the vast majority of anti-Zionists dismiss the legitimacy of the question and instead insist that antisemitism is no longer a threat. I find this naive at best and antisemitic at worst.

With that being said, I hope for a future where Jews, Palestinians, and all of the other peoples in the land can live together in peace, safety, and without oppression or violence.

A note for others: please do not act unkindly toward the OP; if you do and you found them because of my reblog, I will feel guilty.

[it-was-me-zion]

i would add that personally, many organizations and groups that are pro-palestine that i've seen in america are pro-palestine to the exclusion of israel or israeli presence in any of the land in question. for them the end goal almost unilaterally seems to be "get rid of israel, replace with palestine" with no acknowledgement of what that would actually mean materially for both the people and the government system.

i'd also say that zionism, taken as it's base answer to the "how can jews be safe" question being "give jews control over their own state (in their ancestral homeland)" is acting within the bounds of reality for the majority of jewish people worldwide. there's a reason the sentiment grew popular and is still present today - at any opportunity, whoever is in control of wherever we are will decide that in some way, we are outsiders, and outsiders should be removed. a realistic answer to being driven out of "other people's" spaces is "get our own space." if we control it, we can't get kicked out. ha, ha.

[jujusjunk]

Here's the thing I'm not against a palestinian state and I'm not afraid to say that but I also know that that's not exactly doable. I need to think logically and I know that which is why I always take the idea of a one state solution and really kind of. Of course this is all imagination. Really kind of think it through. Now, if it were up to me, it would be called the holy land. I don't think the idea that any Jew can just randomly become part of this land is fair if it's not the same for anyone who can prove that their Palestinian. I have papers proving that I amPalestinian. And so do hundreds and thousands of other people I think they deserve a right of return. The government would actually be fair not like some piss poor government.

I think Zionism as a word is very scary to me. A lot of things have happened to me and my family in the name of Zionism and they are not pleasant, not a single pleasant thing has happened to me in the name of Zionism. I've seen bombs dropped on me in the name of Zionism. my grandfather has told me countless stories that have been done to him in the name of Zionism. I have been to well over 60 funerals in the past year and a half of family in Gaza that have been killed in the name of Zionism. So to me, Zionism has a very very bad meaning because of the experiences I have been through. And I think that's some thing you should be able to take into account. Forget people on the outside think about us forget the Americans forget the Brits forget the Indians forget literally anyone except us think about the Arabs, the Palestinians. Please take our word. If you want to know something about Palestine, ask a Palestinian if you want to know about our history, ask a Palestinian if you want to know about our beliefs ask a Palestinian please.

[jujusjunk]

I wanna have a conversation. Anyone who isn't a Muslim. Anyone who isn't actively pro-Palestine. I want to understand why. I am not trying to be mean I want to understand why.

[starlightomatic]

To the first, I'm not Muslim because I wasn't born Muslim and I am satisfied with my current religious practices and traditions.

To the second, I would not say that I am not pro-Palestine, but it's true I am not part of that political camp. The reasons for that are primarily the amount of antisemitism I see in that camp, as well as arguments based on false facts. For example, the relationship between Israel and Palestinians is a colonial one because of Israel's past and present actions, not because "Israelis are European foreigners who are pretending to be from Palestine" (which both is a blood-and-soil argument, and also not true). The hatred of Israelis as people (as distinct from opposition to the state) is also really not appealing either.

Also, I don't believe that people really understand the reasons that Zionism gained popularity or what question it is answering. It is answering the valid and legitimate question "how can Jews be safe in a world that has demonstrated again and again that it wants us dead?" Zionism is the wrong answer, but the vast majority of anti-Zionists dismiss the legitimacy of the question and instead insist that antisemitism is no longer a threat. I find this naive at best and antisemitic at worst.

With that being said, I hope for a future where Jews, Palestinians, and all of the other peoples in the land can live together in peace, safety, and without oppression or violence.

A note for others: please do not act unkindly toward the OP; if you do and you found them because of my reblog, I will feel guilty.

[jujusjunk]

I personally love Judaism, I think it's a beautiful religion. I haven't been taught much about it. Specially, given the circumstances I was raised in. I think it's really important that I tell you that Muslims altogether do not stand against Judaism a lot of non-Muslim people who stand with Palestine kind of try to symbolize that Muslims are 100% against Judaism and even if they're doing it indirectly, that's the way that it comes off. so I think it's important to me that you understand that Muslims are not allowed to hate you. We cannot hate you. It is our holy book the Quran that Jews are something called Ahl al Kitab which means the people of the book. Basically an Abrahamic religion.

I understand what you mean by the lies and as a Palestinian I always do my best to check my sources and make sure that what I'm stating is true. I think a lot of what we've been taught about Palestine growing up as a Palestinian as someone whose family has been through so so so much throughout the years is very biased. I also think it's really important that you take our perspective into this. My grandfather was born in Palestine in 1942 and he left Palestine in the end of 1948 my family tried to stay, but it became too violent for them. The stories that he used to tell me from when he was younger about the Jews in the neighborhood about how they were living peacefully how we had friends who taught him Hebrew, and he still knew some of those words.

I don't hate Israelis as people, but I hate a lot of their actions and I also hate the way that they framed themselves. I hate that a lot of them are silent about the wrongdoings of their government and then when they're confronted with that, they suddenly speak up about it and they say that they do stand against this, but it's just like it's really tough being put in that situation as a Palestinian hearing people, who live under this government who are Israelis speak up after everything is heartbreaking to me. There are exceptions of course I'm not talking about everyone. But still, it's hard. Hearing people have empathy for a specific group of people as hard. Saying this group deserves to live this other group does not, and this goes for both sides. I don't believe really should be killed no matter what their religion is no matter what the race is no matter what they are their parents believe I do not think children should be killed, especially children. I don't believe adults should be killed. I don't believe anyone should die basically.

It's really hard to hear someone talk about the safety of Jews when our safety is being threatened by said Jews. It's not that I don't want you to be safe. Of course I want everyone on this earth to be safe. I want everyone to have a chance to grow to have a chance to be a normal human being and to experienced life at its fullest. But I don't think that should be done at the expense of other people. Currently in Lebanon, we are getting news that Israel might bomb us tonight. my university sent us the shelters that we have in the university. It sent us the numbers that we can call if we need help the last time they bomb a few nights ago. It was at 3:30 AM. They did not send a warning and most of Lebanon woke up I don't see how that guarantees Jewish safety. I don't see why Jews shouldn't fight for their safety in every country instead of building a country that requires so much death to exist.

I've always been into the idea of a land for all situation naming it something like the holy land I would be really into that where everyone actually has rights. Everyone is treated as a human being no matter what you races no extremism from either side. That is actually fair and not just portraying itself as fair.

PS. You are shadow banned:) I didn't see the first reblog at alll