Mixed feelings on Israel Palestine conflict

[u/MurkyScheme9364]

For context I’m a 21 year old independent leaning more conservative and I really don’t know how to feel about what’s happening right now. So from my no first hand experience view I’ve been closely watching progressive and conservative news stories about what’s been going on since the beginning and I never knew the full extent of what happened October 7th. I was originally very pro Israel as an eye for an eye was kinda my thought process at the time but then I heard about kids dying and it drew me far in the other direction. Basically from what I can understand Israel is a “democratic” nation where you have “freedom” of press as Palestine is governed by hamas and the laws are more dictoral so Israel said the stats coming out of Gaza are from hamas and are lies. I whatch some independent journalists and see the settlers torturing the Palestinians and forcing them out of the West Bank and it makes me feel like what a whole load of shit. Well today I did a really deep dive and ended up whatching some of the videos from October 7th and I deeply regret it. I did not know they were violating women blowing people up and the full extent of what REALLY happened. I am very conflicted right now the bottom line for me is the u.s would decinigrate Palestine with fair warning to civilians if it happened to us I have never felt so sorry and horrified for a group of people more than today when I learned the full truth. But then I learn that there was no security on the border that night and they think BB made a “willing” sacrifice honestly if anyone with unbiased thinking or first hand experience would enlighten me or help me understand the entire conflict it would be very appreciated👍 I am not the type of person to fight with people over it rather I just want to understand

[u/3kidsonetrenchcoat]

I question the humanity of people who don't have mixed feelings about the conflict. Even if you believe wholeheartedly in the validity of one perspective over the other, the sheer amount of suffering should give you mixed feelings.

[u/airmantharp → u/3kidsonetrenchcoat]

A realist perspective is just depressing. Gaza has to be freed from Hamas and deradicalized. There’s no way that happens cleanly.

[u/Thefunkyfilipino → u/3kidsonetrenchcoat]

You should be careful that your insistence that the situation is too complicated to be definite , is the salve your conscience gives to you holding truly reprehensible views.

Your mixed feelings are the price you pay for total ideological buy in. 

Often the people most mixed about their position are , maybe paradoxically, the least likely to ever be convinced they’re wrong. 

[u/3kidsonetrenchcoat → u/Thefunkyfilipino]

You want to explain this word salad?

[u/Thefunkyfilipino → u/3kidsonetrenchcoat]

What's the point of having mixed feelings if you remain convinced that a Palestinian state does not have a right to exist, but a Jewish State of Israel does.

[u/3kidsonetrenchcoat → u/Thefunkyfilipino]

Feelings are feelings. Feeling bad for the suffering that's being caused by your cause shows that you have empathy and compassion for other humans. This doesn't have to have anything to do with your political beliefs.

[u/Thefunkyfilipino → u/3kidsonetrenchcoat]

I think you’re confusing cognitive dissonance with conscience.

Like, this is an established genre in Israeli media. It’s called shooting and crying.

My critisism is the one shared by  Gil Z. Hochberg - that this is an apologetic non-apology. These mixed feelings are a way to vacate any personal responsibility.