One of the best conversations Ive had recently was with someone who is extremely pro-Israel. We disagreed on almost everything and told each other so repeatedly, but politely. I came away from that not having changed my fundamental views but having much more sympathy for his position. The reason we managed to stay civil was partly because we were in front of each other, not behind screens, and partly because we have to work together. When I look at comment threads involving arguments with people from both sides, it feels less like a debate and more like shouting past each other. Instead of engaging with the arguments that the other person makes, it spirals either into a trade of insults or into a competition to see who can post the most horrifying links about atrocities committed by the other side, how many babies have been killed, how many rockets have been fired, who rejoiced harder in the death of an opponent etc. Most of this appears to be posted for the purpose of making the poster feel better about themselves rather than actually engaging with the opposite side. So, a plea: if youre going to discuss Israel/Palestine, imagine the person you are talking to is not just a FB profile, but someone sitting opposite you, who you have to continue to live and work with quite apart from politics. Pay attention to what they are saying and try to respond with (polite) words, not just links. Try to understand their position before expressing yours. It takes more energy and more time, because it requires you to think more and keep talking for longer, but in the end, talking is the only thing that changes anything for the better.
Posted on: Wed, 16 Jul 2014 06:12:12 +0000
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