TLDR: Every human deserves to be free from persecution, oppression, and occupation.

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This question is deeply personal and may depend on each individual, here are some key reasons:

• The Palestinian people have had their land and rights taken away since 1948.
• Palestinians are treated as "second-class citizens" under a harsh segregated system that allows for arbitrary arrests and imprisonment without explanation.
• Palestinians live under a system in which Israeli settlers and forces can kill Palestinian civilians, disrupt Palestinian lives, and seize Palestinian land and assets with little to no punishment.
• Palestinians are subjected to checkpoints and surveillance, disrupting and depriving Palestinians of any peace.
• Palestinians are frequently deprived of key resources, including water and fuel, as well as disruption to food and humanitarian aid routes and delivery.
• Since October, Palestinians in Gaza have been killed indiscriminately with an inhumane and excessive use of force, including chemical weapons on civilian areas, massive 2000-pound bombs, and the targeting of civilian infastructure, hospitals, schools, and aid workers.

We simply cannot stand by while Palestinians are killed indiscriminately. 

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Recommendation: We recommend answering this question from your heart, but focusing on Palestinian rights and freedom, rather than hatred towards Zionism.

TLDR: Palestine is not Hamas, just like how Democrats/Republicans are not America.

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Palestine refers to the geographic region and a country recognized by 145 out of 196 countries in the United Nations as of June, 2024. When we support Palestine, we are supporting the ethnically Palestinian civilians of this region who have been living under the oppression and ruthlessness of the Israeli government since 1948, and their right to self-determination.

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Hamas is a political party founded in 1987 in Gaza, and later associated with militarized factions to fight for Palestinian resistance. Western leaders and media often conflate Hamas and its military factions with its civilian operations, which include medical workers, civilian police, and other functions. By allowing Western leaders to slander Hamas, many civilians groups, doctors, and more have all been targeted by Israel.

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Recommendation: We encourage emphasizing that the movement supports the people of Palestine and their right to self-determination.‍

TLDR: No – supporting Palestinians is supporting human rights for all.

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Our movement is not against Judaism, instead, we are supporting Palestinians and their right to be free. Supporting Palestinians is thus supporting the idea that every human, no matter their race, gender, religion, or ethnicity, deserves the right to be free of violence and persecution.

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Conflating Zionism with Judaism is often used to damage the Palestinian movement, but in reality, it slanders Jewish people around the world. Zionism is a political ideology that was founded on a colonialism mindset, whereas Judaism promotes acceptance and peace.

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Recommendation: Emphasize the support of Palestinian rights, and carefully explain the difference of Zionism from Judaism. For more resources on Zionism, check out Jewish Voice for Peace's statement on Zionism.‍

TLDR: Be proud of your Jewish identity, but Zionism is not representative of Judaism.

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Be proud of your Jewish identity, but understand that your Jewish identity is not tied to Zionist beliefs and the actions of the Israeli government. The ruthless bombings and killing of civilians are not acceptable, and very much against Jewish beliefs for peace and acceptance. Together, we can fight anti-Semitism while supporting Palestine.

Recommendation: Sharing resources like Jewish Voice for Peace and If Not Now as fantastic ways for Jewish people to gain information and get involved.

TLDR: Find meaningful ways to get involved, and promote Palestinian voices in this movement.

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To make a difference, we must bring our communities together to center Palestinian voices at this critical time. Recognize that you are fortunate and privileged to be in a safe environment. Inform yourself on the history of the Palestinian cause, and when you're ready, invite your friends and family into the movement to call for an immediate ceasefire and for a free Palestine.

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If you are able, here are other ways to support:

• Donate to verified GoFundMe campaigns and key nonprofit organizations.
• Become informed on Palestinian history, and form your own opinions.
• Talk to your friends and families about Palestine, and mobilize them to support the efforts.
• Learn about the list of companies to boycott, and skip these brands.
• Share content from Palestinians, and to use your social media to spread support for the movement.
• Contact your political representatives to let them know you support a ceasefire.
• Volunteer for local campaigns, and attend protests.

Recommendation: Resources for all of these key ways to support the movement can be found in our resources hub.

TLDR: Israel's disregard and attacks against the Palestinian people has expanded this conflict far beyond "Israel-Hamas", and is instead a broad assault of the Palestinian people, culture, and identity.

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By labeling this the "Israel-Hamas War", Israel is able to justify its deadly assault, continuous destruction, and targeting of civilian infrastructure. The reality, however, is that Israel has killed over 48,000 Palestinian people, nearly half of whom are children. By labeling this the "Israel-Hamas War", it disregards the brutal actions taken against the Palestinian people, culture, land, and identity.

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Recommendation: You can gain significant empathy and progress when framing the conversation around Palestinian civilians, rather than a political conversation around Palestine, Hamas, and Israel.

TLDR: No, a war is an armed conflict between two states' militaries.

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Israel's actions against Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank is a fully-equipped modern military against a civilian population. A war is generally understood to be between two states' militaries, however, Palestine has no formal military or resources, whereas Israel is a nuclearized military power funded by the United States.

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Recommendation: Emphasizing that Israel's military action has largely impacted civilians can quickly dispel notions that this is a "traditional war", or even a "war on terror".

TLDR: Yes -- at least 47,000 have been killed since October, but estimates are as high as 200,000+.

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The UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Palestinian territories has confirmed that “There are reasonable grounds to believe that the threshold indicating the commission of the crime of genocide…has been met.” Similarly, the International Court of Justice finds that there are sufficient evidence of genocide to pursue a full case.

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Genocide is defined as "acts committed with intent to destroy, in whole or in part, a national, ethical, racial or religious group" -- and Israel has proven that they intend to completely eradicate Hamas and Gaza by indiscriminately bombing and assaulting all Palestinian territories. Israel has also ignored the decisions by the UN Security Council, UN General Assembly, and the International Court of Justice to cease its attacks on Palestinians civilians and the Palestinian territories.

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Recommendation: While we agree this is a genocide, we want to note that this label can often alienate those who may be undecided. We thus recommend focusing on the Palestinian plight for freedom, and the immense suffering Israeli forces have caused on the Palestinian people, rather than labeling it during early stages of conversations.

TLDR: Pinkwashing is using LGBTQ+ propaganda to claim Israel is righteous and justification for their movement.

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Israel has long used pinkwashing as a way to cover up its history of oppression and violence. By claiming that Israel is the only country in the Middle East that is friendly to the LGBTQ+ community, Israel seeks to promote itself as a progressive democracy rather than a state built through violence and colonialism. In contrast, Israel portrays Palestine as a “backward” state where LGBTQ+ people are not safe. This is then used as justification to drop thousands of bombs on Palestinians.

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Recommendation: Check out the USCPR toolkit "No Pride in Genocide" for LGBTQ+ resources.

TLDR: Palestinians in both Gaza and the West Bank are subjected to checkpoints, surveillance, and arbitrary rules set-up by the Israeli governments. They are second-class citizens on their own land.

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An apartheid occurs when a government or regime is designed to favor a particular group over another, and enforced by force. This is widely recognized as a violation of human rights in international law. The lack of recognition and rights for Palestinians and their rights in Israel, coupled with the violent enforcement of these regimes support the use of the term "apartheid".The West Bank is where apartheid is most visible. Jewish settlers illegally occupying territory and in the same community as Palestinians are subject to Israeli civil law, while the Palestinians live under draconian rules, limited ability for movement and travel, frequent military checkpoints, constant harassment and surveillance, and other forms of inhumane treatment.

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Recommendation: Discussing how Palestinians can be arbitrarily arrested, or even executed, with no repercussions for Israelis can quickly show how Palestinians are dehumanized.

TLDR: The conflict did not begin in October, and nothing justifies the killing of 48,000+ civilians.

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We're not children, who did what first is not a justification for what is morally right or wrong. In the context of Israel-Palestine, it is morally wrong to kill civilians, and Israel's decision to kill 48,000+ civilians, including 15,000+ children in response to an isolated attack is not a proportional response.

It is important to remember that the issue of Israel-Palestine has been an ongoing issue for decades. Israel's use of force is excessive and disproportionately impacts the innocent lives of Palestinian civilians, especially in densely populated areas like Gaza.

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Recommendation: Pull out the current statistics, such as the death toll, scale of destruction, and more to emphasize that this has gone far beyond a response, and is rather a genocide of the Palestinian people.

TLDR: Palestinians should decide their own future. Who are we to decide for them?

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The two-state solution hopes to establish two separate states, such that the Israelis and Palestinians can live separately. While politicians often tout this as a path to peace and freedom for Palestinians, there are several key factors to recognize:

1. Palestinians must have the right to self-determination. It is not our place, as foreigners and the international community, to decide on behalf of Palestinians.
2. There are many hurdles for a two-state solution to work: Israel must be willing to recognize an equal Palestinian state, which likely includes the withdrawal of Israeli settlers from much of West Bank and to adequately connect Gaza with the West Bank, as well as meaningful land for Palestinians.
3. Regardless of one-state or two-state, the Israeli government must recognize Palestinians as equals, and honor Palestinian rights. It is useless if a "two-state solution" is one in which oppression continues. This includes allowing a Palestinian state to wield an army and to operate free of Israeli influence.
4. A two-state solution does not resolve 76+ years of Zionist atrocities. Israeli officials and leaders must be held accountable for the atrocities and war crimes committed, not just in recent months, but for the decades of oppression.

While our opinion is that Palestinians must have the right to self-determination, we do still support global leaders who are willing to discuss a long-term peace that ensures an end to Israel's apartheid and oppression.

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Recommendation: Don't talk about two-state. This can easily be an endless rabbit hole where no answer is right. Instead, by simply saying that Palestinians should determine their own future, you can close this and emphasize the need for an immediate ceasefire.

TLDR: Zionism is Jewish Colonialism, thus establishing a Jewish state on Palestinian land.

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‍Like many colonizers throughout history, Zionism uses the justification of religious safety, spreading of "Western ideology" (e.g. democracy), and freedom as a justification for the forceful displacement of the Palestinian people.

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Recommendation: Emphasize that Zionism has nothing to do with Judaism nor the Jewish people.

TLDR: No, we can oppose colonialism without opposing the people and their religion.

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Extremely different. Anti-zionism opposes the Zionism movement to colonize Palestinian lands in order to establish Israel. Anti-semitism is the hostility and prejudice against Jewish people. We oppose the movement to seize Palestinian land, but fully support our Jewish friends, families, and communities.

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Israeli and American politicians and media often try to conflate the two as a way to smear the movement, however, the two cannot be more different.

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Recommendation: Generally, those who understand the difference between Anti-Zionism and Anti-Semitism are willing to learn and become more involved, so it's important to ensure they understand the difference!

TLDR: It's a call for freedom of Palestinians from the West Bank to Gaza.

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The chant "from the river to the sea" is often the primary target of Western leaders claiming protests are anti-semitic, but the chant is actually a call for freedom, human rights, and peace, driven by the 76 years of Israeli military rule over Palestinians. "From the River to the Sea" is also a reminder of the violent displacement and fragmentation Palestinians have faced under occupation.

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The accusation that this phrase calls for genocide of Israelis, or Jewish people, is rooted in racism, Islamophobia, and an attempt to broadly label our movement as "anti-semitic" when it is not.

Recommendation: Always discredit claims of anti-semitism, and focus your conversation with friends+family on peace. Peace is the bare minimum we are demanding.

TLDR: Framing Israel-Palestine around October 7th disregards 76 years of colonialism and oppression.

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October 7th is admittedly a difficult subject to disuss, and will depend heavily on your audience. The most important response is to broaden the scope beyond Oct 7th, and discuss the longer context, sharing information about how Palestinians have been oppressed for 76 years.

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Even in the context of October 7th onwards, Israel has ruthlessly killed over 47,000 Palestinians in Gaza alone, dropping chemical weapons, 2000-pound bombs, and destroying hospitals, schools, and entire neighborhoods. Is this response truly proportional?

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Recommendation: However you may feel, you must consider the emotions of who you are talking to. While many have been misinformed, you must approach the context of this attack delicately to ensure you are not justifying violence. No matter how you feel, you may alienate friends and family by justifying violence.

TLDR: Do you condemn Israel for their brutal oppression that led to this?

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Here are potential ways to respond:

• Have you considered the circumstances of Israel's oppressions that led to the formation of freedom fighters?
• Violence is not acceptable, but Israeli forces and settlers have killed dozens of Palestinians each month for decades - which led up to this.

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Recommendation: Don't play the blame game -- there are no winners in a blame game, but also, don't condone Hamas' actions as this can also quickly alienate who you may be talking to.

TLDR: There are no decapitated babies, but Israel has killed over 15,000 children because of this false narrative.

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As of July 1, there is still no confirmed evidence that this occurred. Nearly all non-Israeli outlets have retracted their statements on this news.

The rumor began after a reporter spoke to Israeli soldiers responding on October 7th and quickly reported the story prior to any confirmation. The Israeli government still maintains the decapitated babies narrative, but no evidence of this is available.

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Note that attacks against Israeli children did occur, however, this greatly differs from the narrative of "40 decapitated babies" -- on the other hand, over 15,000 Palestinian children have been confirmed killed by Israeli forces.

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Recommendation: Call out this false narrative immediately -- this is such a major moral barrier to supporting the movment, it must be discredited immediately.

TLDR: There may have been isolated instances of sexual assault, but there was no "mass rape"

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The Intercept confirmed that the New York Times article that alleges mass rape by Palestinian forces on October 7 was not fact-checked nor did the journalists or the publication have evidence to back up their claims. You can read the full article here.

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There may have been isolated instances of sexual assault, but this differs greatly from the Israeli narrative of "widespread rape".

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UN experts have instead confirmed that Palestinian women and girls are being sexually abused and assaulted in both Gaza and the West Bank. Furthermore, Palestinian men have reported being sexually assaulted and tortured at the hands of the Israeli military while being detained without cause.

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Recommendation: It's important to acknowledge that no form of sexual assault is acceptable, but to emphasize that there was no "widespread rape" and that isolated instances are not a justification for killing 48,000+ Palestinians.

TLDR: A lot. See below.

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• Deliberate targeting of children.
• Use of chemical weapons on civilians.
• Use of starvation on civilians as a method of war.
• Intentional deprevation or impediment of humanitarian aid for vilians.
• Arbitrary detention of civilians.
• Torture of civilians, torture of detainees.
• Sexual assault in the context of war.
• Deliberate targeting of hospital and medical personnel and infrastructure.
• Deliberate targeting of civilian infrastructure, such as water pipes.
• Forced displacement of civilian populations.

And many more.

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Recommendation: Drop them all. When sharing just one or two, there's room for error and discussion, but the entire list shows the extent of Israel's brutal assault.

‍‍TLDR: False - Israel has killed over 15,000 children.

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The Gaza Strip is more densely populated than New York City, and the people of Palestine have nowhere to go. Israel's bombing of Gaza and use of chemical weapons in dense urban regions is morally wrong and have resulted in countless civilian deaths.

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If Israel's intention is to eliminate Hamas, it has a responsibility to minimize any and all civilian casualties. Instead, it is choosing to use chemical weapons, 2000-pound bombs, and targeting civilian infrastructure like hospitals and schools.

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Recommendation: The emphasis on children, hospitals, and chemical weapons are all good ways to really emphasize the extent of Israeli operations beyond just Hamas targets.

‍‍TLDR: Israel's system for warning civilians is a propaganda, and not saving lives.

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This narrative is nearly always false. Amnesty International finds that these warning measures are rarely taken. Even in scenarios where warnings have been distributed, Israeli forces have targeted fleeing civilians as well as the "safe zones" they have instructed civilians to evacuate to.

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Furthermore, there is nowhere to shelter in Gaza. Dropping pamphlets with a 30-minute warning for thousands to relocate without vehicles is not a warning, but a psychological and emotional torture. Using websites and QR codes to warn civilians, while simultaneously blacking out telecommunication, is also not a legitimate warning for civilians.

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The narrative that Israel warns civilians is a publicity stunt, not an actual practice.

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Recommendation: Share a hypothetical using your neighborhood with no car, no telecommunication. It's easy to quickly understand how Palestinians are unable to escape.

‍‍TLDR: Israeli forces are now all across the Gaza Strip. There is nowhere for Palestinians to go.

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The narrative that there are safe zones is misleading. Israel frequently relocates the "safe zones", yet initiates attacks on the routes to the safe zones as well as the safe zones themselves. There is no safe location across the Gaza Strip.

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Recommendation: Remind them how small the Gaza Strip is, at just 365 sq. km, the Gaza Strip is just the size of a city, and trapped in all directions.

‍‍TLDR: There is nowhere to go.

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The Gaza Strip is bordered by Israel to the North and East. To the West, Israeli warships patrol the waters, targeting any boats attempting to leave Gaza. To the South, the border with Egypt is actually controlled by Israel through an Egypt-Israel agreement. Now, the Rafah Border Crossing has also been seized by Israeli forces.

‍‍TLDR: Simply false.

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This is not a bank robbery, where civilians are hostages. Palestinians have nowhere to flee to, and it seems everywhere they go, Israeli forces label as a "Hamas site", including hospitals.

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Hamas does at times call on Palestinians to join their fight for freedom, but this is far from the Israeli message ofusing Palestinians as "human shields".

‍‍TLDR: Israel would not stop.

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Hamas has offered the release of hostages on numerous occasions, but Israel repeatedly declines this offer. If the safe return of hostages were truly Israel's top concern, they would not be indiscriminately bombing Gaza and using this situation to double downon atrocities against Palestinians in the West Bank.

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The reality is that if the hostages were released, Israeli forces will likely continue their operation under the message of "eliminating Hamas".

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Recommendation: This is a bit of a rabbit hole, as both parties have claimed to offer "ceasefire deals" - it's practically impossible to debate the reality of these negotiations. Instead, emphasize that Israel's intent would not see them end at hostages being released.

‍‍TLDR: The US is not the world's moral compass. It has conducted plenty of immoral acts.

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Whether it's the United States' own history of oppression and racial discrimination, or its failed foreign policies of invading Iraq for its "alleged Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMDs)", there is no reason to equate the US position as the justification of right from wrong. As with all international diplomacy, there is a multitude of domestic and international political agendas.

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Nearly half of all congressional politicians in America, and from both parties, have received donations from Israeli Super-PACs and interest groups, such as AIPAC. They have been paid to not provide a negative opinion on Israel.

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Killing civilians is wrong. Using chemical weapons is wrong. Denying food, water, fuel, and aid is wrong.

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Recommendation: This is often a deep rabbit hole on what the US does globally, bringing it back to the topic of Palestinian civilians getting killed can center the conversation towards action for Palestinians.

‍‍TLDR: No.

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Similar to America's war on terror, it's important to first understand the root cause of hatred and violence. In this case, Palestinians wish to live freely without constant occupation, harassment, and frequent killing of Palestinians.

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The reality, as such, is that these ruthless Israeli bombardments against the civilian population are not only going to fail to eradicate Hamas, it will likely cause many more people to join the fight against Israel. When you take away their house, their family, their livelihoods, they have nothing left to lose but to fight back.

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Recommendation: Ask the simple question -- if you were a Palestinian child witnessing nearly a year of intense bombing, seeing such brutality, and losing family members, would you not hate Israel?

‍‍TLDR: No.

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We stand with the people of Palestine. The enemy of my enemy is not my friend.

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Addressing the wider issues across the Middle East detracts from the simple issue: Israel killing Palestinians is wrong.

‍‍TLDR: We have provided so much aid to Israel when we could hvae solved homelessness, fund better education, or even reduced our taxes.

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The US should not supply weapons to a country knowing that it will be used against civilians in crimes against humanity. The US provides weapons and aid to many countries with strings attached, why not do so with Israel as well?

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Recommendation: See our resource guide for links on how much money the US has sent Israel.