Code of conduct clarifications

[crimson reef]

Hi there,

I'm an indie dev from Israel. I consider myself liberal, and I'm supporting the right of Palestinians for their own independent state, residing peacefully with Israel, side-by-side.

When I joined the sub, I agreed to the rule of conduct under the assumption that "Free Palestine" means exactly that. However, with recent events such as the recent massacre that occurred in Israel against civilians, and the protests that support Hamas/Palestine and chant "Free Palestine from the river to the see" (e.g the destruction of Israel), I feel that there's a significant need to update the code of conduct so "Free Palestine" will be clarified, so there's no ambiguity with its meaning, that could potentially incite for violence against Jews and the destruction of Israel and its people.

To resolve this, I think this could be mitigated by clarifying that Free Palestine means a peaceful country, living side-by-side with Israel.

Lastly, there are so many conflicts and atrocities around the world, like China and the Uyghurs, Armenia & Azerbaijan, Morocco & Western Sahara, and countless of other conflicts, that it might be a better approach to go with a more general set of global principles.

I normally don't discuss politics in professional settings, but since this discord channel does bring up politics to the table, I feel this must be brought up.

Thank you.

Here's a thread by the U.S Special Envoy to Monitor and Combat Antisemitism, that gives an example of how "Free Palestine" on its own is distorted to extreme anti-semitism and calls for genocide.
https://x.com/StateSEAS/status/1712819404918992967?s=20

[winged sequoia]

Hello Ha$h,

I have taken this thread and passed it along to the Admins.

We will get back to you!

[crimson reef]

Thank you! 🙏

[vast rock]

Hi Ha$h. Thanks for sharing your concerns. I understand that the interpretation of most any such phrase is in the eye of the beholder, will undoubtedly be influenced by each individuals own biases, and can be distorted to support one's own point of view.

For example, while I am sure that you meant no harm, I interpreted some of your own words (such as suggesting that Hamas and Palestine are one and the same) in a negative light.

I imagine that most would agree that within the context of the rest of our code of conduct, which speaks out against hate speech and harassment, that we are not suggesting any interpretations that would advocate for any form of violence, physical, verbal, emotional or otherwise, to any people or persons anywhere around the world.

A Free Palestine shouldn't be a controversial statement. The fact that it is is why we need to keep saying it.

Thank you for being an advocate for peace between Israel and Palestine. As well as creating the space for us to be advocates and express our support for this same peace in our own way.

[crimson reef]

Thanks, I appreciate the response.

If the decision is to keep "Free Palestine" as is, then I think that the right thing to do would be to explicitly state that no antisemitism is allowed. Otherwise I'm afraid that many Israelis and Jews will feel excluded, especially since "Free Palestine" is often chanted at them in a harmful context such as "Gas the Jews", "Destroy Israel" etc. with no nuance whatsoever. Therefore I still feel that it's important for this community to explicitly clarify that on one hand Palestinians rights are important, but on the other hand, Jews rights are just as important.

Otherwise, I strongly believe this will raise a serious concern from fellow Jews and Israelis, whether this is a discord channel they are welcome in. Unfortunately antisemitism is a growing concern for Jews these days, and the Israeli/Palestinian conflict seems contributes to that, so it's not out of context.

Thank you.

[vast rock]

Antisemitism, along with all hate speech and racism towards any groups, including those specifically named in relation to their race or religion, is prohibited in our code of conduct:

Absolutely no harassment, sexism, racism, or hate speech will be tolerated in this server. This includes offensive verbal comments related to gender, gender identity and expression, age, sexual orientation, disability, physical appearance, body size, race, ethnicity, religion, technology choices, sexual images in public spaces, deliberate intimidation, stalking, harassing photography or recording, sustained disruption of talks or other events, inappropriate physical contact, and unwelcome sexual attention.

We will not be naming or isolating hate speech or racism against each individual group. All groups are protected.

[jovial oar]

"Free Palestine of Hamas" is a good one too

[crimson reef]

I'm sorry but I disagree. "Free Palestine" is an idea that does not reside in a vacuum, it's often used in the context of "Free Palestine from the river to the see" -- meaning the destruction of my country and my people. Therefore, as an Israeli and ethnic Jew I do not feel welcome in a community that states "Free Palestine" as a core part of its code of conduct, and is not willing to (a) clarify what "Free Palestine" means, (b) is not willing to even mention antisemitism.

If this community wishes to exclude Jews and Israelis, then yes the code of conduct should remain as is, otherwise it should be amended.

I ask you to reconsider once more.

This all puts me in an extremely uncomfortable situation, as I'm writing this while rockets are exploding above me, and we're still burying our dead, all done exactly by the same people who are acting to try and "Free Palestine" from the river to the sea.