Guy from Israel asked me if I was antisemetic, I replied that it depends on the Semite in question. Aitah?
A traveler (likely in their 20s or 30s) on a group boat trip in Asia encountered a man from Israel who kept steering conversations toward the conflict in his home country. When asked for their thoughts, the traveler tried to deflect, explaining they were on holiday and uninterested.
The Israeli man accused them of being antisemitic, to which they replied, “It depends on the Semite in question,” before calling him a derogatory term for being obnoxious.
The interaction shocked the Israeli man, while others in the group found it harsh but somewhat amusing. The traveler now questions whether their reaction was too harsh. read the original story below…
‘ Guy from Israel asked me if I was antisemetic, I replied that it depends on the Semite in question. Aitah?’
Travelling in Asia atm and got put into a random group of people from all over the world on a 1 day boat trip. Everyone was nice enough except for a really obnoxious dude who happened to be from Israel. Kept bringing up the conflict going on over there and was asking everyone what did they think about it.
Something about his face and tone didn’t sit right with me and when he came around to me to ask my opinion I told him that I’m on holiday trying to enjoy a place that I’ve wanted to visit since I was a kid and that I don’t really care. He then said “oh so you’re anti semetic?”
And I replied “it depends on the Semite in question. Jewish people in general? No. But tbh I think you’re a bit of a cunt” He looked shocked, stammered something and quickly moved to a quiet part of the boat and I was happy I could continue my trip in peace.
A couple of South American guys I’d befriended said that although it was funny it was a bit harsh so now I’m wondering aitah
These are the responses from Reddit users:
passyourownbutter − NTA f**k that d**khead he’s just looking to rile people up. The fact he’s Jewish/Israeli has nothing to do with being a cunt.
Suzume_Chikahisa − Nope. Dude was trying to stirr s**t up and got covered in s**t. If he wasn’t ready to walk the walk he shouldn’t have talked the talk.
Imaginary_Stand73 − no you aren’t antisemitic, you just wanted peace on your trip. just the same as saying the IDF and Netanyahu are bad people isn’t antisemitic. it’s the truth
cedarhat − NTA. He accused you of being a r**ist and you threw it back at him.
AdmiralMuffinPuff − Urgh what an absolute tosser. I’ll do the obligatory “I’m a jew and I don’t think you’re an a**hole”. You can hide behind a shield all you want but it doesn’t give you a free pass to be a cunt. People like him are the reason alot of Jewish people nolonger feel safe even saying they are Jewish.
Because everyone is starting to think we are all like that… I hope you enjoyed the rest of your holiday!
MissIthara − NTA, some people just can’t handle honest feedback when they’re being obnoxious.
MohawkJones69 − NTA. There’s a reason Israeli tourists are banned from hotels and hostels in many countries. Jewish people in general are awesome. Israel being a militaristic apartheid ethnostate has engendered in its people a level of arrogance and entitlement seen in very few other cultures.
Even then, there are some cool Israelis. This cunt was just not one of them.
_mrra_ − Nta, the guy deserved way worse if he supports the g**ocide
Formal_Two_5747 − NTA. Israeli government has been playing the antisemitism card whenever they do something s**tty, and some people do the same to avoid any kind of criticism etc. Good for you for calling this a**hole out.
Toal_ngCe − Jew here; ur good. He’s in fact an a**hole. He’s the type to not know actual antisemitism because odds are he never had to experience it growing up.
While your frustration is understandable, especially when you’re trying to enjoy a vacation, addressing the topic or individual with humor or grace might have been a better approach. Balancing honesty with kindness can often defuse tension without causing offense. What do you think? Was the traveler too harsh, or was the comment justified? Share your thoughts below!