@Remittancegirl@mstdn.social I agree with your perspective and world view, but please hear me out on this for a second. A symptom of severe trauma is black and white thinking. You pointed out how his statement is rooted in a zero-sum mentality, and this seems to be a reflection of possible trauma. Is it really possible that Burt believes that Israel needs to kill or the citizens will be killed? If that's his belief, it makes sense that he's going to perceive anyone who says to stop the killing as someone who wants him dead. If he believes you want him dead, the extremeness of his comment to you makes sense, ya' know? I don't know if a person can be talked out of their black and white thinking over the Internet (it would be great if they could be). I do believe, however, that outward hostility is going to confirm his belief that you want him harmed. I watch sick people get sicker this way all the time.