I met a guy in a bar, and they asked me why the democrats lost (we don’t live in the US)
I replied with something along the lines of “because they didn’t condemn the genocide in Gaza” and they responded with “isn’t that hypocritical? The left claims to be against antisemitism”
I tried to explain the usual antizionism isn’t antisemitism, but before I finished they responded with “but we have to give the [antisemitic slur] something”
I had to leave for my turn on the karaoke, but after that they came up to me apologizing and explaining how they hate both sides
I don’t want to live in a shitty web comic
And now the conversation with you is the last thing they heard about it. Maybe something will stick and plant a seed of doubt about the mainstream narrative. Even in conversations about topics that do not threaten hegemony, people do not usually change their minds immediate upon hearing new information. But people do change their minds all the time, just later in private and on their own terms.
The foremost problem with changing the mind of white western chauvinists really is racism which makes them unable to feel a normal amount of empathy. You explain about Palestinians suffering and they understand and believe you and it just does not trigger the normal human response of caring. So they seek explanations to justify their own failure as a human being to save face and imperial propaganda offers plenty. One countermeasure that just works and smashes through the lack of empathy is real human connection to affected people. But it’s hard to implement as a general strategy.
The second big thing is instinctive fear to lose some of the material privileges they might have as a white liberal in the imperial core by going down the road of solidarity. The natural countermeasure would be raising working class solidarity and explain how their own struggles are interconnected.
Edit: One strategy, that has worked for me with white but leftist friends who are open minded and invested in our friendship is the following: After making clear, how much it matters to me and having a discussion, I cut the argument short and just give them homework. Ask them to just please read this theory. “Please just do this for me.” Or to visit a local solidarity camp. It gives them time to change their minds in their own time. It worked on three people so far. Two of them said, they would never come to pro Palestine protest with me initially and later went multiple times. One even took night shifts at a camp.
Second edit: Actually I had to ask a friend to assign them the theory and answer questions, after they agreed, because I felt too triggered by their bullshit. So it wasn’t easy or anything. And I feel lucky, that it worked multiple times. I was really scared to lose three good friends over this one after the other.