Social media warriors are wading in on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict – and it’s harmful for everyone

The events which have unfolded over the past few weeks are heartbreaking and devastating for all those involved. The loss of life and human rights violations which we have seen in the news bear a heavy weight upon readers and the journalists alike. Naturally, being such a heavily politicised topic, we all have something to say about it – and while political debate is healthy and to be encouraged, sharing deeply misinformed commentary in a sudden spur of passion is not.

The Israeli-Palestinian conflict is not a recent phenomenon – it has a deeply complex history which can be traced back to before the First World War. In 1917 Britain liberated Palestine from the Ottoman Empire – establishing the British Mandate of Palestine, and promised Palestinians the future establishment of an independent Arab state. Although no formal declarations were ever made, British correspondence with Arab leaders between 1915-1916 implied that Palestine would be included. Less than two years later, Britain’s 1917 Balfour Declaration formally promised the establishment of a Jewish homeland in the state of Palestine.

It is here the main problem arises – the British promised Palestine to both Palestinians and to Jewish people as a new homeland. By 1918 these conflicting hopes were backed by strong nationalist movements – Palestinian Nationalism and Zionism.

Throughout the British Mandate period, Palestine experienced significant population growth – from increases in Palestine’s indigenous population as well as Jewish migration. Competition for land ownership amongst an increasing population heightened nationalist tensions, and in some cases led to riots and ethnic violence. Because the British Mandate of Palestine was always intended to be a temporary measure of governance, the United Nations (UN) devised UN Resolution 181 – the partition plan for Palestine. This called for the division of Palestine into one Jewish and one Arab state – a controversial idea which led to a catastrophic war between Palestinians and Jews in 1948.

This brings us to the present day. For decades the Israeli-Palestinian conflict has been centered around the struggle for statehood and national identity. It is a conflict concerning ethnic national identity, not a conflict of religion. There is no place for antisemitism. There is no place for islamophobia.

More and more of us are using social media to access the news. A survey from statista.com breaks down just how reliant we have become on social media – 78, 65, 61, and 55 per cent of respondents from Nigeria, Chile, Greece, and Hong Kong respectively use social media to access the news. Granted, not all of these respondents entirely trust what they view – however, they continue to access the news in this way. In countries including Poland, Croatia, and Portugal, over 50 per cent of adults admitted to getting their news from social media.

As we become increasingly dependent on social media for our political education, it is vital that what we share and view is based on fact not fiction.

Designated a terrorist group by the European Union, Canada, the United States, Israel, Japan, and Egypt – the Islamist militant organisation ‘Hamas’ is not representative of the Palestinian people. Hamas may have won the parliamentary elections in Gaza in 2006, however, no free elections have taken place there since. The most recent poll from July 2023 found that 70% of Gazans would prefer the governance of Palestinian Authority (PA) which is a governing body under the secular political party of ‘Fatah’.

The portrayal of recent events in Palestine and Israel on social media is worrying. Supporting Hamas’ attack on Israel as they murder, rape, and abduct Israeli men, women, and children is not being pro-Palestine – it is being antisemitic. Supporting the Israeli government’s retaliation as it bombs innocent civilians and terminates vital supplies of electricity, gas, water, and food in Palestine is not being pro-Israel – it is being anti-Palestinian.

When we partake in supporting these narratives on social media, this encourages prejudice against people in our communities, and it brings about very real consequences. When political activism pages with thousands of followers on social media advocate these antisemitic or anti-Palestinian beliefs, it emboldens people of all ages and of all beliefs to justify and act upon their prejudices. Since Hamas’ first attack in Israel, the UK has seen 89 reported cases of antisemitic behaviour, with 50 reported from London alone – including the appearance of an image of Adolf Hitler on a wall in central London.

The mindless reposting of infographics on social media without taking the care to fact-check them first sustains this seemingly endless cycle of hatred, prejudice, discrimination, and violence. Remaining politically engaged is our best chance at living in a more peaceful world, but ultimately, we will not achieve this if we continue sitting behind our screens, posting carelessly.