An Iron Dome for Social Media

Key Findings:

The author argues that Zionism should fall under the bracket of progressive thinking, and thus receive the same level of support as other progressive causes that are prevalent in societal discourse. The lack of support for the Zionist cause is, in many ways, due to the effects of social media. The author argues that an ‘iron dome’ is needed to transform the zeitgeist online and dispel all supporting myths.

Recommendations based on the author’s analysis: 

(1) The use of more deliberate language. The author argues that while the opposition has been using catch phrases and soundbites to make their messages easy to grasp, pro- Israel organizations and Jewish social media ‘warriors’ resort to lengthy explanations in their counter-speech. The author references May 2021 as an especially striking case of how dangerous this can be when coupled with a climate in which social media users prioritize taking a stance over being educated.

(2) Reclaiming Israel’s narrative. The author urges pro-Israel groups to emphasize that Israel is being pigeonholed into boxes of social justice theories that do not accurately fit it. Specifically, the narrative of ‘the colonizer and the oppressed'. The author references BDS’ work to exemplify this. The campaigns publicized by Boycott, Divestments, and Sanctions depict Jews as “powerful and privileged” and Palestinians as an oppressed minority. Through this narrative, they have linked the Palestinian cause with that of other minority groups (Black, Hispanic, LGBTQ+) so that the support of Palestine and the fight against Zionism becomes synonymous with them. Reclaiming Israel’s narrative requires a dismantling of this copy-paste format.

(3) Establishing a tech center to counter bots, trolls and fake accounts. 

(4) Real Israeli stories should be highlighted and spread by reaching out to PR, communication firms, and marketing specialists. 

(5) Influencers and celebrities should be educated on the reality of what is occurring in Israel. 

(6) Voices in Israel must be amplified. Since Israeli citizens are living this conflict, they are  ultimately the individuals who have the insight and responsibility to carry this movement forward online.