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Transcript/Script((INTRO))
[[Social media posts from the actual and ideological battlefields of the Israel-Hamas war have been polarizing young people in the United States, sometimes leading to threats or violence. But some groups see the growing tension as an opportunity for dialogue. VOA’s Anthony LaBruto reports.]]
((NARRATION))
Throughout the Israel-Hamas war, social media has captured all the latest developments and opinions. But in the United States, all that unfiltered information provided without context can be confusing and misleading, particularly among politically minded young adults.
Brandon Leach is an American University student and the vice president of the campus network for the American Jewish Committee.
((Brandon Leach, American Jewish Committee)) ((Male, in English))
“Everybody is just bombarded by a lot of antisemitic or pro-Palestinian or pro-Israeli content online. It's like all I get on Instagram reels, and that can take a mental toll. I would say also like it's a really scary situation to be in as a young student.”
((NARRATION))
On Washington-area college campuses, students are finding others who share their views, whether they be pro-Israel or pro-Palestinian. Israelis and Palestinians alike have converged on the National Mall to express outrage, says Taher Herzallah, the director of outreach and grassroots at the American Muslims for Palestine.
((Taher Herzallah, American Muslims for Palestine)) (Male, in English))
“Our community here, [the] Palestinian-American community, as you could see in the thousands, people have come out to express their outrage.”
((NARRATION))
Since Hamas militants attacked Israelis on October 7, resulting in 1,200 deaths, many social media posts and mainstream media reports have focused on Israel's siege of Gaza, which has resulted in the deaths of over 14,000 people, according to figures from the Hamas-run Health Ministry in Gaza.
((VIDEO- Mandatory courtesy: TikTok Newsroom, Pew Research))
Such a focus on Gaza may explain data from the video streaming platform TikTok that showed videos with the hashtag “#FreePalestine” outnumbered those with the hashtag "#StandwithIsrael” by 2.9 million as of November 13. But TikTok itself warns that such 'blunt comparisons' of hashtags are severely flawed and lack needed context.
But other research has shown that sympathy for Palestinians among Millennials had been growing before October 7. TikTok points to Pew Research data gathered between 2006 to 2016 that shows older generations, who are likely less present on the app, were more likely to sympathize with Israel than were younger generations.
((VIDEO- Mandatory courtesy: Instagram; Left-Middle-Right))
Some young people see this taking of sides online as an opportunity for connection. Max Katz and Farid Abdibi started Left-Middle-Right, a digital media organization at George Washington University’s campus that aims to help college students and other younger people articulate their thoughts.
[[Radio: Farid Abidi]]
((Farid Abdibi, Left-Middle-Right Founder)) ((Male, in English)) ((Mandatory courtesy: Zoom))
“I’m sure there are people radicalized on both sides, but the majority are just more involved and are more reflective of who they are and where their roots are. And if both sides just really sit down ina room, let's say GW [George Washington University] for Israel and Students for Justice in Palestine, and they talk for an hour, they realize that they don't hate each other, they don't have an issue with their belief system. It's just a matter of their identities that clash at a geopolitical stage.”
((NARRATION))
Meetings like this can provide a type of online cease-fire between groups radicalized by the internet, even as those between Israel and Hamas remain tenuous.
((Anthony LaBruto, VOA News, Washington.))
NewsML Media TopicsHuman Interest
Topic Tags Africa Central, africacentral, AC, Africa, Africa Division, africadivision, AD, VOA Africa, Africa Central News
Season Number2023
NetworkVOA
Location (dateline)Israel
English TitleIsrael Hamas Youth Social Media
Embargo DateDecember 5, 2023 20:15 EST
Description EnglishSocial media posts from the actual and ideological battlefields of the Israel-Hamas war have been polarizing young people in the United States, sometimes leading to threats or violence. But some groups see the growing tension as an opportunity for dialogue. VOA’s Anthony LaBruto reports.
