The collection of pictures, views and comment responses that were available on the Instagram pages of the celebrities made me realise that Instagram may be the new way to promote accuracy for Israel and perhaps these small-town celebrities and affiliates are a great way forward to help with promoting an accurate portrayal of the Middle East.
Recently, Instagram sensations and Made in Chelsea reality TV stars Louise Thompson and Ryan Libby traveled to Israel with the organisation ‘Visit Israel’. During their visit, they went to holy Christian sites in Jerusalem, Tel Aviv and the Dead Sea, among others. The nature of Instagram meant that pretty much every moment of their day was being broadcasted and posted for their followers to see. Instead of the usual image people have of Israel – often one of a war zone – this was a more positive one that people just don’t see on the news. This visit was a very cultural one, with their experience being shared with over a million of their followers.
The response from their followers was varied. One Instagram user said “I’ve been to Israel and Jerusalem and it is by far the best city I’ve ever been to, so much faith, literally walking down the street. I felt like I was walking in the BC times.” Despite the inevitable negative comments of those simply hiding behind their screens and pulling people down, the positive comments show hope. It is really easy to get bogged down by the negativity you see on Instagram, but if you focus on the positive comments, of which there are plenty, deserving of our acknowledgment it is easier to see the beneficial, supportive and encouraging impact that this social media platform can have on the way they perceive Israel.
One user simply said: “unfollowing you,” suggesting the matter was not up for debate, showing a lack of any actual knowledge on the subject, and reinforcing the fact that so many have pre-conceived notions of Israel formed from mostly from the news despite never having visited, which are enough to warrant their hatred of Israel. Another user said: ‘Educate yourself whilst your there on the country’, to which the Made in Chelsea star replied: ‘why do you think I’m here?’. Sometimes people are so quick to comment and criticize, whilst instead people should be praising the celebrities for going to a politically taboo country and experiencing it for themselves, gaining their own perspective on the situation. It should rather be seen as impressive that they were going out there to educate themselves and find out what it is really like.
59% of Internet users between the ages 18-29 use Instagram. If this is the new platform through which youngsters are engaged, then surely this is a good place to expose anti-Israel media bias and try to educate them, shining a light upon a side of Israel which they do not usually see. These users have a role in the world tomorrow, and it must be ensured that they don’t just buy into every media bias they see. Nowadays, most media outlets have some sort of unofficial political affiliation and its crucial to always educate yourself on the matter at hand, forming your own opinions through a range of different sources and opinions that are available, rather than believing everything you read.
The collection of pictures, views and comment responses that were available on the Instagram pages of the celebrities made me realise that Instagram may be the new way to promote accuracy for Israel and perhaps these small-town celebrities and affiliates are a great way forward to help with promoting an accurate portrayal of the Middle East.
After all, it was one of Israel’s greatest singer’s Arik Einstein that famously uses the words: ‘You and I can change the world’. Mahatma Gandhi quotes ‘In a gentle way, you can shake the world’. I think both these personalities were correct; in small ways and taking small steps, we can work towards a better educated and more peaceful future.
Contributed by King’s College London CAMERA Fellow and member of CAMERA-supported society KCL Israel Society Hadar Langerman.
