The confluence of online misinformation, Pro-Palestinian groupthink activism and protesting methods ignites hatred against Israel and Jews
Pro-Palestinian protests have re-occupied college campuses across the country, again capturing headlines. Saturated with calls to “Globalize the Intifada” and “End the Occupation,” these demonstrations have become regular in major American universities and cities. The movement has used social media to amplify its messages and extend its reach to Gen-Z students, which is having a considerable effect on the campus climate.
Consider that #FreePalestine is used in 35 million videos on TikTok and 11.1 million posts on Instagram, about 28 times more than #StandwithIsrael. Compared to previous generations, adults ages 18-29 are more likely to say their sympathies lie either entirely or mostly with the Palestinian people and have a more favorable opinion about them.
Younger adults appear to be sympathizing with Palestinians over Israelis, they are more critical of Israel’s reasons for fighting and less critical of Hamas as compared to older adults.
At the heart of this shift is the younger generation’s reliance on social media for news. Now, 78% of adults ages 18-29 surveyed, at least sometimes get their news from social media, almost double the rate for traditional media. About six-in-ten teens (63%) and six-in-ten (62%) of U.S. adults under 30 use TikTok, while around four-in-ten say they regularly get news there, double the result from 2020.
Although some internet platforms are notorious for enabling the rampant spread of misinformation, young adults are nearly as likely to trust social media as national media outlets.
And as dangerous as the lack of credible sourcing and misinformation online is, AI-generated bots and algorithms deepen Gen-Z’s infatuation with “freeing Palestine.” Designed to echo shallow social justice, some social media algorithms maintain the propaganda cycle while some chatbots do it inadvertently. The lines between virtual indoctrination and physical action blur as online rhetoric translates more seamlessly into real behavior.
The talking points acquired on the internet then become parroted in the same breath as catchy slogans and rhyming chants in real life. Crowds grow, and a protesting mob mimics online communities, exacerbating groupthink activism, with a keffiyeh-masked leader shouting slogans from a megaphone for the echoed response from the crowd.
The hate speech of anti-Israel protests has instigated antisemitic incidents and increased the number of spaces where Jews feel unsafe since October 7, 2023. In addition to spewing genocidal chants urging for the destruction of Israel and those who inhabit it, protestors employ bullying tactics. Many students who support these protests also support the use of illiberal protest strategies such as encampments, occupying buildings, and blocking students from moving freely on campus.
Not exclusive to the University of Florida are slogans and displays calling for an “Intifada Revolution,” “Right to Resist,” and “From the River to the Sea,” all calls for violence against Israel and Israelis veiled as cries of Palestinian support. Pro-Palestinian groups have gone as far as to dox UF Hillel staff members on social media, publishing photos and information about how to reach them, while the comments below applaud their protesting efforts. They have utilized their social media platforms to organize protests against multiple Zionist guest speakers who have been visiting UF, and even dedicated a post to labeling one “a war criminal.”
The hypocrisy of advocating against violence yet perpetuating it is persistent in campus movements; the percentage of students who said that they support pro-Palestinian protesters engaging in violent actions is similar to the percentage of students who said that college students using violence to stop a campus speech is at least rarely acceptable.
The anti-Zionist selective vision is pervasive in Gen-Z. Although hate incidents and crimes have spiked against Jews and Muslims, younger Americans are more likely to see intensified Islamophobia than the escalated antisemitism that older adults are likely to see.
Hatred is a learned and avoidable behavior, but so is empathy and understanding. While violence may have permeated the media we engage with or the chants we hear on our commute to class, it can be countered by reaffirming the values of respect and democratic discourse.
Let us remember that accountability, both personal and collective, is key to fostering an environment of progress, combating misinformation, and preventing toxic influences from spreading. We cannot afford to take what we see on social media, painted on a sign, or shouted from the quad at face value. Instead, we must better inform ourselves by looking beyond captions and icsinfographics.
This article was originally published in The Jerusalem Post
