On October 7, the sun rose upon Israel with familiar serenity. Just moments later, rockets cascaded across the sky and bulldozers plowed through border points, making way for an invasion of Hamas fighters. According to the Washington post, on October 26, the death toll now tallies to, at least, 7028 in Gaza and 1400 in Israel. Hamas has brutally slaughtered and captured thousands of Israeli civilians, displaying unequivocal inhumanity. Amidst all of this bloodshed, arguments have formed all around the globe; mainly concerning Hamas’ role in Palestine, the history of Israeli rule, and fundamental human rights issues. Almost everybody seems to have formed some sort of perspective on the situation at hand, and information is being befittingly disseminated. However, there is a problem with the way we are consuming it.
By now, anybody with social media has read or seen several posts regarding the conflict. Some are excerpts of news articles. Some are donation links. Some are cartoons emphasizing a certain viewpoint of the conflict. But throughout all forms, it has come to my attention that there is a substantial social and civic pressure to “pick a side.” When I first heard about the conflict, it was from an Instagram post that was articulating support for Israel. The next morning, countless one-line reposts such as “Stand with Palestine” or “Stand with Israel” flooded my feed. It was only when I was talking with a friend who encouraged me to post that I realized my silence could be mistaken for indifference. I knew Hamas’ attack and the consequential deaths and suffering needed to be called to attention; however, I was not prepared to make a statement. This social pressure made me primarily think of simply reposting my friend’s story, a thought that prompted several others.
Like me, students may worry that silence on the matter will actually make them stand out more, and that support for one side is immediately necessary, even if they’re uninformed on what they’re supporting. For instance, a student who lives amongst a community of predominantly Palestine supporters will be exponentially more likely to stand with Palestine, even if they know next to nothing about the conflict. This fear ultimately thwarts the amount of knowledge they consume, because they are only being fed one-line statements that don’t prompt questions and considerations. Upon this realization, I began to research the situation further, have better conversations with my family and friends, become interested in writing an article, and learn a lot more than I would’ve from reposting a raw statement.
A supporter who is informed and sagely devoted to their claim will always make more change than a “supporter” who simply reposted a claim and will look no further. The best and most effective posts allow the facts to speak for themselves, and provide connected analysis. For instance, posts stating a brutal act that has occurred, or illustrating rising death tolls. These bring to light things that are actually happening, and let viewers understand why one is making the claim they are making.
Ongoing since the mid-20th century, the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is layered with historical tension impossible to peel away with just one post, article, or video. This begs the question: how can we push the importance of humanitarian aid, condemn inhumane acts, and ultimately share our own statements in an educational and beneficial way?
Primarily, recognize that you are not immune to the misinformation that permeates through social media. This also means that you are not immune to misinforming others. What stunts the growth of our knowledge on the situation is believing that our own intuition can guide us through the good and the bad. That simply isn’t true. Thus, anything you consume or post should be fact checked and thoroughly researched. When you see forthright statements you are unsure of, do not merely feel pressured to join them, but instead, consider the opinion and research where it might be coming from. Perhaps you will agree with it, or perhaps you will oppose it, but you will have learned a great deal. Yes, it is so much easier to side with a friend you trust, or a politician whose name you know. However, you must know that this support will hold no real value. In order to make and inspire actual change, we must take the initiative to form claims and assess others with facts and extensive knowledge. It isn’t easy, but it’s worth it.
