The world is closely following the ongoing Hamas-Israel conflict, with speculations about the next possible events, including the involvement of groups like Hezbollah, or potential actions by Israel with U.S. support against Iran. Predictions and opinions on these matters flood social media platforms like X (formerly Twitter), often coming from individuals rather uninformed on the complexities of the situation. While social media plays a significant role in spreading information, it’s also becoming a breeding ground for more sinister activities that, if left unaddressed, can have devastating consequences.

Hamas is not only engaged in a well-organized terrorist attack but has also launched a social media campaign flooded with viral rumors, misleading images, and outright falsehoods. This campaign aims to sow division and hate. It’s time we stop giving attention to terrorist propaganda.

Hamas and its supporters exploit the reluctance of some platforms to police content, making it easy to flood platforms like X and the messaging app Telegram. They share polished videos of Hamas fighters to manipulate the narrative, attempting to shift their image from that of a terrorist organization to one of freedom fighters. The younger generation, in particular, is vulnerable to this misinformation because they spend a significant amount of time online, playing games, blogging, and sharing information. Regrettably, this younger generation relies on the internet for information, and it shapes their worldview. What’s even more concerning is the distorted view that Israel is a military colonizer in cahoots with the United States to suppress freedom fighters seeking an independent state, which is far from the truth.

This issue goes deeper when we witness elected officials and certain elite social groups playing the moral equivalence game. They make statements that condemn the killing of Palestinian women and children, ignoring the fact that Hamas terrorists purposely set up military operations in civilian locales like schools and hospitals. Furthermore, they forget that Israel withdrew in 2006, and the citizens chose Hamas as their government. This misinterpretation of events, driven by Hamas’s misinformation campaign, can persist for years, even after the facts are set straight. Unfortunately, it can also lead to decreased civic engagement because mistrust of the government is on the rise.

One of the most overlooked aspects of Hamas’s propaganda machine is that they play into people’s confirmation bias. Many individuals harbor anti-Semitic stereotypes, such as the belief that Jews run the world or engage in manipulative business practices. It’s no surprise to see phrases like “Free Palestine” or hear chants of “Gas the Jews” in pro-Palestine gatherings. These anti-Semitic sentiments put Israel’s state in jeopardy because some citizens and elected leaders may call for further concessions of land and resources, believing that to be a solution to the problems in Gaza. In reality, there is a pressing need to address the terrorist issue to pave the way for a thriving Palestinian community.

We must initiate a comprehensive effort to educate citizens on how to seek out fact-based information and emphasize the importance of waiting for verified facts. When an event initially occurs, there’s often a lack of information, and bad actors exploit this void. Shedding light on Hamas’s viral campaign is essential to expose it and show people that the victory in the war on terror is closely tied to how we deal with misinformation and falsehoods meant to divide and sow discord.

Image: Free image, Pixabay license, no attribution required.