How Israel Lost The Psychological Warfare Against The Palestine On The Internet

While war may benefit a few people with influence and power, but for the rest of the people, war is never a good thing.

People may have different opinions regarding wars. But most people should know that wars can cost lives, political tensions, and lots of blood and tears that can last for generations.

For spectators, and whoever that aren't directly involved, they can simply stay quiet as if nothing happens, stay put and watch the news, or choose side and defend their reason.

And as for the latter, this is why propaganda is one of the most effective weapons at war.

And thanks to the internet, wars can be also be waged using keyboards and social media.

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In the wake of Hamas' unprecedented surprise attack at Israel, a bloody battle is being waged on the streets of Gaza, with tanks and military personnel combing ruined structures following Israel's retaliatory bombing campaign.

But at the same time, another clash is happening.

To spread their words, the Israeli has been using the media to publish news about their progress towards sweeping Gaza, justify their bombings and shootings, and how they managed to find what they said were Hamas' tunnels near hospitals and schools.

Soon after information like these are uploaded to the internet, social media users began battling out to win the social media war, and hope to help influence public opinion worldwide.

And apparently, Israel is losing.

And that they're losing badly.

Things become even more apparent following every IDF press conference.

The more Israel speaks about the war, the more it explains about its findings, the more it is losing the psychological warfare.

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On the Israeli side, the IDF has been delivering daily press conferences, where officials lay out the news from the front to international journalists, to speak about their advances.

Their spokesperson, notably Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari and Liutenant Colonel Jonathan Conricus, also do interviews with news networks and foreign agencies, whereas Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu continues his attempt to retain support from foreign allies.

This is a huge contrast to the Hamas, which holds weekly press conference, where it spokesperson, notably Abu Ubeida, delivers points how they're defending their lands from Israel occupation.

While the two sides conduct dueling press conferences, the two contrasting sides simply cannot compare.

On one side, a middle-aged man speaking about statistics and allegations, whereas on the other side, a person trying to defend his land on behalf of the Palestinians, depicting pictures of civilians, including little girls and old men trying to survive the war.

This is where the internet is shaping conflict through the information war waged using computers, smartphones and other devices that can connect to the internet.

While the Hamas' brutal attack on Israel was unsuspected, and clearly horrified the world, as the war continues, Israel is losing badly on the internet because Palestine is the weaker of the two.

it's also almost impossible for those living abroad to understand the nuance, and that the war is not Israel against the Palestinians, because the war is about the Israel versus the Hamas.

And due to the casualties that have fallen in battle, many who were children and non-military personnel, the Palestine side (and the Hamas) is winning due to its status as the victim.

The unfiltered social media posts from inside Gaza have become a vital source of information for the world.

As Egypt and Israel control entry into the Gaza Strip, and not allowing many foreign reporters to enter independently, the battle within Gaza is mostly off-limits to most news organizations.

Inside Gaza, information is either made by the Israeli themselves, or from select news organizations, from citizen journalists, filmmakers, mothers, poets, writers, students and photographers who frequently post on social media.

With the IDF destroying Gaza like it never did before, and that it would take years it not decades to rebuild the ruins and ease the pain, the world began to see how apparent this Israeli oppression is.

The stronger Israel it boasting itself in the war, the weaker it becomes in the eyes of the internet.

In particular, Israel loses badly on social media.

The internet tends to side with those who are suffering, rather than to those who are expressing outrage.

Studies suggest that the number of pro-Palestinian hashtags used on the TikTok, Instagram and Facebook platforms has significantly dwarfed pro-Israeli hashtags.

For example, the #FreePalestine has been used dozens of times more than StandwithIsrael hashtag.

As more and more people began to sympathize people in Palestine, showing their empathy, some of the world's focus started shifting from Israel to Palestine.

And some of the cruelest people on the internet, is said to be people from Indonesia.

The massive archipelago in Southeast Asia is the home for more than 270 million people, most of whom are Muslims.

With many of them are also internet users, they come in huge masses, and are known for their cyberbullies and online trolls. Indonesian netizens are famous for their massive enthusiasm, especially when it comes to commenting on social media.

And this is what the Israeli soldiers are facing.

While its government sends supplies to Palestine to show support, its citizens on the internet show their support by attacking Israeli soldiers when they see one.

For example, one user that goes with the handle @Greschinov shared a long list of Instagram links to accounts that belong to Israeli soldiers, and ask others to pay them a "visit."

When his post went viral, other fellow Indonesian netizens started contributing with their findings, and also asked others to troll.

In this Hamas' war against Israel, many Indonesian netizens began their online attacks and harassments towards many IDF soldiers.

They also began doxing the soldiers whenever they can, especially female ones.

Many of them are angry because the attacks carried out by the Israeli Zionist army were not only against Hamas fighters, but also all residents in Gaza.

At least one female IDF soldier simply couldn't cope with the barrage of hate comments she received, that she threatened to report Indonesian netizens to the police over a series of insults thrown at her and the Israeli army’s social media.

Instagram user @edensissonn for example, uploaded a statement, saying that she wants to make a report on Indonesian people spreading information about her.

"I have all the information about him including his cell phone number," she wrote on her Instagram Stories. "

Interpol will act and you will be arrested," she continued.

Her statement was met with even more ridicule and mockery.

"Sis, you’re going to get even more trashed," said one user from Indonesia.

"Malaysian and Indonesian trolls are undoubtedly the most racist, nastiest bunch of lowlifes I've seen in my life [...] " said another trolled IDF soldier.

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