I tested the Twittersphere to see how much antisemitic hate was out there. You'll be shocked at the results.
The online network spreading hate is endless. Just a few more examples.
Far left politicians such as Mick Wallace and Yanis Varoufakis
Celebrities like Roger Waters and Mark Ruffalo
Jewish extremist sites like JVP and 972 Magazine
State funded propaganda machines such as Al Jazeera, Russia Today or Middle East Eye
Conspiracy theorists posing as journalists such as Max Blumenthal and Robert Carter
Antisemites like Sarah Wilkinson, Chris Williamson and David Miller
Hate magazines such as Electronic Intifada and Mondoweiss
On the ground fake news factories like Times of Gaza or Al Quds News
There is nothing on the side of truth like this – not a single outlet to match an ‘Electronic Intifiada’, let alone media machines like Al Jazeera. Jews are facing a tsunami of state-funded revisionist material that sets out to demonise them.
Israel is the exception
The truth is that a person is far more likely to run into a post that spreads fake news and demonises Israel, than one that has any balance at all. And once a user indicates an interest in a particular post – the algorithms ensure they will be spammed with more of the same. The interconnectivity of the online experience means that displaying interest on one platform, will influence results they see everywhere. Slipping into an anti-Israel rhythm online is easy. And Israel is treated differently from all other nations.
A simple search of failing states such as Pakistan, or brutal occupiers such as Russia, turns up entirely different results. Yes, there are posts that criticise, but even with Pakistan, they are few and far between – with normal political disagreements taking place and many posts giving nothing but respect. There is no demonisation campaign that focuses on the people of any nation but Israel. Remember the poster in the beginning who claimed Israel is the ‘most despicable nation’ – this is what he has to say about a Pakistani state that persecutes minority groups at will:
And this ‘special treatment’ reserved for Israel means that Jew hatred is spreading throughout the social media networks almost unchallenged. There is a tsunami of hate out there. By permitting blatant fake news to circulate without forfeit – social media platforms have become the primary conduits for spreading antisemitism. A radicalising force like none we have ever seen. If you want to understand why everything seems to be getting worse all the time – you really need to look no further than your phone.
