Social media hatred is not reflected in the real world
One of the many changes in how Israel is perceived in recent years has been the rise in social media. As we have seen in recent weeks, much — most, in fact — of the commentary around Israel is not so much ill-informed as slanderous, and often barely disguised antisemitism. This week the actor Mark Ruffalo apologised for having accused Israel of genocide. Mr Ruffalo has 7.5 million followers — almost as many as the entire population of Israel. From other celebrities with millions of followers through to low-level anti-Israel and antisemitic obsessives spouting the most grotesque falsehoods and distortions, it can feel isolating and dispiriting — to put it mildly — being Jewish on social media. But it is vital to remember that social media is entirely unrepresentative of the real world. On social media, Israel is a pariah state that must be wiped off the map. As this week’s poll shows, however, that is not what the vast majority of people think. A paltry ten per cent agree with the idea that Israel should not be free to defend itself from rocket attacks. And, perhaps still more importantly, 44 per cent of Britons say that the recent rise in the number of antisemitic incidents makes them worry about the safety of British Jews. It is frightening and unacceptable that there has been a sixfold increase in antisemitic incidents since the fighting started, with truly shocking events such as the car convoy through north London and pickets outside what the demonstrators call “Jewish” businesses. But we must keep all these in perspective: the vast majority of the country harbours no ill will towards Jews. Most understand why Israel has to defend itself. And we live in a land where antisemitism is viewed by the vast majority with disgust.
A paltry 10 per cent agree with the idea that Israel should not be free to defend itself from rocket attacks’