- Sputnik International
World
Get the latest news from around the world, live coverage, off-beat stories, features and analysis.

Bloggers at Loggerheads: Israel-Palestine Conflict Incited by Social Media

© AP Photo / Marcio José Sánchez Facebook Co-Founder Mark Zuckerberg
Facebook Co-Founder Mark Zuckerberg - Sputnik International
Subscribe
Social media agitation has contributed considerably to the escalation of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, Michal Hatuel-Radoshitzky of Tel Aviv University told Sputnik.

New York Governor Andrew Cuomo, arrives to attend the Elton John AIDS Foundation's 13th Annual An Enduring Vision Benefit on October 28, 2014 in New York - Sputnik International
Siding With Israel: New York Governor Moves to Boycott Palestine Supporters
In an interview with Sputnik, Michal Hatuel-Radoshitzky, Neubauer Research Associate at the Institute for National Security Studies at Tel Aviv University, pointed the finger at social media for adding to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

The interview came after Israeli Public Security Minister Gilad Erdan accused Facebook and its chairman Mark Zuckerberg of partial responsibility for terrorist attacks against Israel.

"Social media do play a role in the incitement [of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict], which I think is part of the globalization and part of the digital age we all live in. I'm not sure that anything can really be done to prevent it," she said.

Separately, she hailed efforts by the Quartet on the Middle East to help defuse the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

© AP Photo / Nasser ShiyoukhiIsraeli soldiers secure the scene of a shooting attack near Hebron, West Bank, Friday, July 1, 2016
Bloggers at Loggerheads: Israel-Palestine Conflict Incited by Social Media - Sputnik International
Israeli soldiers secure the scene of a shooting attack near Hebron, West Bank, Friday, July 1, 2016

She stressed the importance of issuing the report, which specifically cited direct bilateral talks as the most effective way to resolve the conflict."The Quartet's recent report on the issue is a sign of international involvement and I do welcome the global community's willingness to intervene," she pointed out.

She voiced hope that "both sides will show the necessary restraint so as to de-escalate the situation and not to return to a level [reflecting] the 2014 tensions that were followed by Israel's Operation Protective Edge."

Her remarks came as Gilad Erdan said on Saturday that the social network Facebook had failed to block the posts inciting violence, and also sabotaged the work of Israeli police.

© AFP 2023 / HAZEM BADERIsraeli soldiers are seen at one of the entrances of the Palestinian village of Yatta
Bloggers at Loggerheads: Israel-Palestine Conflict Incited by Social Media - Sputnik International
Israeli soldiers are seen at one of the entrances of the Palestinian village of Yatta

The Israeli Minister's statements came after two Israelis were killed in the West Bank in two separate attacks. Israeli officials, including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, have repeatedly called Facebook a tool used to encourage attacks against Israelis, while the social network dismissed the allegations.

June 7, 2016. Russian President Vladimir Putin (left) and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu before a concert devoted to the 25th anniversary of the restoration of Russian-Israeli diplomatic relations in the Bolshoi Theater. - Sputnik International
What Shared Interests Russia, Israel Have in the Middle East
Meanwhile, the Middle East Quartet said in a report earlier this week that attacks in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict have occurred less often this year due to the efforts of the security forces of the Palestinian Authority as well as security coordination between the two parties.

At the same time, the Quartet noted that the recent terrorist attacks, including the Jerusalem bus bombing in April and the shooting in a Tel Aviv cafe in June, showed that the violence in the region shows no signs of abating.

The Middle East Quartet is comprised of Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, US Secretary of State John Kerry, EU High Representative for Common Foreign and Security Policy Federica Mogherini, and UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon.

Newsfeed
0
To participate in the discussion
log in or register
loader
Chats
Заголовок открываемого материала