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Gaza, a virtual war zone

Description: The 2008–2009 Israel–Gaza conflict began on December 27th when the Israeli forces bombed Gaza. In this conflict, digital tools have been used by the Israeli government, main stream media, human rights activists, residents in Gaza, and pro Israel and pro Hamas groups.

Tools: Twitter, blogs , You Tube and Face Book. It seems Twitter was the “star” of digital media in this conflict.

How the tools are used: Israel Consulate in new York uses Twitter and so does AlJazeera. It seems Gaza’s residents use twitter too.  In addition, hackers on both sides have attacked many sites. SCmagazine says that Muslims hacked more than 300 Israeli sites. Jewish Internet Defense Force also hacked several anti war groups in Facebook.

Impact: Using digital tools is very important in this conflict because journalists and reportes are not present in war zone. These tools are also used to protest or collect donations.  In addition, these social networks have many readers and can have an impact on public opinion.

Tool: Iranian Google bomb to support Gaza

Description: The Gaza crisis and Israeli attacks have been a top story around the world, and it seems the story will not be over soon. Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak referred to the situation as “all-out war” and told lawmakers the country’s military was prepared for more intense action in the Hamas-run Gaza Strip in order to weaken Hamas’ ability to fire rockets into Israeli territory. Iranian islamists demonstarted in Iran against Israel and Iranian leaders are calling on Muslims to support Palestinans in any way they can. Islamist bloggers are fighting a virtual struggle too.

Tools: Google bomb

How tool is used: Iranian islamists are hopeful that people who are googling Gaza find their page, Gaza.Ir, on the top of the list. The site reads:

You oppressed people of Gaza know that we Muslims in Iran and all over the world haven’t forgotten you and will not cease until complete cessation of the blockade of your city. Along the path to Gaza’s freedom and our common goal, which is the freedom of Palestine, we will not cease and we will go on.

Impact: Google bombs can attract a lot of attention if they are able to climb to the top of reserarch results. So far this has not the case of Islamist Google bomb.

Tactic: Israelis, Palestinians unite through technology

Description: Since the deterioration of the Oslo Peace Accords in 2000, business relations between Israelis and Palestinians have been incredibly difficult to sustain, especially in the technology sector. Palestinians need permits to enter Israel, while Israelis are not allow to enter any Palestinian areas. However, a technological advancement created through a business partnership is uniting these two groups in an innovative way.

Tools Being Used: Google Docs, Flickr, Zoho

What Are they Doing: G.ho.st, short for Global Hosted Operating System, was created in 2006 by Israeli and Palestinian venture capitalists to give users a free, Web-based virtual desktop that lets them access their files from any computer with an Internet connection using one sign-in. Instead of recreating the wheel, G.ho.st uses familiar tools like Google Doc and Zoho to organize word documents, spreadsheets, web-conferencing, music, database applications, email and a calendar and Flickr to upload and share photos. Not only does this service make life easier for those of us with busy, computer-hopping lives, but G.ho.st also, in a unique way, provides a “digital” olive branch between the warring factions. In addition, G.ho.st’s charitable foundation provides free or subsidized cyber cafes and technology training in disadvantaged locations for both Palestinians and Israelis.

“We are doing something across cultures and across two sides of a tough conflict,” said Zvi Schreiber, G.ho.st’s chief executive to the New York Times. “I was prepared for the possibility that it might be difficult, but it hasn’t been.”

Campaign: Saving Israeli town of Sderot

Note: We at DigiActive understand that the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is an extremely sensitive topic. Our goal is to maintain a neutral perspective, highlighting digital activism from both sides without favoritism. However, we will not post content which actively advocates violence against either side. If we have linked to violent content in error, let us know and we will take it down.

Description of Campaign: Sderot is a small town near the Gaza Strip (see map below) which has been the frequent target of Kassam rockets from Palestine. Bloggers are getting together to “save Sderot” by telling the stories of its citizens online.

Digital Activism Tools: Facebook, blog, YouTube

How These Tools Are Being Used: The Sderot Media Center, whose goals is to present the human face behind the news, is using its YouTube channel to provide a window into daily life in Sderot. In addition, videos unrelated to the center have appeared, including one, “Children of Sderot Just Want A Little Peace”, which focuses on the safety of children to Sderot, and “Save the City of Sderot in Israel.”

Blogs, are also being used to raise awareness of Sderot. The international Jewish organization United Jewish Communities has created a blog called Voices from Sderot which also describes daily life in the town.

Finally, Israeli activists are using Facebook to bring together supporters of Sderot. There are over 100 groups about Sderot on Facebook, most with less than 1000 members. The largest, “Stop the Kassam rockets on Sderot!” has over 5,500.

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