Fighting Back: How to Combat Misinformation About the Israel-Hamas Conflict on Social Media

The Detroit Jewish News

By Stacy Gittleman | 06/10/2021

Act Against Antisemitism

On May 27, elected officials across the political spectrum, religious leaders of Christianity, Judaism and Islam, celebrities, ethnically diverse leaders and athletes alike spoke out against the troubling rise in hatred against Jews in “Act Against Antisemitism,” a global online rally.

The event was coordinated by a partnership of the ADL, AJC, Hadassah, the Jewish Federations of North America and the organizational and rabbinical bodies of Orthodox, Reform, Conservative and Reconstructionist Judaism.

Speaker after speaker assured Jews they are not alone in this fight against hatred and urged Americans to contact their representatives in Congress to urge action. For more information and a ready-to-use online toolkit on this campaign, go toactagainstantisemitism.org.

Roz Rothstein, co-founder and CEO StandWithUs, said the nonpartisan educational organization created an online emergency situation room to provide accurate information about the ongoing Israel/Hamas conflict. They also have links to letters urging Congress to sanction governments that support Hamas.

“StandWithUs immediately mobilized our ‘Situation Room,’ which is based at our education center in Jerusalem,” Rothstein said. “Volunteers work around the clock with our social media team to counter misinformation propagated by anti-Israel groups as well as mistakes in media reports. The Situation Room contains fact sheets, including important information about the contested Sheikh Jarrah Jerusalem neighborhood and Hamas, as well as informative videos and briefings.”

Rothstein added that SWU’s college campus and high school directors are empowering students with techniques on how to engage in difficult conversations with peers and family members. They are holding workshops on a variety of issues, including responding to the anti-Israel rhetoric and antisemitism encountered online and at school.

Click here for the full article.