CGS alums reflect on activism for Israel/Palestine in the age of social media

By Mrinalini Keskar ‘22

In light of the pandemic and advances in technology, social media has become a driving force for activism, particularly for young people. Social media activism offers many benefits - information is condensed into a way that is accessible to a large number of people,and easily shareable. However, with its ease, one can often be swept away by pastel-colored information, and issues can become oversimplified or misrepresented. In this article, I asked two CGS alums, one Jewish, one Palestinian, about social media activism in light of the recent events in Gaza.

Jeremiah Lemelson

Lemelson graduated from Catlin Gabel School in 2019 and is Jewish.

How do you see social media as a platform for activism?

“Generally, I have really mixed feelings about social media as a platform for activism. I think it’s important for people, especially our generation, to find our political voice and if that’s on social media, then great. Academia is so exclusive and often racist or completely inaccessible, so I understand that social media can help level the playing field, and that’s definitely what I think was happening during Sheikh Jarrah / the Gaza bombings because Palestinians on the ground living in those conditions gained the ability to share what they were going through to a large audience, and it mobilized a ton of people. But in this particular case, I think a lot of the information being propagated was incomplete or dangerously misinformative. I don’t want to condemn people using Canva to spread a message and I think raising awareness is vital.”

I noticed that you recently called out several Instagram infographics for being antisemitic. These infographics advised viewers on how to support Palestine. Where does the line get drawn with Instagram activism? How does this happen?

“When a bunch of American voices get involved lacking clear intentions, I think it really muddled the issue. What I think most people don’t realize or have a hard time acknowledging is that while criticism of Israel is obviously not inherently antisemitic, antisemitism can be disguised as criticism by people who would like to weaponize the movement against Jews, and that’s when I think it becomes dangerous. Oftentimes, I see white leftists perpetuating this more than anyone else, and it pisses me off because it does a massive disservice to people who actually care about the issue and want to do actionable things to help Palestinians.”

Helena Khoury

Khoury graduated from Catlin Gabel School in 2020 and is Palestinian.

What is your connection to Israel and Palestine?

“My connection to the atrocities that are taking place in the Middle East right now is that I come from a Palestinian family. My dad immigrated here from Palestine when he was a child.”

What is your experience with using social media as a platform for activism?

“I’ve been using social media mostly to try to speak about Gaza in a way that brings people into the conversation instead of pushing people away. The alarming graphics, videos, news articles, infographics, etc. can be very overwhelming and triggering, especially for lots of Palestinian people, so I typically refrain from posting triggering content. I’ve also been using social media to do fundraising for the PCRF, which is the Palestinian Children’s Relief Fund. I also think that social media is a great way for people to reach out, and in my experience and it's amazing that so many people who are pro-Zionist, people in the past who I’ve encountered, who’ve told me that Palestine doesn’t exist, have been spreading awareness, and speaking against the apartheid, and inhumane actions athat are taking place. I think social media really does have a power for people to see”

Where can people learn more?

“Learn from Palestinians. Hear their story, share their stories, hear their pain, empathize with them. Learn from organizations, such as Jewish Voices for Peace, the PCRF, the Palestinian Youth Movement, and Al Jazeera. I think the best way of learning is seeing with your own eyes and hearing with your own ears.”