Like a Bridge Over Troubled Water: Using Facebook to Mobilize Solidarity Among East Jerusalem Palestinians During the 2014 War in Gaza

Authors

  • Maya de Vries Hebrew University of Jerusalem
  • Asmahan Simry Hebrew University of Jerusalem
  • Ifat Maoz Hebrew University of Jerusalem

Keywords:

social media, Facebook, online political participation, mobilization, protest, asymmetric conflict, Israel, Palestine, East Jerusalem.

Abstract

This study explores the use of a major Facebook page by East Jerusalem Palestinians during the peak of the war in Gaza for building solidarity with the Gaza people in the asymmetric conflict with Israel. A data set containing 253 posts and 1,149 comments was qualitatively analyzed. Our findings reveal three mechanisms—calling for solidarity, maintaining engagement, and calling for protest—reflecting a configuration in which collective actions were performed through connective discursive practices. We also discuss our study as an account of a bounded protest in which online platforms are limited in their ability to transcend domination and the lack of resources for political mobilization while the offline circumstances of asymmetrical power relations remain unchanged.

Author Biographies

Maya de Vries, Hebrew University of Jerusalem

Doctoral student at Communication and Journalism department, the Hebrew University of Jerusalem.

Asmahan Simry, Hebrew University of Jerusalem

MA student at the Communication and Journalism department, the Hebrew University of Jerusalem.

Ifat Maoz, Hebrew University of Jerusalem

Ifat Maoz is a Full Professor in the Department of Communication and Journalism and the Director of the Swiss Center and Graduate Program of Conflict Studies, the Hebrew University of Jerusalem.

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Published

2015-07-30

Issue

Vol. 9 (2015)

Section

Articles

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