1 00:00:01,720 --> 00:00:05,000 Speaker 1: All Zone Media. 2 00:00:05,200 --> 00:00:08,960 Speaker 2: Hello, and welcome to it could happen here. This is Sharine, 3 00:00:09,039 --> 00:00:12,959 Speaker 2: and today we are talking about you guessed it, Palestine. 4 00:00:13,039 --> 00:00:15,800 Speaker 2: I'm also gonna keep talking about Palestine because there has 5 00:00:15,840 --> 00:00:18,160 Speaker 2: been genocide happening for the past five months and also 6 00:00:18,200 --> 00:00:21,360 Speaker 2: seventy six years, and I refuse to let it be 7 00:00:21,400 --> 00:00:24,160 Speaker 2: forgotten about. But I refused to let it be something 8 00:00:24,200 --> 00:00:26,520 Speaker 2: that we used to talk about, because it's happening right 9 00:00:26,560 --> 00:00:29,640 Speaker 2: now and we need to talk about it. So here 10 00:00:29,680 --> 00:00:32,839 Speaker 2: I am talking about it. And while being a public 11 00:00:32,840 --> 00:00:36,120 Speaker 2: supporter of Palestine has never been popular in the United States, 12 00:00:36,479 --> 00:00:40,040 Speaker 2: since October, we've seen a significant increase in the silencing 13 00:00:40,080 --> 00:00:43,839 Speaker 2: of Palestinian and pro Palestinian voices. And this is happening 14 00:00:43,840 --> 00:00:47,680 Speaker 2: both online and offline. But let's first start with the 15 00:00:47,840 --> 00:00:51,519 Speaker 2: digital sphere, where the censorship of Palestinian voices and pro 16 00:00:51,640 --> 00:00:56,640 Speaker 2: Palestinian content can have really dangerous consequences, especially since the 17 00:00:56,720 --> 00:00:59,640 Speaker 2: vast majority of US consume our news via social media 18 00:00:59,640 --> 00:01:03,440 Speaker 2: these days. Meta, for example, has a long history of 19 00:01:03,480 --> 00:01:08,480 Speaker 2: systematically censoring Palestine related content. While the company has stated 20 00:01:08,480 --> 00:01:11,480 Speaker 2: that it's quote never their intention to suppress a particular 21 00:01:11,520 --> 00:01:15,279 Speaker 2: community or point of view, access Now conducted a report 22 00:01:15,319 --> 00:01:19,959 Speaker 2: where their documentation points to the opposite conclusion. The information 23 00:01:20,000 --> 00:01:22,160 Speaker 2: in this episode, when it comes to Meta, in particular, 24 00:01:22,280 --> 00:01:25,040 Speaker 2: will be from the findings of access Now in their report, 25 00:01:25,319 --> 00:01:27,600 Speaker 2: because I don't think the report got the attention it 26 00:01:27,680 --> 00:01:31,360 Speaker 2: deserved when it was published on February nineteenth. Denying the 27 00:01:31,400 --> 00:01:35,720 Speaker 2: public from both expressing and seeing content supporting Palestine is 28 00:01:35,760 --> 00:01:39,800 Speaker 2: a very dangerous game that only further bolsters Israeli propaganda 29 00:01:40,040 --> 00:01:43,240 Speaker 2: as well as silences any criticism against the settler colony 30 00:01:43,240 --> 00:01:47,320 Speaker 2: of Israel. This is not okay and it should concern 31 00:01:47,400 --> 00:01:49,520 Speaker 2: you because you have the right to know the truth. 32 00:01:50,120 --> 00:01:54,640 Speaker 2: This pattern of censorship is no glitch. Soon after Israel 33 00:01:54,680 --> 00:01:59,840 Speaker 2: began bombarding Gaza and blatantly committing genocide last October, Palestinians 34 00:01:59,880 --> 00:02:03,160 Speaker 2: of people sharing pro Palestinian messages began to report that 35 00:02:03,200 --> 00:02:07,160 Speaker 2: their content was being censored and suppressed on social media platforms, 36 00:02:07,200 --> 00:02:11,760 Speaker 2: including on Facebook and Instagram. The platforms restricted and sometimes 37 00:02:11,800 --> 00:02:15,720 Speaker 2: even suspended the accounts of Palestinian journalists and activists both 38 00:02:15,760 --> 00:02:19,440 Speaker 2: inside and outside of Gaza, and arbitrarily deleted a considerable 39 00:02:19,480 --> 00:02:23,959 Speaker 2: amount of content, including documentation of atrocities and human rights abuses. 40 00:02:24,000 --> 00:02:28,160 Speaker 2: Committed by Israel against the Palestinian people. Examples of this 41 00:02:28,240 --> 00:02:32,720 Speaker 2: online censorship show that it is rampant, systematic, and global. 42 00:02:33,240 --> 00:02:36,680 Speaker 2: For instance, Human Rights Watch has documented one thousand and 43 00:02:36,720 --> 00:02:41,440 Speaker 2: fifty cases of peaceful content expressing support for Palestine originating 44 00:02:41,480 --> 00:02:44,800 Speaker 2: for more than sixty countries around the world, being removed 45 00:02:44,880 --> 00:02:49,359 Speaker 2: between October and November twenty twenty three. Meanwhile, the Palestinian 46 00:02:49,360 --> 00:02:53,800 Speaker 2: Observatory for Digital Rights Violations has documented around one thousand 47 00:02:53,800 --> 00:02:57,280 Speaker 2: and forty three instances of censorship between October seventh of 48 00:02:57,320 --> 00:03:00,919 Speaker 2: twenty twenty three and February ninth of this year, including 49 00:03:00,960 --> 00:03:06,600 Speaker 2: on Facebook and Instagram, from content removals to very blatant restrictions. 50 00:03:06,960 --> 00:03:10,480 Speaker 2: The following examples illustrate the main patterns of censorship on 51 00:03:10,520 --> 00:03:15,240 Speaker 2: metas platforms documented since October seventh, twenty twenty three. Our 52 00:03:15,280 --> 00:03:18,680 Speaker 2: first example is Facebook's removal of content that was documenting 53 00:03:18,720 --> 00:03:22,560 Speaker 2: the explosion at at Heity Arab Hospital. It removed content 54 00:03:22,680 --> 00:03:25,160 Speaker 2: shared by people who were on the ground during the 55 00:03:25,200 --> 00:03:29,040 Speaker 2: massacre and during the bombing. The automatic deletion of bystander 56 00:03:29,160 --> 00:03:33,440 Speaker 2: content with evidentiary value, especially during times of war, not 57 00:03:33,520 --> 00:03:37,640 Speaker 2: only violates people's ability to express themselves, and freely access information. 58 00:03:38,240 --> 00:03:42,280 Speaker 2: It also hinders current and future investigations into alliged war 59 00:03:42,320 --> 00:03:47,240 Speaker 2: crimes at atrocities perpetrated in Gaza by Israel funded by 60 00:03:47,240 --> 00:03:50,920 Speaker 2: the United States. There have also been suspensions of prominent 61 00:03:50,960 --> 00:03:55,480 Speaker 2: Palestinian and Palestine related accounts. Meta has banned and suspended 62 00:03:55,520 --> 00:03:59,440 Speaker 2: scores of accounts that posted content about Palestine. For instance, 63 00:03:59,440 --> 00:04:03,560 Speaker 2: October Time twenty twenty three, Mandawis reported that Instagram had 64 00:04:03,600 --> 00:04:07,200 Speaker 2: twice suspended the account of les La Wara, its West 65 00:04:07,240 --> 00:04:11,600 Speaker 2: Bank video correspondent. It was only after Manda Weiss publicized 66 00:04:11,680 --> 00:04:16,320 Speaker 2: the suspension that the platform quickly reinstated her account. Metta 67 00:04:16,400 --> 00:04:20,880 Speaker 2: also suspended the account of Gaza journalists and photographer Motaz Azza, 68 00:04:21,120 --> 00:04:24,840 Speaker 2: who gained more than eighteen point six million followers for 69 00:04:24,960 --> 00:04:28,560 Speaker 2: reporting on the genocide in Gaza. This forced him to 70 00:04:28,600 --> 00:04:32,520 Speaker 2: create a new backup account under at Mota Gaza, which 71 00:04:32,560 --> 00:04:36,240 Speaker 2: acquired more than one million followers within twenty four hours. 72 00:04:37,279 --> 00:04:41,599 Speaker 2: Meta later did reinstate Motaz's original account, but several of 73 00:04:41,640 --> 00:04:45,760 Speaker 2: Aiz's posts showing dead or injured Palestinians were flagged by 74 00:04:45,760 --> 00:04:49,359 Speaker 2: Instagram for possibly violating its policy on adult nudity and 75 00:04:49,360 --> 00:04:54,240 Speaker 2: sexual activity. Under its DOI policy, which stands for Dangerous 76 00:04:54,279 --> 00:04:58,520 Speaker 2: Organizations and Individuals. Meta also permanently banned the Arabic and 77 00:04:58,560 --> 00:05:02,440 Speaker 2: English language Facebook page of Klutz News Network, the largest 78 00:05:02,480 --> 00:05:06,880 Speaker 2: and entirely volunteer run Palestinian news outlet, which has over 79 00:05:06,960 --> 00:05:11,200 Speaker 2: ten million followers on Facebook. Other news outlets that Meta 80 00:05:11,240 --> 00:05:16,880 Speaker 2: has temporarily suspended or banned include Aijal Radio Network, Breakthrough 81 00:05:16,920 --> 00:05:22,120 Speaker 2: News twenty four FM, and Palestinian Refugees Portal. In addition, 82 00:05:22,320 --> 00:05:27,960 Speaker 2: Palestinian journalists Fatten, Edwin Saldehel Jafarawi, and Ahmed chiheb Alden 83 00:05:28,360 --> 00:05:32,160 Speaker 2: have all experienced and continue to experience content takedowns and 84 00:05:32,200 --> 00:05:36,480 Speaker 2: account restrictions on Instagram and Facebook. There have also been 85 00:05:36,600 --> 00:05:40,719 Speaker 2: numerous examples of restrictions on pro Palestinian users and content. 86 00:05:41,560 --> 00:05:45,800 Speaker 2: Here are some examples. Meta blocked Jerusalem based activist sad 87 00:05:45,839 --> 00:05:49,880 Speaker 2: Nan Bek from live streaming on Instagram. It restricted Jewish 88 00:05:49,920 --> 00:05:53,760 Speaker 2: American artists and author Malli Krabapple's Instagram account, and there 89 00:05:53,760 --> 00:05:57,400 Speaker 2: have also been documented cases of Meta hiding Instagram comments 90 00:05:57,400 --> 00:06:02,600 Speaker 2: that contain the Palestinian flag emoji for being quote potentially offensive. 91 00:06:03,400 --> 00:06:06,800 Speaker 2: Many people have reported being barred from commenting on Instagram. 92 00:06:06,880 --> 00:06:10,880 Speaker 2: Posts containing Palestine related content. One user said that a 93 00:06:10,920 --> 00:06:14,160 Speaker 2: comment was blocked for over twenty four hours without explanation. 94 00:06:14,960 --> 00:06:18,360 Speaker 2: People have also reported being unable to repost or reshare 95 00:06:18,440 --> 00:06:23,080 Speaker 2: content related to Palestine in their Instagram stories. In addition 96 00:06:23,160 --> 00:06:26,400 Speaker 2: to the usual screening that Meta imposes on graphic or 97 00:06:26,520 --> 00:06:31,359 Speaker 2: violent content, Meta imposed a quote sensitive content warning before 98 00:06:31,480 --> 00:06:35,360 Speaker 2: users could reshare Palestine related posts via their Instagram stories. 99 00:06:36,000 --> 00:06:40,600 Speaker 2: In some instances, attempts to reshare such content generated a 100 00:06:40,640 --> 00:06:44,400 Speaker 2: blank page and a message stating that quote something went wrong. 101 00:06:45,400 --> 00:06:50,279 Speaker 2: Following the Arab Hospital massacre, people reported being unable to 102 00:06:50,360 --> 00:06:53,919 Speaker 2: reshare a video report that was criticizing Western media coverage 103 00:06:53,960 --> 00:06:57,880 Speaker 2: of the bombing, either via their direct messages or Instagram stories. 104 00:06:58,279 --> 00:07:01,479 Speaker 2: This video report was conducted by a Lebanese media outlet 105 00:07:01,560 --> 00:07:06,880 Speaker 2: called Megaphone. Metta has also repeatedly discouraged users from following 106 00:07:07,000 --> 00:07:10,560 Speaker 2: or sharing content from popular Palestinian accounts that we're sharing 107 00:07:10,640 --> 00:07:14,360 Speaker 2: updates on Gaza in the form of prompts saying quote 108 00:07:14,520 --> 00:07:16,960 Speaker 2: are you sure you want to follow or mention this account, 109 00:07:17,360 --> 00:07:21,000 Speaker 2: and warnings that certain accounts have quote repeatedly posted false 110 00:07:21,040 --> 00:07:26,160 Speaker 2: information or violated metas community guidelines and perhaps the most 111 00:07:26,160 --> 00:07:29,560 Speaker 2: disturbing incident and one that I will never forget, and 112 00:07:29,840 --> 00:07:31,720 Speaker 2: I hope you don't either. And if you haven't heard 113 00:07:31,760 --> 00:07:36,600 Speaker 2: about this, buckle up. Instagram repeatedly auto translated the word 114 00:07:36,640 --> 00:07:41,400 Speaker 2: Palestinian or instances of the Palestinian flag use alongside the 115 00:07:41,480 --> 00:07:45,000 Speaker 2: Arabic phrase at hamdula la, which means praise be to 116 00:07:45,080 --> 00:07:48,480 Speaker 2: God on people's bios. But hamda la lah, by the way, 117 00:07:48,680 --> 00:07:52,239 Speaker 2: is an extremely innocent phrase that is used by all people. 118 00:07:52,280 --> 00:07:55,120 Speaker 2: Let's speak Arabic essentially, and it's said all the time. 119 00:07:55,480 --> 00:07:59,040 Speaker 2: It's a very peaceful, calming thing to say at haamdla lah, 120 00:07:59,280 --> 00:08:02,480 Speaker 2: thank you God. But guess what they translated this into. 121 00:08:03,440 --> 00:08:07,120 Speaker 2: Instagram translated the word Palestinian, the use of the Palestine 122 00:08:07,240 --> 00:08:12,800 Speaker 2: flag along with handrina in people's bios into Palestinian terrorists 123 00:08:12,840 --> 00:08:18,160 Speaker 2: are fighting for their freedom. Palestinian terrorists are fighting for 124 00:08:18,320 --> 00:08:22,760 Speaker 2: their freedom? Are you fucking kidding me? When a TikTok 125 00:08:22,840 --> 00:08:28,600 Speaker 2: user uncovered this disturbing pattern, Meta apologized and fixed the issue, 126 00:08:29,400 --> 00:08:32,959 Speaker 2: and we all moved on. One of the most insidious 127 00:08:32,960 --> 00:08:36,640 Speaker 2: ways that Palestinian and pro Palestinian voices are being censored 128 00:08:36,679 --> 00:08:40,280 Speaker 2: and suppressed on Meta's platforms. Is via the restriction of 129 00:08:40,360 --> 00:08:45,560 Speaker 2: certain accounts reach invisibility without any explanation or notification aka 130 00:08:45,840 --> 00:08:50,760 Speaker 2: shadow banning. For example, following the Lebanese media outlet megaphones 131 00:08:50,840 --> 00:08:55,000 Speaker 2: coverage of the air hospital attack, its Instagram account at 132 00:08:55,000 --> 00:08:59,880 Speaker 2: megaphone News was hidden from search results. Evidence also suggests 133 00:09:00,000 --> 00:09:03,480 Speaker 2: that on October eighth, twenty twenty three, Meta hid Instagram 134 00:09:03,480 --> 00:09:06,880 Speaker 2: content that included the hashtag at uxa flood from view. 135 00:09:07,640 --> 00:09:11,959 Speaker 2: Meta's censorship of Palestinine voices and Palestinian related content as 136 00:09:12,000 --> 00:09:15,760 Speaker 2: far from new. In recent years, however, it has become 137 00:09:15,880 --> 00:09:20,520 Speaker 2: increasingly pronounced, with a well documented pattern of systematic censorship, 138 00:09:21,000 --> 00:09:26,199 Speaker 2: algorithmic bias, and discriminatory content moderation emerging. During the twenty 139 00:09:26,240 --> 00:09:30,920 Speaker 2: twenty one Schechtracht protests, social media content expressing support for 140 00:09:31,000 --> 00:09:36,080 Speaker 2: Palestinian rights was deleted, removed, and shadow band while users 141 00:09:36,120 --> 00:09:39,440 Speaker 2: who were sharing such content were suspended or prevented from 142 00:09:39,440 --> 00:09:44,040 Speaker 2: commenting or live streaming, and pro Palestinian hashtags were suppressed. 143 00:09:44,840 --> 00:09:48,120 Speaker 2: These were all serious problems that Meta brushed off as 144 00:09:48,200 --> 00:09:52,679 Speaker 2: quote a technical issue. Let's take a little breather, and 145 00:09:52,920 --> 00:09:55,280 Speaker 2: when we come back, we'll talk about silencing that is 146 00:09:55,320 --> 00:10:09,800 Speaker 2: outside of the digital world, so brb okay, We're back. 147 00:10:10,880 --> 00:10:13,920 Speaker 2: In addition to digital silencing, we have seen cases of 148 00:10:14,000 --> 00:10:18,319 Speaker 2: silencing occurring offline, as Americans are being fired or facing 149 00:10:18,400 --> 00:10:22,360 Speaker 2: threats for speaking out in support of Palestine. An open 150 00:10:22,440 --> 00:10:26,319 Speaker 2: letter published in art Forum on October nineteenth declared we 151 00:10:26,400 --> 00:10:29,920 Speaker 2: support Palestinian liberation and call for an end to the 152 00:10:30,000 --> 00:10:33,640 Speaker 2: killing and harming of all civilians. It was signed by 153 00:10:33,760 --> 00:10:38,120 Speaker 2: thousands of artists, scholars, and cultural workers, including the Art 154 00:10:38,160 --> 00:10:42,960 Speaker 2: World magazine's editor David Velasco. A week later, Velasco was 155 00:10:42,960 --> 00:10:45,520 Speaker 2: fired from the publication that he had worked at for 156 00:10:45,600 --> 00:10:51,000 Speaker 2: eighteen years, reportedly after pushback from Martin Eisenberg, a major 157 00:10:51,160 --> 00:10:56,560 Speaker 2: arts patron, and Ben Batham Beyond air Wow. At least 158 00:10:56,679 --> 00:11:01,200 Speaker 2: four Art Forum editors have resigned in protest against Svelasko's firing, 159 00:11:01,840 --> 00:11:05,440 Speaker 2: and many many more people have lost their jobs. Just 160 00:11:05,480 --> 00:11:09,600 Speaker 2: a few quick examples, a Philadelphia sports writer was fired 161 00:11:09,640 --> 00:11:14,000 Speaker 2: after tweeting quote solidarity with Palestine and criticism of a 162 00:11:14,000 --> 00:11:17,320 Speaker 2: seventy six ers post that offered support to Israel after 163 00:11:17,320 --> 00:11:21,760 Speaker 2: Hamas's attack. In another high profile incident, a University of 164 00:11:21,800 --> 00:11:25,480 Speaker 2: California Berkeley professor was sacked as editor in chief of 165 00:11:25,520 --> 00:11:29,240 Speaker 2: the scientific journal eLife after he retweeted an onion article 166 00:11:29,320 --> 00:11:32,760 Speaker 2: that he said, quote calls out indifference to the lives 167 00:11:32,760 --> 00:11:37,920 Speaker 2: of Palestinian civilians. A spokesperson for Palestine Legal, a civil 168 00:11:38,000 --> 00:11:40,640 Speaker 2: rights group, says it has responded to more than two 169 00:11:40,880 --> 00:11:45,720 Speaker 2: hundred and sixty incidents of suppression against Palestinian rights activists 170 00:11:45,760 --> 00:11:48,600 Speaker 2: over two weeks of October, more than it did in 171 00:11:48,679 --> 00:11:52,480 Speaker 2: all of twenty twenty two. The Council on American Islamic 172 00:11:52,520 --> 00:11:57,920 Speaker 2: Relations also CARE or CR, which is a civil rights nonprofit, 173 00:11:58,360 --> 00:12:01,960 Speaker 2: says it received seven hundred and seventy four complaints between 174 00:12:01,960 --> 00:12:05,640 Speaker 2: October seventh and October twenty fourth, which was the largest 175 00:12:05,640 --> 00:12:08,720 Speaker 2: wave of complaints that it's handled since Donald Trump announced 176 00:12:08,720 --> 00:12:12,640 Speaker 2: his Muslim ban in twenty fifteen. This wave has targeted 177 00:12:12,679 --> 00:12:16,160 Speaker 2: professional activists as well as ordinary people who have spoken 178 00:12:16,200 --> 00:12:20,280 Speaker 2: in defense of Palestinians. It has reportedly also escalated into 179 00:12:20,360 --> 00:12:23,040 Speaker 2: death threats, as well as assaults and visits from the 180 00:12:23,080 --> 00:12:28,400 Speaker 2: FBI to Muslim individuals and mosques. In surprise to absolutely 181 00:12:28,440 --> 00:12:31,400 Speaker 2: no one in the United States, the highest levels of 182 00:12:31,440 --> 00:12:35,319 Speaker 2: power have long supported voices backing Israel and its military. 183 00:12:36,320 --> 00:12:39,360 Speaker 2: In the words of Justin Sadowski, an attorney at CARE. 184 00:12:39,880 --> 00:12:44,119 Speaker 2: The swift blowback against pro Palestinian voices builds on decades 185 00:12:44,160 --> 00:12:48,199 Speaker 2: of organized efforts to quote tar Palestinian rights speech as 186 00:12:48,240 --> 00:12:52,319 Speaker 2: pro terrorist or anti Semitic. The late civil rights attorney 187 00:12:52,400 --> 00:12:57,000 Speaker 2: Michael Ratner called this the quote Palestine exception to free speech. 188 00:12:58,000 --> 00:13:02,400 Speaker 2: In twenty fifteen, CCF and Palestine Legal published a report 189 00:13:02,480 --> 00:13:06,760 Speaker 2: on the tactics used by pro Israel lobbying groups, school administrators, 190 00:13:06,960 --> 00:13:11,679 Speaker 2: and public officials to shut down Palestinian rights activists. They 191 00:13:11,720 --> 00:13:15,839 Speaker 2: included false accusations of anti Semitism or support for terrorism, 192 00:13:16,120 --> 00:13:19,640 Speaker 2: as well as legal threats and criminal investigations, and they 193 00:13:19,679 --> 00:13:24,360 Speaker 2: often succeeded in intimidating or deterring Palestinian solidarity activists from 194 00:13:24,400 --> 00:13:29,080 Speaker 2: speaking out. And again, this pattern of silencing is not new. 195 00:13:29,840 --> 00:13:35,719 Speaker 2: The prominent Palestinian American scholar Rashid Khalidi recalls feeling overwhelmingly 196 00:13:35,760 --> 00:13:39,200 Speaker 2: outnumbered at Columbia University in two thousand and three when 197 00:13:39,240 --> 00:13:43,120 Speaker 2: pro Israel advocates protested against him and other faculty, as 198 00:13:43,160 --> 00:13:46,559 Speaker 2: well as students who spoke out against Israel amid intense 199 00:13:46,640 --> 00:13:50,640 Speaker 2: fighting in Gaza and the West Bank news crews hounded 200 00:13:50,720 --> 00:13:53,480 Speaker 2: him on campus, and pro Israel students even made a 201 00:13:53,520 --> 00:13:58,680 Speaker 2: documentary about the controversy. Khalidi says, I think the narrative 202 00:13:58,760 --> 00:14:01,960 Speaker 2: was pretty firmly in the hands of people who supported Israel. 203 00:14:02,840 --> 00:14:06,800 Speaker 2: But he continued, there's a generational change taking place with 204 00:14:06,960 --> 00:14:10,839 Speaker 2: young people having an entirely different set of views. They 205 00:14:10,880 --> 00:14:15,319 Speaker 2: consume different media, and I think they're more educated, more worldly, 206 00:14:15,640 --> 00:14:19,760 Speaker 2: and better informed than their elders. The recent laws against 207 00:14:19,800 --> 00:14:23,240 Speaker 2: the boycotting of Israel, in particular, which thirty six states 208 00:14:23,280 --> 00:14:28,400 Speaker 2: have enacted, directly stifle political advocacy by making people choose 209 00:14:28,440 --> 00:14:32,720 Speaker 2: between their livelihoods and their First Amendment rights. Last year, 210 00:14:32,800 --> 00:14:36,280 Speaker 2: the Jewish American scholar Nathan Thrahl announced that he had 211 00:14:36,320 --> 00:14:39,960 Speaker 2: been disinvited from speaking at the University of Arkansas for 212 00:14:40,080 --> 00:14:43,560 Speaker 2: refusing to sign an anti boycott pledge that was required 213 00:14:43,600 --> 00:14:48,160 Speaker 2: of public contractors by state law. Maybe after all this, 214 00:14:48,360 --> 00:14:50,400 Speaker 2: you're asking yourself, so what. 215 00:14:50,480 --> 00:14:51,240 Speaker 1: Do we do now? 216 00:14:52,320 --> 00:14:54,480 Speaker 2: We do exactly what they don't want us to do, 217 00:14:54,840 --> 00:14:58,000 Speaker 2: exactly what they're afraid of us doing, exactly what they're 218 00:14:58,040 --> 00:15:01,960 Speaker 2: trying to deter us from doing. Continue talking about Palestine 219 00:15:02,000 --> 00:15:05,920 Speaker 2: and sharing news and images and information that exposes Israel's 220 00:15:05,960 --> 00:15:10,240 Speaker 2: crime of genocide against the Palestinian people. The same way 221 00:15:10,280 --> 00:15:13,160 Speaker 2: people say to vote with your dollar when it comes 222 00:15:13,160 --> 00:15:16,400 Speaker 2: to boycotting certain brands and choosing where your money goes. 223 00:15:16,640 --> 00:15:19,240 Speaker 2: You can decide how you want to use your social 224 00:15:19,280 --> 00:15:22,360 Speaker 2: media platforms, What do you want to do with your 225 00:15:22,360 --> 00:15:27,080 Speaker 2: digital presence, what do you stand for? Personally? I think 226 00:15:27,120 --> 00:15:30,440 Speaker 2: the days of casually and incessantly posting about your life 227 00:15:30,480 --> 00:15:33,360 Speaker 2: are behind us, or at least we're headed in that direction. 228 00:15:34,280 --> 00:15:38,440 Speaker 2: We're utilizing social media in a different way now. Seeing 229 00:15:38,480 --> 00:15:41,720 Speaker 2: how gen Z has utilized TikTok to share information is 230 00:15:41,760 --> 00:15:45,720 Speaker 2: a great example of that. I don't think celebrity culture, unfortunately, 231 00:15:45,760 --> 00:15:48,560 Speaker 2: will ever completely go away on social media, but I 232 00:15:48,600 --> 00:15:51,640 Speaker 2: do think we are demanding more about our celebrities now, 233 00:15:52,680 --> 00:15:56,080 Speaker 2: and I think, especially as we're seeing quote unquote trusted 234 00:15:56,400 --> 00:16:00,760 Speaker 2: news sources pedal disinformation and propaganda and an e responsible 235 00:16:00,800 --> 00:16:04,560 Speaker 2: and appalling way to put it very lightly, we are 236 00:16:04,600 --> 00:16:07,840 Speaker 2: relying on each other to share real information, and in 237 00:16:07,880 --> 00:16:10,520 Speaker 2: this case, our resources are coming from the people who 238 00:16:10,560 --> 00:16:14,280 Speaker 2: are directly experiencing the horrors of genocide for the past 239 00:16:14,360 --> 00:16:18,800 Speaker 2: five months and seventy six years, and those voices must 240 00:16:18,840 --> 00:16:22,040 Speaker 2: be amplified. There are a lot of solid arguments to 241 00:16:22,080 --> 00:16:24,440 Speaker 2: be made against social media as a whole when it 242 00:16:24,480 --> 00:16:27,600 Speaker 2: comes to whether or not it benefits humanity. But I 243 00:16:27,640 --> 00:16:30,200 Speaker 2: am seeing something shift now where we are able to 244 00:16:30,320 --> 00:16:33,600 Speaker 2: utilize this tool for our betterment. If it wasn't for 245 00:16:33,680 --> 00:16:37,120 Speaker 2: social media, the movement for Palestinian liberation would not be 246 00:16:37,240 --> 00:16:41,320 Speaker 2: where it is today. People who were previously uninformed would 247 00:16:41,360 --> 00:16:44,400 Speaker 2: never have seen the reality of the situation were it 248 00:16:44,440 --> 00:16:47,320 Speaker 2: not for our ability to learn from each other outside 249 00:16:47,400 --> 00:16:51,280 Speaker 2: of the limitations of mainstream news. We are learning to 250 00:16:51,360 --> 00:16:55,960 Speaker 2: trust the establishment less and trust each other more. And 251 00:16:56,000 --> 00:16:58,640 Speaker 2: I think we're able to use social media in this way. 252 00:16:58,760 --> 00:17:01,800 Speaker 2: It's actually a net positive for us. It doesn't have 253 00:17:01,880 --> 00:17:04,240 Speaker 2: to be empty and mind theming in a way to 254 00:17:04,280 --> 00:17:06,320 Speaker 2: control us or get us to spend our money to 255 00:17:06,400 --> 00:17:10,320 Speaker 2: keep the capitalism machine in good working order. We can 256 00:17:10,400 --> 00:17:13,399 Speaker 2: decide how we utilize our digital presence and the good 257 00:17:13,480 --> 00:17:16,480 Speaker 2: that can come from it. And to be united in 258 00:17:16,520 --> 00:17:20,679 Speaker 2: this way is extremely powerful and it can ignite real change, 259 00:17:21,040 --> 00:17:22,920 Speaker 2: and at the very least, it can be our way 260 00:17:22,960 --> 00:17:26,040 Speaker 2: of spiting the powers that be and refusing to be sheep. 261 00:17:27,119 --> 00:17:31,280 Speaker 2: Existing in an age of mass surveillance is frankly very terrifying. 262 00:17:31,880 --> 00:17:34,479 Speaker 2: But seeing the lengths that companies like Meta will not 263 00:17:34,520 --> 00:17:37,560 Speaker 2: only go to to surveill us, but to monitor what 264 00:17:37,600 --> 00:17:41,480 Speaker 2: we consume, it's extremely revealing of how weak their power 265 00:17:41,520 --> 00:17:45,280 Speaker 2: actually is. It's up to us to take back that power, 266 00:17:46,160 --> 00:17:49,280 Speaker 2: especially now as we are witnessing a genocide happen in 267 00:17:49,400 --> 00:17:52,600 Speaker 2: real time on our silly little devices for the past 268 00:17:52,640 --> 00:17:55,880 Speaker 2: five months, and having people become aware of the slower 269 00:17:55,920 --> 00:17:59,400 Speaker 2: genocide and ethnic cleansing that has taken place for seventy 270 00:17:59,440 --> 00:18:03,800 Speaker 2: six years. So keep talking about Palestine, both in person 271 00:18:03,880 --> 00:18:08,280 Speaker 2: with your peers and family and online. I can't guarantee 272 00:18:08,320 --> 00:18:11,600 Speaker 2: that you won't face pushback or repercussions, because as we know, 273 00:18:11,720 --> 00:18:15,240 Speaker 2: that is a real possibility, but the community of people 274 00:18:15,320 --> 00:18:18,199 Speaker 2: that you gain from learning of and speaking the truth 275 00:18:18,680 --> 00:18:22,919 Speaker 2: far outweighs any individual fear, and I would rather stand 276 00:18:22,920 --> 00:18:26,720 Speaker 2: for something than cower by myself or be controlled by fear. 277 00:18:27,640 --> 00:18:31,040 Speaker 2: We do have the ability to change things. I have 278 00:18:31,119 --> 00:18:34,760 Speaker 2: to believe that something else is possible, but it starts 279 00:18:34,800 --> 00:18:37,800 Speaker 2: with taking the blinders off and making a choice about 280 00:18:37,840 --> 00:18:41,080 Speaker 2: how you want to utilize the tools at your disposal, 281 00:18:41,720 --> 00:18:46,040 Speaker 2: rather than be utilized yourself and that my Friends is 282 00:18:46,080 --> 00:18:48,840 Speaker 2: our episode for today. Thank you so much for listening 283 00:18:49,040 --> 00:18:54,000 Speaker 2: and Repalestine. 284 00:18:56,119 --> 00:18:58,640 Speaker 1: It Could Happen year as a production of cool zone Media. 285 00:18:58,720 --> 00:19:02,160 Speaker 1: For more podcasting pools Zoned Media, visit our website coolzonemedia 286 00:19:02,200 --> 00:19:04,520 Speaker 1: dot com or check us out on the iHeartRadio app, 287 00:19:04,560 --> 00:19:07,719 Speaker 1: Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen to podcasts. You can 288 00:19:07,760 --> 00:19:10,439 Speaker 1: find sources for It Could Happen here, updated monthly at 289 00:19:10,480 --> 00:19:13,719 Speaker 1: coolzonemedia dot com slash sources. Thanks for listening.