New Media in Israel

This issue of the Newsletter covers the period 11-14 February 2018. Israeli social media networks were absorbed in three issues.

Firstly, following investigations, the Israeli police submitted recommendations that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu be brought to court on grounds of two corruption charges.

Netanyahu rejected the police recommendations, stressing he would not leave his office and finish his term up to the last day. Netanyahu confirmed that he never deviated from the state’s interest. However, the police recommendations have sent political aftershocks that raced around Israel’s political system. These developments have reflected on Israeli social media platforms.

Overall, Israeli social media activists expressed outrage over the police recommendations. While some supported him, others demanded that Netanyahu step down and declare inability to perform his duties.

Secondly, two Israeli male and female soldiers entered the city of Jenin by mistake. The soldiers said they were attacked by Palestinian young men. Palestinian police forces managed to rescue the soldiers and hand them over the Israeli occupying authorities at the Al Jalama checkpoint.

The soldiers took footage of the Palestinian young men who attacked them. The video went viral on social media networks, featuring comments of incitement and calls for punishing the residents of Jenin in particular, and Palestinians in general.

Finally, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu made a statement about communications with the US President’s Office regarding the annexation of areas across the West Bank. The White House denied the statement. Having taken up the Israeli social media networks a great deal, this preoccupation had only come to an end after the police recommendations were released.