By Sara Macias, ICB Reporter 
Arizona State University student Hayley Magerman changed her Facebook profile picture this week.
Magerman, who is president of ASU’s Sun Devils for Israel group and a Hasbara Fellow as well as Hasbara southwest campus coordinator, added a message under her picture: “Cooperation, not unilateralism, is the path to peace. Israelis want peace, and have proven it.”
Nearly everyone uses Facebook to keep in touch with friends and share pictures and links, but the social media site also can help spread support, as many people have demonstrated in the buildup to the United Nations’ discussions on Mideast issues including Israel.
Hasbara Fellowships has used a Facebook theme for its “
Friend Request Pending” campaign that aims to build support for Israel. “Friend Request Pending,” which is part of the
Real Partners. Real Peace initiative, demonstrates that Israel has tried to “make friends” with its neighbors and has received little reciprocation.
The campaign website features informative cards and posters designed around the Facebook layout, as well as tips for taking action on campus. Hasbara also posted a
video to Youtube with a “placebook” theme. It shows Israel sending friend requests to countries like Jordan and Egypt, accompanied by a variety of “gifts.” Israel then tries to make friends with Palestine, but Palestine does not agree.
Hasbara also has asked students to change their Facebook profile picture to a picture in their campaign that shows an Israeli child and a Palestinian child, arm in arm, with the message, “You Don’t Get to Real Peace Without Talking to Your Neighbors.” With this picture, students can direct their Facebook friends to Hasbara’s campaign and educate people on the importance of the events unfolding at the U.N.
Most campus Israel organizations have a Facebook page as a way to send event notifications to members and keep members informed on Israel related news.
The public Facebook page of Ohio State’s
Buckeyes for Israel has 197 members, some of whom have posted articles and videos to help their members understand the UN vote and Israel’s efforts. A
petition against a unilateral declaration of independence was posted on the page early this week.
ASU’s
Sun Devils for Israel group has used its Facebook page as a way of encouraging their 283 members to take action regarding the upcoming U.N. vote. Members and alumni have published more than a dozen posts in the past week that shed light on Israel’s relationship with its neighbors and the U.N. vote.
ASU’s group also used the page to post schedules for tabling in the week of the UN General Assembly meetings and to educate members and other students on campus about why the vote is important for Israel and “for the greater community.”
After a July conference in Washington, DC, the Real Partners. Real Peace (RPRP) initiative also joined the Facebook community.
RPRP posts articles from a wide variety of media sources that help keep followers informed, and it has released a YouTube video, “Peace Between Israelis and Palestinians through Direct Negotiations,” which promotes peace and shows historical examples in which direct negotiations worked. In the first week, the video had over 18,000 views, and just two day later totals more than 32,000.
The network of campus Israel supporters is only beginning to make full use of the power of social media. The majority of high school and college students and alumni have a Facebook account and use it regularly, thus making it an ideal tool for educating the public and empowering advocates.
What’s easier than “Liking” something you read or view and instantly sharing it with all of your friends?
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