Webinar: Palestinian feminist voices: Atrocities propaganda and gendered disinformation
When: Thursday, 14 March 2024, 14 UTC
Register here: https://limesurvey.apc.org/index.php/927137?lang=en
Moderators: Islam al Khatib and Hija Kamran
Speakers: Fidaa Zaanin, Orouba Othman, Marwa Fatafta, Jenan Matari
The strategic use of atrocity propaganda by Israel, particularly in online media, serves as a key tool in justifying the relentless targeting of Palestinians in Gaza and the Strip. These propaganda narratives justify the killings and dehumanising Palestinian men, exacerbating the alienation of Palestinian women, children and the entire population from the global community. Such gendered disinformation not only perpetuates violence but also undermines feminist causes, as noted by feminist organisations across the SWANA region, denouncing the exploitation of sexual violence as a weapon of war in the propaganda campaign for genocide: “Colonial powers have used these weapons throughout their history, and we refuse to see them exploited today in the propaganda campaign for genocide.”
We have seen this happen many times around the world, and more importantly we are now witnessing it being used against Palestinians as they try to survive Israeli genocide.
Israeli atrocity propaganda operates on two fronts: subjecting Palestinians to sexual violence with the aim of humiliation and portraying Palestinian men as one monstrous entity, thereby framing Palestinian society as ‘backward’.
Against this backdrop, Noor and APC’s Take Back The Tech are convening a conversation to illuminate the multifaceted impact of these actions on Palestinian-gendered bodies. Led by Palestinian voices, this dialogue aims to dissect the detrimental effects of Israel's atrocity propaganda and its intersection with gendered disinformation, magnifying the violence endured by Palestinians both within and beyond their homeland. Our aim is not only to understand the weaponisation of Israeli disinformation but also to recognise its global origins, including non-Israeli digital content creators, governmental allies, non-governmental organisations and other entities complicit in perpetuating distorted narratives.
This diverse origin of disinformation points to a broader, more insidious trend in digital manipulation. Israel’s role in exporting digital surveillance and propaganda machinery worldwide, often aligning with far-right governments, will ultimately lead to normalising all forms of death.
In this conversation, Palestinian feminist tech and digital rights defenders and content creators will share their experiences and perspectives on the gendered disinformation people are facing, offering us a counter-narrative to adopt in the face of the heavily funded, strategically disseminated disinformation that seeks to distort the global understanding of the Palestinian struggle. We will hear firsthand accounts and strategies from speakers who have witnessed and fought against Israeli atrocities propaganda and gendered disinformation online amidst the ongoing genocide.
The webinar will be open to the public and you can register for it here:
https://limesurvey.apc.org/index.php/927137?lang=en
Further resources:
- 7amleh’s Hashtag Palestine 2023 report shows real-world consequences of digital rights violations
- Coalition of international organisations demands that Meta refrain from censoring criticism of Zionism on its platforms
- "This attack has brought all human rights frameworks into question”: Experts speak about genocide and the internet in Gaza
- Joint letter on several European governments’ decisions to suspend or review their funding to Palestinian and Israeli civil society organisations
- APC urges 119 governments to respect human rights and law at the UNGA emergency session on Gaza
- APC condemns violence against Palestinians and demands protection of human rights for all
- Civil society organisations call for tech companies to respect Palestinian digital rights in times of crisis
- Meta is silencing genocide
- Statements and other resources by the UN Human Rights Office and other UN human rights mechanisms regarding the situation in the Occupied Palestinian Territory and Israel since 7 October 2023.