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July 4, 2008
Soldiers still in hearts
Facebook action over Schalit is a positive step.
EVA COHEN
How much have you done in the past two years? A lot, probably. Two years is a long time, and that is how long Israel has been waiting for her three kidnapped soldiers: Gilad Schalit, Ehud Goldwasser and Eldad Regev.
The missing soldiers have never left the minds of Israelis and June 25 marked two years to the day since Schalit was taken. Goldwasser and Regev were taken just over two weeks later. Their kidnappings are especially in the public eye now, as the Olmert government recently agreed to release prisoner Samir Kuntar in an exchange for the soldiers: whether they be dead or alive.
In the lead up to the two-year date since Schalit's kidnapping, young people around the world joined together on Facebook to express their yearning for his return. Several groups were created for people to join, the largest one entitled "24.06. my facebook status. 'is waiting for Gilad Shalit for 2 years!!!'" This group was created two days before the two-year point and, by June 25, had grown to 60,000 members. Although created specifically to raise awareness for the two-year milestone, people have continued to join the group and it now has more than 70,000 members.
An interesting statistic from the group is that it was created by an Israeli and most of the users who joined were also Israeli. This sort of grassroots Internet activism is usually attributed to Jews from North American campuses, but it is clear, through groups like this one for Schalit, that the abducted soldiers are a topic on which almost all Israeli are united.
In Facebook groups, users can post messages and start discussions. There are hundreds of messages posted wishing the Schalit family well and urging Ehud Olmert and his government to take action or resign. All those who posted a message said they feel a connection to Schalit.
"In Israel, every 18-year-old joins the IDF; my best friends are joining it in the next several months and I will in a year," wrote Ori Unterman. "It's impossible for me to think how it would feel if one of my friends or family was there instead of Gilad. I'm not doing any action for politics in or outside of Israel, I just care about people and what is going on with Schalit, Regev and Goldwasser is just not human! I don't want to live in a country that leaves behind her brave soldiers."
This sentiment was echoed by 23-year-old Dor Druker.
"In a country this small, where everyone knows what it's like to serve in the army, and knows how loss feels, something such as this is a national tragedy. We all care. Instead of Gilad it could have been someone I know," wrote Druker.
Although the members are mostly Israeli, there are users who have joined from around the world. Messages have been posted in many languages, including Spanish and several eastern European languages. Students from North America have also joined – and in the summer months, when many are in Israel or elsewhere away from school.
Since it is the summer, activist organizations, such as Hasbara Fellowships, are not doing anything specific to mark the two-year date, but director Elliot Mathias pointed to the fellowship groups currently in Israel who will be meeting with politicians and can bring back what they have learned for on-campus projects in the fall.
"We often create initiatives for what we think students will be interested in," said Mathias. "But grassroots activism like this is great because it's spontaneous and it shows this is an issue people really care about."
Mathias also pointed out that the power of social networking can go both ways. On Facebook, for example, there are also groups advocating the destruction of Israel and anti-Semitism.
"The nature of technology is that it can be used for good and bad," said Mathias. "Groups like this show the power of using it to our advantage."
However, freelance activist Ben Feferman cautioned that Internet social networking has also created a culture of apathy.
"People feel that, by joining a Facebook group, they have done their part for the cause," said Feferman. "In addition, many people have been overwhelmed with invitations to join groups and, in many ways, they have lost their potency as effective activism tools."
That being said, the level of involvement in the Schalit groups has reached a new level. Many people logged into their accounts on June 25 and half of the people on their friends list displayed the picture of Schalit on their profile, instead of their own. Members were prompted by discussions in the groups to join rallies, write letters and participate in other activist forums.
With the level of internal pressure currently in Israel for action on behalf of the soldiers, and massive showings in such Internet groups, perhaps something will get done.
Eva Cohen is a freelance writer based in Leeds, England.
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