The Electronic Intifada: The Palestinian Online Resistance in the 2nd Intifada
ABSTRACT
This paper examines the utility of the Internet in the war of ideas in the Al-Aqsa Intifada in the period from 2000-2008. It tests the hypothesis that the internet is a ‘force-multiplier’ and ‘equalizer’ for the Palestinians to counter a more militarily superior State of Israel. The prognosis offered in this paper is that the empowering characteristics of the internet have transformed the Palestinian struggle into ‘asymmetric warfare’ akin to Mao’s ‘People’s War’ fought on cyberspace. Empirical findings largely confirmed the hypothesis, but with reservations about the ‘equalizer’ effect. The effectiveness of the Palestinian’s online resistance is attributable to their assimilation into the NGO/IO community and achieving traction with the news media. However, decades of Israeli influence on US media and audiences continue to present a significant barrier.
AUTHORS
Singapore Armed Forces
James K.H. Yin works in the area of corporate communications, information campaign planning, crisis communications, consequence management, media management, publicity and internal communications. He holds a B.Eng (Hon) in Electrical Engineering from the National University of Singapore and recently, M.A. (Distinction) International Communications from the University of Leeds where his dissertation (published in this article) was awarded top honours.
Published In
Journal of Information Warfare
The definitive publication for the best and latest research and analysis on information warfare, information operations, and cyber crime. Available in traditional hard copy or online.
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