10 | APRIL 28 • 2022 PURELY COMMENTARY SOCIAL MEDIA continued from page 6 everything that’s happening right now, war is happening in two dif- ferent areas: The battle of the real people, fighting for their homes, health, family, safety and lives, calling for help and begging for salvation, aside from the battle on our screens, the dreaded fake news war that’s threatening to detract from the value of what’s out there. I want to believe that we all try to look at the bigger picture, doubt what we read, check the sources or the background and stick to the facts we know. And yet, why am I so intrigued by what’s going on on social media? Well, it seems like we forgot how to talk. MY PERSPECTIVE I’m an 18-year-old teenager, who was born and grew up in Israel. Growing up, I remember better and worse times in my country. We have never lacked for prob- lems, fighting operations, dangers or criticism around us, but we kept living our lives because this is the story of all of us. We live our routine, and no matter what, when something happens, even my dad, with a family, will put on his IDF uniform from 10 years earlier and go out there. What else can you do? But the first time I realized how bad social media could affect what’s happening out- side was in May 2021 during Israel’s Guardian of the Walls operation, the last fighting oper- ation between the IDF and the Palestinian terror organizations in the Gaza strip. I constantly followed the news as I was sitting nervously in my home in Jezreel Valley. Seeing on the side of the screen rockets siren alarms, one after another, at such a rapid pace on the TV that before I had time to read the name of the city, another name pops on the screen in big, bold letters. I followed nervously the IDF battalions that were entering the battles, the names of those who came back injured, trau- matized or hurt, aside from those who didn’t come back at all. Thousands of rockets were fired into Israel, with friends and family from the south and the center running back and forth from their shelters or escaping up north to find refuge, leaving their homes behind. The chaos, the danger, the pain, I’m sure not just us Israelis felt those feelings; perhaps the Palestinian people did, too. But the world out there sharing, posting, typing and hashtag- ging didn’t help the situation. Hundreds, thousands, hundreds of thousands of social media pages covered what was hap- pening. Pro-X, Pro-Y, everyone’s opinions suddenly became facts. Users were fighting in comment sections, insulting posts, TikToks and tweets everywhere. But mostly, fake news and twisted reality that increased the rage and frustration of the people in the shelters, of the soldiers outside still trying to do the right thing after the whole world is criticiz- ing Israel until it seems that peo- ple forgot that there are people on both sides, homes, families and dreams. For me, it was har- rowing. THE MEET PROGRAM Last May, when everything hap- pened, was a few weeks before my graduation from one of the most meaningful programs I’ve taken a part of: MEET — a lead- ership program for Israeli and Palestinian high schoolers. I feel this program has greatly influ- enced me, opened my horizons, and taught me how to design my identity as an Israeli Jew who strives for peace and a peaceful life together. I learned to be aware of my story and look for the people around me, even if we have different points of view. Through the three years of the program, in which we created entrepreneurship projects, lead- ership workshops and computer science classes, I made genuine friends through DU — Deeper Understanding sessions. This place proved to me that it was a safe space where you could listen, share and talk your honest thoughts and opinions no matter what was happening outside. Those were the moments I thought I was building some- thing bigger. Until this single text message one night in the middle of May that popped on my screen from my MEET’s cohort group chat from one of the most prom- inent students. Right after some exciting messages about our upcoming graduation ceremony: “On behalf of the Palestinian students, We would like to ask you to give us our certificates without having events with the other side. ” No one responded for a long time, but obviously, it aroused the interest of us all. It did not matter what would happen next, whether we would graduate or not. At this moment, I felt a failure. I’ve known these people for the last three years. We came together, 50% Israelis and 50% Palestinians, to create something unique. Not just social startups to help create a better future for the Middle East, and not just comforting vocabulary in leader- ship studies. I’ve always believed there is an added value to this program that brings Israelis and Palestinians together and perhaps gives us the only opportunity to get to know each other from such a close view. I did not understand when I became the “other side. ” What is even the “other side” and wheth- er, after three years of such deep connections, there is a place for titles like “Palestinian” or “Israeli” students? Before I even had a chance to share my views, the opportunity to listen to honest opinions, real people, not the ones hiding behind posts and hashtags, I became the other side. Why? Because some people, celebrities, actors, musicians, athletes and influencers who hsve a following, and have probably never heard a siren in their life, decided that my friends and I were on two different sides. Beyond the frustration of the lack of understanding, opacity and ignorance of those giant stars who write to their millions of followers beautiful words about what’s going on from their safe homes on the other side of the world, my friends and I could no longer speak. We are neighbors for the long term, and if we want strongly enough, we can also be good neighbors, but the war on social media continues to separate us, even more than the real one, it seems. Why do I still think about it, almost a year later? In these very days, when a big part of the world is in the midst of a war of survival, think about what you read, see or hear and always ask yourself: Should I comment in public or maybe start talking to this one person with the opinion I care about? Should I share it because it’s something I agree with or maybe I just like this guy’s music? Should I keep scrolling, look around and talk to someone with an opinion I appreciate? Ron Harel is a young israeli emissary in the Jewish communities of Metropolitan Detroit and Ann Arbor. Here in Michigan, you can find her volunteering at Frankel Jewish Academy, Temple Israel, Hebrew Day School of Ann Arbor, Washtenaw Jewish News and JFMD, among other places.