Shocking: Most of the anti Palestine and pro Israeli social media propaganda run by BJP IT cell in India: international media
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In the aftermath of Israel's occupation of Palestine, misinformation often aligns with anti-Palestinian sentiment and Islamophobia, fueled by the use of social media. Notably, a report from Al-Jazeera reveals that a significant portion of the disinformation campaigns related to Hamas's October 7 attack on southern Israel can be traced back to right-leaning Indian accounts.
These "disinfluencers," who regularly spread misinformation, tend to exhibit a negative bias against Palestine while supporting Israel, as verified by BOOM, a reputable Indian fact-checking service. They have perpetuated stereotypes that unfairly depict Palestinians as inherently violent. For example, a video falsely claiming to show Palestinian fighters abducting young girls circulated widely, although it likely depicted a school trip to Jerusalem. This misleading video garnered millions of views, with many of the accounts sharing it originating from India.
In another instance, a video falsely depicting Hamas kidnapping a Jewish baby gained widespread attention, with seven of the top 10 most-shared tweets featuring the video originating from India. These deceptive videos often come from accounts that also engage in anti-Muslim rhetoric on the platform, further exacerbating the problem.
India has been grappling with an issue of Islamophobia, which has grown with the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). A report by the Islamic Council of Victoria revealed that a significant number of Islamophobic tweets can be linked back to India.
The Palestinian cause has attracted Islamophobic individuals on social media, some of whom are associated with what is known as the "BJP's IT Cell." This group has played a role in amplifying online hatred against Palestinians.
Elon Musk's acquisition of X and his reduced focus on combating misinformation on the platform may have set a precedent for other tech giants like Meta and YouTube, as they appear to be reassessing their efforts to combat hate speech, disinformation, and harmful content. The European Union even warned Musk about the surge in disinformation on X following the Hamas attack on Israel.
