Israel backed by army of cyber-soldiers

[grassfed]

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/printFriendly/0,,1-3-2289232-3,00.html

Israel backed by army of cyber-soldiers
From Yonit Farago in Jerusalem

WHILE Israel fights Hezbollah with tanks and aircraft, its supporters are campaigning on the internet.

Israel’s Government has thrown its weight behind efforts by supporters to counter what it believes to be negative bias and a tide of pro-Arab propaganda. The Foreign Ministry has ordered trainee diplomats to track websites and chatrooms so that networks of US and European groups with hundreds of thousands of Jewish activists can place supportive messages.

In the past week nearly 5,000 members of the World Union of Jewish Students (WUJS) have downloaded special “megaphone” software that alerts them to anti-Israeli chatrooms or internet polls to enable them to post contrary viewpoints. A student team in Jerusalem combs the web in a host of different languages to flag the sites so that those who have signed up can influence an opinion survey or the course of a debate.

Jonny Cline, of the international student group, said that Jewish students and youth groups with their understanding of the web environment were ideally placed to present another side to the debate.

“We’re saying to these people that if Israel is being bashed, don’t ignore it, change it,” Mr Cline said. “A poll like CNN’s takes just a few seconds to vote in, but if thousands take part the outcome will be changed. What’s vital is that the international face of the conflict is balanced.”

Doron Barkat, 29, in Jerusalem, spends long nights trawling the web to try to swing the debate Israel’s way. “When I see internet polls for or against Israel I send out a mailing list to vote for Israel,” he said. “It can be that after 15 minutes there will be 400 votes for Israel.

Israel’s Foreign Ministry must avoid direct involvement with the campaign but is in contact with international Jewish and evangelical Christian groups, distributing internet information packs.

Amir Gissin, the Israeli Foreign Ministry’s public relations director, said: “The internet’s become a leading tool for news, shaping the world view of millions. Our problem is the foreign media shows Lebanese suffering, but not Israeli. We’re bypassing that filter by distributing pictures showing how northern Israelis suffer from Katyusha rocket attacks.”

http://www.eyeonculture.net

[AlamoDemoc]

1. also here;

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=364&topic_id=1896873

[Scurrilous]

5. A comment from that site:

"an interesting way to gum up the works on DU is to press alert on every post...even remotely anti-semitic or anti-israel."

http://%20prosemiteundercover.phpbbnow.com/viewtopic.php?p=2416&highlight=&sid=390bcc76e4f9ab5277f797e86fd8020e#2416


Gum up the works? Is that allowed here?

[AlamoDemoc]

9. your link didn't work...but this one does;

http://prosemiteundercover.phpbbnow.com/viewtopic.php?p=2426&sid=f32c36c2fbcbabd0b9a1130fd84a65b5

[CrushTheDLC]

10. Some piece of work that site (and those people are)

I recognize some names there too. Hard to believe they are allowed to remain on DU when they state openly their intentions to harrass this website and its members themselves, and encourage FAUX news and others to do the same.

[jonnyblitz]

11. I have a whole thread dedicated to me

in the "anti-semitism on the internet" forum! :rofl:

somebody sent me a link to this place about 2 weeks ago in a PM...

[Scurrilous]

12. Yes...

...the 'Anti-Semitism on the Internet' forum where just about every thread is about DU and people who post at DU. Where DU is referred to as the 'DUmp' and the 'DUmpster' and DUers are called 'Dummies.' All this presided over and moderated by a current member of DU.

Fucking amazing.

[jonnyblitz]

16. did you also notice that most of the sources they use over there

when they link to news or info are right wing?

[izzybeans]

18. It is curiously familiar in tone to another website

that we can't mention. This might be the suppository for their trolls.

[jonnyblitz]

19. no need to mention.

I hear you. :thumbsup:

[izzybeans]

24. There are actually two identical threads in both forums at the moment

[Scurrilous]

22. They're snitching DU out...

...to the right-wing media:

"Why can't we get a magazine like the New Republic to do an article on anti-semitism and mention DU. This will cause the DNC to either condone or reject the anti-semitism that occurs there."


"We should collect the "best" posts and send them to FOXNEWS.
O'Reilly or Hannity could force a Democratic party official to come on and repudiate or embrace them.
That anti-semetic detritus needs to be exposed."


"You've got a point.
I have sent some choice comments to Howard Dean and ADL.
The press might be a better idea. FOX would adore it."


"Is somebody collecting them?
Let's e-mail Hannity or O'Reilly."


http://%20prosemiteundercover.phpbbnow.com/viewtopic.php?t=505&highlight=adl&sid=7c3d3190b0d34178c494cb14257fac76

[cali]

28. That site is really disturbing

I'm opposed to anti-semitism, and I've spoken up when I've seen it here, but this this site, the comments, and the suggestions, are just plain creepy.

[jonnyblitz]

29. you should have seen it before they discovered people

from here and other liberal discussion boards were lurking there. they had to change a few subject lines and delete a few links. (ie. "how do we eradicate the Palestinians from Israeli life", with a link to the Mier Kahane site, for one example). A few of us (probably more than I know of) have been lurking there for a few weeks now.

[leftchick]

27. fucking amazing is right

I wonder why they are still here when they brag about being trolls on that site?

[mom cat]

15. Interesting ... that thread was locked.

[tocqueville]

2. con spin doesn't work, people aren't THAT stupid

in general... and intelligent, decent people can counter the BS.

"but is in contact with international Jewish and evangelical Christian groups, distributing internet information packs."

says it all

[IntiRaymi]

3. Yep, basically.

I am amazed at the desire for war that entire swaths of the population has.
At this point, I am getting quite used to the irrationality of some posters in the I/P forums, where common human decency appears to have vacated their consciences.

[tocqueville]

4. I was referring to the world majority

sorry, but most Europeans don't buy the Israel spin since the eighties, and plenty of other countrie don't either. The US "Israel standpoint" is an exception a bit like standpoints about guns, death penalty and evolution.

[primative1]

6. What Else Is New ..

You can squash some of the conversations some of the time but once they have started (and they have) you cant step on them all.

[thethinker]

7. This isn't new

I could spot it when Jenin was being invaded. Was that in 2002?

The idea is to drown out conversations or to change the subject, so others can't discuss the issue. They are well organized and I am not surprised to see them bragging on another site.

[AlamoDemoc]

8. K&R

[Name removed]

13. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Mr_Spock]

14. Gee, I haven't noticed

This never happens ... :eyes:

[bvar22]

17. They are easy to spot.

Cloned little zombies that can't deviate from their issued talking points.

One of the "give aways" is an absolute insistence that the entire Invasion of Lebanon STARTED when Hezbollah captured two of its soldiers.

[Jim Sagle]

20. That's what happened, pal. Like it or lump it.

[bvar22]

21. *

:eyes:

[TahitiNut]

23. "You're either with us or against us."

Thanks, Dubya. :hi:

[Jim Sagle]

25. Oucccccccchhhhhhhhhhhh!!!!!! You really know how to hurt a guy!

;(

[Scurrilous]

26. 'US, Israel planned ME war'

<snip>

"The US government was closely involved in the planning of Israel's military operations against Islamic militant group Hezbollah even before the July 12 kidnapping of two Israeli soldiers, The New Yorker magazine reported in its latest issue.

The kidnapping triggered a month-long Israeli operation in South Lebanon that is expected to come to an end on Monday.

But Pulitzer Prize-winning US journalist Seymour Hersh writes that President George W Bush and vice president Dick Cheney were convinced that a successful Israeli bombing campaign against Hezbollah could ease Israel's security concerns and also serve as a prelude to a potential US pre-emptive attack to destroy Iran's nuclear installations.

Citing an unnamed Middle East expert with knowledge of the current thinking of the Israeli and US governments, Israel had devised a plan for attacking Hezbollah - and shared it with Bush administration officials - well before the July 12 kidnappings."

http://www.news24.com/News24/World/Middle_East/0,,2-10-2075_1981865,00.html

[Jim Sagle]

30. Scurrilous trash.

[CrushTheDLC]

32. Yeah, that Sy Hersh. What an anti semitic bastard he is!

:sarcasm: :eyes:

[Fredda Weinberg]

35. Once again ... why the flame bait? n/t

[Wiley50]

31. kick n/t

[Wiley50]

33. I don't see why this thread isn't higher profile

or why the admins haven't posted a statement on this situation?

I don't like DU being the target of such subtrifuge and sabotage

[me b zola]

34. Peace, Propaganda, and the Promised Land

On FreeSpeech TV right now, they are doing a show on this topic.

[The empressof all]

36. lock

This discussion is not helpful. If you have questions or concerns please contact the admins.

Thanks