How Israel-Hamas War Broke Social Media

Online, where most people are witnessing the horrific events in Israel and Gaza through their screens, chaos has been the defining quality.

The image shows a man's hand holding up a Palestinian flag with what looks to be a rose, framed by a sunset. "We are staring into the void—in the midst of an apocalypse rendered by our own bloody hands," reads the Instagram post. This came not from an individual account but instead from a restaurant called Lil Deb's Oasis in Hudson, New York. In the comments on that post, things got messy, as Lil Deb's heard from disgruntled customers ("never stepping foot in your restaurant again how sick"), rhapsodic fans ("Looks like y'all took out the overflowing trash, and it only took one post!") and potential customers ("Was hoping to try out the food at your restaurant but I don't support terrorists or people that don't actively condemn terrorists"). Lil Deb's claimed to have lost 2,000 followers after the post and said: "We aren't afraid to lose fake friends." Later, via email, it put the figure around 600.

Meanwhile, celebrities such as Sarah Silverman (who reposted a screed saying that Israel was justified in cutting off water and fuel to Gaza) and sports teams like the beleaguered Carolina Panthers (who got roasted in their comments for saying they stood by Israel) have also joined the thousands of individuals, brands, organizations and small businesses being criticized for their posts on the events overseas.

Online, where most people are witnessing the horrific events in Israel and Gaza through their screens, chaos has been the defining quality.