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Instagram Scandal HighlightsRacism Among Israeli Youth

The image of a Palestinian child in the crosshairs of a gun posted by an Israeli soldier on Instagram may reflect an undercurrent of racism against Palestinians in Israeli society, not just an indictment of an Israeli military culture, writes Lena Odgaard.
Israeli youths dance under a huge national flag during a parade marking Jerusalem Day in Jerusalem May 20, 2012. Jerusalem Day marks the anniversary of Israel's capture of the Eastern part of the city during the 1967 Middle East War. Israel annexed East Jerusalem as part of its capital in a move not recognized internationally. REUTERS/Baz Ratner (JERUSALEM - Tags: POLITICS ANNIVERSARY TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY) - RTR32D2U

An image of a Palestinian child in the crosshairs of a gun posted on an Israeli soldier’s Instagram account went viral in February after being published by the Electronic Intifada, the US-based blog on Palestinian issues, attracting widespread negative attention in international media. Israeli authorities were quick to assure that this was not a typical case and that the photo did not accurately portray the Israeli military. A few days later, more disturbing pictures of soldiers, including Rambo-like posing and hailing the killing of Arabs, went viral.

According to Rebecca Stein, a professor at Duke University, the use of social media by the soldier on the ground to capture his or her everyday life is nothing new. In a phone interview with Al-Monitor, Stein explained that what makes the Instagram images interesting is the way of aestheticizing the military and thereby normalizing warfare and the occupation of the Palestinian territories.

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