Digital Warfare: Here’s How Israel Is Trying to Change UNRWA’s Narrative Online
Internet users in the United States and Europe, seeking information about UNRWA on Google, have recently found themselves redirected to an unexpected destination.
Instead of being ushered to the official website of the international agency dedicated to Palestinian refugees or its Wikipedia entry, thousands were led to an Israeli site telling a different story – depicting UNRWA as a facade for Hamas activities in Gaza.
For several months now, Israel has embarked on a sweeping digital campaign designed to erode trust in UNRWA among American and European audiences. These ads, prominently displayed at the top of Google search results, are purchased directly from the American tech giant through government advertising channels, steering users to a government-run site that casts UNRWA as a Hamas collaborator.
The content on the government site leaves no room for ambiguity: “UNRWA in Gaza is beyond redemption. Donor countries still funding UNRWA are indirectly funding Hamas, plain and simple,” declares one English-language article, alongside other assertions that challenge the organization’s neutrality and implicate its employees in the October 7 massacre.
Alongside search ads, Israel also purchased video ads in the US with messages claiming “UNRWA is inseparable from Hamas” and “continues to employ terrorists.” (YNet / VFI News)
“Have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness, but rather expose them. It is shameful even to mention what the disobedient do in secret. But everything exposed by the light becomes visible—and everything that is illuminated becomes a light.” - Ephesians 5:11-13