Like it or not, the internet really is the 21st century’s answer to the library. Considered a never-ending well of knowledge to those who know how to surf the World Wide Web best, gaining new insights has never been as easy as in today’s age of rapid information sharing.
Given the myriad of resources that are available online, we’re basically always one click away from any topic, opinion, or perspective imaginable. However, the digital realm can quickly turn into a double-edged sword where telling right from wrong isn’t always an easy task— especially when probing more complex or sensitive topics.
Of the many matters where impartiality and truth are not always guaranteed, the topic of Palestine ranks amongst the highest affected. With tangible evidence circulating online of algorithms attempting to wean users away from any kind of awareness on the ongoing carpet bombing of occupied territories, one platform in particular, has made it their leitmotiv to curate the ultimate list of resources about the embattled parcel of land. Introducing Palestine Online: a comprehensive chronicle of webpages “created by Palestinians, primarily in the late 90s and early 00s, sourced from the Internet Archive’s Wayback Machine.”
Built with the aim of counterbalancing “constant misrepresentation and demonization by mainstream media, international governments, and Israeli propaganda,” the digital catalog references news sites, online magazines, and pages that shed light on Palestinian art and culture, as well as firsthand accounts from, during, or shortly after the Second Intifada.
Uplifting the unique history of Palestinian internet over the past two decades, Palestine Online operates in a very straightforward and simple way. To break it down, the portal has basically revived access to formerly existing blogs and web pages that have advocated in support of the cause in the early naughts, and which served as the initial nests of pro-Palestinian expression prior to the advent of social media.
Allowing intrigued visitors to cruise through the internet before it became mainstream— or aesthetically pleasing— the website serves as a digital time capsule while preserving the grassroots efforts that laid the foundation for anti-Zionist movements online through its plethora of archived content.
Useful and insightful, Palestine Online is the gateway to a bygone era of raw, unfiltered activism, one that distinctively lacks the polished veneer that is prevalent in today’s social media era, all while providing a thought-provoking lens into what speaking up looked like back then.
