The Solidarity Movement : Mediation and Collaboration for Palestine Online in the UK and Ireland

This paper examines the concept of online mediation in relation to representation of Palestine through examining the UK and Ireland based solidarity movement’s contemporary collective action. Contemporary mediation of Palestine both as a location where the displacement and control of an entire people is taking place and as a symbol of an indigenous struggle that global activists relate to are prominent in the discourse of the solidarity groups, mainly in contents of their social media accounts. The paper highlights the solidarity movement’s online activism methods in relation to networking, advocacy and lobbying, and discusses the varied modes of collaboration among the diverse solidarity groups that takes place partially via online interactive platforms. It argues for the significance of the Internet as a venue for expression, for mediating messages and as a mobilising tool, as used by solidarity groups involved in the advocacy for the Palestinian cause. Through studying how online media platforms are shaping the dynamics of the movement’s communication, the text provides an understanding of the ways in which Internet platforms are contributing to the dissemination of favourable narratives. In that, the paper examines contemporary mediation of Palestine throughout social media platforms.