The title might be loaded, but so is everything regarding this issue is. On the 8th of July 2015, Snapchat launched a feature on life in Tel Aviv. For those of you unaware of the application, Snapchat allows its users to send ‘snaps’ which do not save on your phone and disappear after a few seconds. It uses a geofilter to group snaps from a certain location together which then runs for 24 hours and is available for viewing all over the world.
‘It hurt. It really did. Seeing them live a first class life on a land which does not belong to them.’ Says Mohammad Zeyara through his Facebook page. His post so far has attracted 50,000+ responses of all sorts.
The #TelAviv snapchat story. Tune in to see how Israelis get to live lavishly at the expense of Palestinian blood.
— Haraam Police ® (@saadabdulhai) July 7, 2015
"We live in fear because of Hamas rockets" *checks tel aviv snapstory*
— Abdul (@abduls90) July 7, 2015
@Snapchat why don't you show what happens when Palestinians go to the beach on your Tel Aviv live story too #graphic pic.twitter.com/msn2Pq52w1
— Linda (@falasteenager) July 7, 2015
#snapchat today it's about #tel_aviv live I hope tomorrow will be #Gaza pic.twitter.com/rm4RhyDGEI
— Eng.Salahアルハリビ (@SalahTokyo) July 7, 2015
Evan Spiegel, CEO Snapchat and one of the youngest billionaires in the world is not only a Jew, but also very quiet on the matter. Although the company policy very clearly states that it partakes in no issues and is only there to provide a platform, the Tel Aviv feature has clearly sent mixed signals. But let’s be fair, this just happens to be his rightful medium of expression. Not his fault he has 30 million active users.
For those who still think the social media is not an effective platform and that these issues should not be taken too seriously will be happy to find out that the West Bank went live on the 10th of July to show the Israeli occupied Palestine and what their lives are like.
To view the entire story, CLICK HERE!
The following snaps summarize the bitter sweet story that was alive for 24 hours. While some parts of it showed the powerful culture and their delicacies, the other side focused on the check points and the everyday hurdles a citizen has to face in their own land.
Picture courtesy: @WeTeachLifeSir_ (Twitter)
