Using cross-lingual international X trends data and a unique role-based analytical framework well-suited for the study of granular textual data, this study examines the partisan and spatial distribution of political rhetoric in hashtag activism about the Gaza War in its early phase. Following a triadic classificatory rubric of roles composed of victim-villain-hero, I find that pro-Palestine hashtag activism was overwhelmingly focused on victimhood, but Muslim-majority countries in the Middle East uniquely exhibited comparably strong expressions of glorified sentiments of heroism. In contrast, pro-Israel hashtag activism was driven by villain-centric messages focusing on the topic of denunciation mixed with the rhetoric of victimhood. Contrary to popular characterizations of the discursive conflict as a parallel clash of victimhood or vengeful emotions, the results reveal stark asymmetries in how wartime militancy was rhetorically framed. I propose a power-centric interpretation of the observed rhetorical asymmetries, which I argue stem from diverging practical needs in a heavily unequal bilateral conflict. I also reflect on regional differences within the global Palestine solidarity movement amidst debates about the cultural praxis of subalternity that have intensified since the outbreak of the Gaza War.
Tay Jeong (Tue,) studied this question.