Palestine in the Indonesian Digital Public Sphere: Muslim Youth Activism and Political Expression on Social Media

Authors

  • Aisyah Mahbubah Universitas Islam Negeri Syarif Hidayatullah Jakarta Author

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.65815/d80cca10

Keywords:

Palestine, Indonesian youth, digital activism, social media, political expression

Abstract

The war in Palestine has generated significant political and humanitarian engagement among Indonesian citizens, particularly Muslim youth who use social media to express solidarity, disseminate information, organize campaigns, and mobilize humanitarian support. This article examines the role of Indonesian Muslim youth in shaping public discourse on Palestine through digital platforms. Using qualitative socio-legal and digital society analysis, the study explores online activism, political expression, information dissemination, and forms of collective mobilization. The article argues that social media has transformed Palestine solidarity from an issue primarily addressed by political and religious organizations into a decentralized form of youth-driven civic participation. However, digital activism also creates challenges involving misinformation, content moderation, polarization, and restrictions on political expression. The study proposes a framework for understanding Palestine-related digital activism as a form of contemporary civic engagement while emphasizing the importance of media literacy and responsible information practices. Particular attention is given to how young Indonesians negotiate religious identity, humanitarian concerns, and political solidarity within digital spaces. The article concludes that Palestine-related digital activism has become an important component of Indonesian public discourse and provides insight into the changing relationship between youth, religion, humanitarianism, and digital politics.

References

Ahmad, Yazied Taqiyuddin, and Lugina Setyawati. 2024. “Digital Activism and Collective Identity: ‘No Viral No Action’ as Connective Action among Youth on Jakarta’s Air Pollution Issue.” Jurnal Pendidikan Ilmu Sosial 33 (1): 15–34.

Amara, Naura Keisha. 2024. “Palestine on Indonesian Social Media: Hashtags, Activism, and Youth Engagement in the Digital Age.” Palestine Issues on Indonesian Society 1 (2).

Amrullah, Haekal Fajri, Andi Pajolloi Bate, and Rizki Briandana. 2024. “Pro-Palestinian Netizen Cyber Activism through the Julid Fi Sabilillah Movement on Instagram.” Islamic Communication Journal 9 (2).

Andriansyah, Yuli. 2025. “Youth Activism and Digital Advocacy: Indonesian Young Generation’s Solidarity with Palestine.” Millah: Journal of Religious Studies 24 (2).

Becker, Amy B., and Lauren Copeland. 2016. “Networked Publics: How Connective Social Media Use Facilitates Political Consumerism among LGBT Americans.” Journal of Information Technology & Politics 13 (1): 22–36.

Bennett, W. Lance, and Alexandra Segerberg. 2012. “The Logic of Connective Action: Digital Media and the Personalization of Contentious Politics.” Information, Communication & Society 15 (5): 739–768.

Burke, Barbara Ruth, and Ayşe Fulya Şen. 2018. “Social Media Choices and Uses: Comparing Turkish and American Young-Adults’ Social Media Activism.” Palgrave Communications 4: 40.

Dobrin, Diana. 2020. “The Hashtag in Digital Activism: A Cultural Revolution.” Journal of Cultural Analysis and Social Change 5 (1).

Efendi, Zakaria, Meysella Al Firdha Hanim, Irwan Abdullah, Zaenuddin Hudi Prasojo, and Maghfira Nur Aziza. 2025. “Street Politics, Digital Activism, and Democratic Futures: Media Discourses on Indonesia’s Road to 2045.” Politik Indonesia: Indonesian Political Science Review 10 (1).

Hannan, Abd. 2024. “Rethinking Indonesian Muslim Youth’s Religious Identity in Popular Islam: Hanan Attaki’s Preaching on Social Media.” Al’Adalah 27 (1): 31–49.

Hautea, Samantha, Perry Parks, Bruno Takahashi, and Jing Zeng. 2021. “Showing They Care (Or Don’t): Affective Publics and Ambivalent Climate Activism on TikTok.” Social Media + Society 7 (2).

Ida, Rachmah, Muhammad Saud, and Musta’in Mashud. 2020. “An Empirical Analysis of Social Media Usage, Political Learning and Participation among Youth: A Comparative Study of Indonesia and Pakistan.” Quality & Quantity 54: 1285–1297.

Kahne, Joseph, and Benjamin Bowyer. 2018. “The Political Significance of Social Media Activity and Social Networks.” Political Communication 35 (3): 470–493.

Kristianto, Kristianto, Abdul Basith Ramadhan, and Fernandito Dikky Marsetyo. 2021. “Media Sosial dan Connective Action: Studi Kasus Penggunaan Twitter sebagai Ruang Solidaritas selama Pandemi COVID-19.” Journal of Social Development Studies 2 (1): 1–13.

Kusuma, Ida, Nur Farida Putri, Zulfikar Achmad Nur Mustofa, and Abdul Baasith. 2025. “Social Media Activism in Support of Palestine: An Indonesian Case Study.” Palestine Issues on Indonesian Society 2 (3).

Lee, Ashley. 2018. “Invisible Networked Publics and Hidden Contention: Youth Activism and Social Media Tactics under Repression.” New Media & Society 20 (11): 4095–4115.

Malik, Aqdas, Aditya Johri, Rajat Handa, Habib Karbasian, and Hemant Purohit. 2018. “How Social Media Supports Hashtag Activism through Multivocality: A Case Study of #ILookLikeanEngineer.” First Monday 23 (11).

Mustofa, Mustabsyirotul Ummah, Rafif Sakti Utama, and Mutia Kartika Andalus. 2023. “E-Democracy in Indonesia: Use of Social Media and Challenges in Encouraging Youth Political Participation.” JWP: Jurnal Wacana Politik.

Nur Hadi, Wa Ode. 2025. “Youth, TikTok, and #FreePalestine: New Media and Political Consciousness in Indonesia.” Palestine Issues on Indonesian Society 2 (3).

Ofori-Parku, Sylvester Senyo, and Derek Moscato. 2018. “Hashtag Activism as a Form of Political Action: A Qualitative Analysis of the #BringBackOurGirls Campaign in Nigerian, UK, and U.S. Press.” International Journal of Communication 12.

Ozkula, Suay Melisa. 2021. “What Is Digital Activism Anyway? Social Constructions of the ‘Digital’ in Contemporary Activism.” Journal of Digital Social Research 3 (3).

Papacharissi, Zizi. 2016. “Affective Publics and Structures of Storytelling: Sentiment, Events and Mediality.” Information, Communication & Society 19 (3): 307–324.

Putri, Talitha Rania, Nur Azalea Puspitasari, and Mohammad Naufal Hardiansyah. 2025. “Student Movements and the Palestinian Cause in Indonesia: Continuity and Change Since Reformasi.” Palestine Issues on Indonesian Society 2 (2).

Suwana, Fiona. 2020. “What Motivates Digital Activism? The Case of the Save KPK Movement in Indonesia.” Information, Communication & Society 23 (9): 1295–1310.

Vatikiotis, Pantelis, and Zafer F. Yörük. 2016. “Gezi Movement and the Networked Public Sphere: A Comparative Analysis in Global Context.” Social Media + Society 2 (3).

Zahri, Tsulis Amiruddin, Putri Handayani Lubis, and Syaifuddin Ahrom. 2021. “Islamic Youth Relations and Social Media in Building Social Solidarity.” International Journal of Southeast Asia 2 (1).

Downloads

Published

2026-02-27

How to Cite

Palestine in the Indonesian Digital Public Sphere: Muslim Youth Activism and Political Expression on Social Media. (2026). Palestine Issues on Indonesian Society, 3(1), 1-14. https://doi.org/10.65815/d80cca10