Palestinian Terror Attack in Jerusalem Widely Praised on Arabic Social Media
Over 42k social media posts praised or whitewashed the deadly terror attack in Jerusalem that killed 6 people, with senior Hamas and Houthi officials among the top amplifiers of pro-terror messaging
A new Jewish Onliner analysis of Arabic-language social media posts from September 8th uncovered extensive digital celebration of yesterday’s terrorist attack, in which Palestinian gunmen killed six civilians and wounded at least 21 others at Jerusalem's Ramot Junction. Arabic terms combining "Jerusalem" and "heroic" to describe the attack were tracked as well as the term "Jerusalem operation."
The deadliest attack in Jerusalem in nearly two years occurred Monday morning when Palestinian gunmen opened fire at a bus stop near the entrance to the city. Among the victims were Yaakov Pinto, 25; Rabbi Levi Yitzhak Pash; Israel Mentzer, 28; Yosef David, 43; Rabbi Mordechai Steintzag, 79; and Sarah Mendelson, 60.
Digital Propaganda Campaign
The analysis focused on Arabic terms combining "Jerusalem" and "heroic" to describe the attack. The study revealed 5,800 posts using these terms, generating 162,700 engagements and reaching an estimated 287.4 million potential views. The posts overwhelmingly portrayed the attackers as heroes and the violence as justified resistance.
Geographic analysis showed the highest concentration of posts originated from Saudi Arabia (25%) and Palestinian territories (24.1%), suggesting coordinated messaging across the Middle East region. Roughly 4% of the posts originated from Qatar.
The broader term "Jerusalem operation" in Arabic — which whitewashes the brutal nature of the attack — generated even more extensive reach, with 36,600 posts accumulating 855,000 engagements and potentially reaching 1.9 billion viewers, according to the analysis.
Media Outlets Amplify Pro-Terror Messaging
Major media outlets also contributed to amplifying the pro-terror messaging surrounding the attack, including resharing statements from terror groups like Hamas that called it an "operation" and praised it as "heroic." Al Jazeera's Instagram account, Al Jazeera Arabic, Al Jazeera Palestine, and TRT Arabi (the Turkish state-owned outlet) collectively garnered a potential reach of approximately 39 million viewers with their coverage framing the attack.
A previous Jewish Onliner investigation revealed how TRT has become a nexus for individuals with documented ties to Hamas, Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), and Turkish intelligence services while positioning itself as a credible news source in Western markets.
Terror Officials Lead Amplification
Several high-profile figures associated with U.S.-designated terrorist organizations were identified as amplifiers of the pro-attack messaging. Senior Hamas official Mahmoud Mardawi praised what he called the "heroic Ramot operation" on X, directly endorsing the violence that claimed six lives.
Other amplifiers included "AHMAD SLMAN," a pro-terror X account, whose profile picture features Hezbollah operatives and claims to be based in Australia while regularly sharing terrorist propaganda.
Dhaif Al-Shami, who was a former information minister for the U.S.-designated terror group the Houthis, also amplified the messaging. His X account lists him as a "Member of the Political Bureau" of the Yemen-based organization, lending official credibility to the pro-terror narrative among his followers.
The social media response follows established patterns of digital terrorism support, where violent attacks against civilians are reframed as legitimate resistance operations. The rapid spread and high engagement numbers demonstrate the effectiveness of coordinated messaging campaigns in amplifying extremist narratives.
Do you think there is going to be more of these incidents. In light of a (not confirmed) best described neutralisation of the hamas leadership at the end of the gaza city phase of the war.
And how should the Israeli PR team use this to gain positive traction in this part of the war. We know what the Arabs are doing. We can see it with the way this event is advertised.