Hillary Clinton Claims Young Americans Support Palestine Due to Misinformation from Gaza Videos

At a conference in New York organized by the Israeli newspaper Israel Hayom on Tuesday, former First Lady and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton expressed concern that many young Americans are developing sympathy for Palestinians after watching videos on social media, which she described as completely fabricated.

Clinton questioned, Where are smart, educated young people in the U.S. and globally getting their news? Much of it comes from social media platforms, especially TikTok. She argued that these platforms were shaping perceptions of the events of October 7th and the subsequent developments in Gaza, calling this trend a serious issue for democracy in both Israel and the United States, and for our youth.

The former first lady criticized the difficulty of having informed discussions with younger people, saying, When I try to engage them in reasonable conversation, they often lack historical knowledge, context, and what they encounter on social media is not just one-sided, its pure propaganda.

She added that this issue extends beyond typical audiences, noting that many young Jewish Americans also struggle to understand the history and context. More than half of young Americans receive their news from social media, she highlighted, emphasizing the role of short-form videos, many of which are misleading or entirely fabricated, in shaping opinions.

Sarah Hurwitz, a former speechwriter for the Obama White House, echoed these concerns during a conference hosted by the Jewish Federations of North America last month. She criticized platforms like TikTok for exposing youth to constant images of violence in Gaza, which she said hindered meaningful conversations with younger Jewish audiences. Hurwitz also argued that Holocaust education sometimes inadvertently leads young people to sympathize with Palestinians instead of understanding the perspective of Israelis.

Author: Sophia Brooks