Israelis give their votes to Palestinians in Facebook campaign

Israelis give their votes to Palestinians in Facebook campaign

Israelis are set to go to the polls in this Tuesday’s general election; but Naef, a West Bank Palestinian, does not have the right to cast his vote. However in this online video, Moriel a voter from Jerusalem promises to vote on his behalf for the left wing Meretz party.

The two men came into contact via this Facebook group called “Real Democracy”, an online initiatives aimed at introducing Palestinians who wish to have their say in Israeli politics and Israelis prepared to donate their right to vote. The peaceful activists behind the campaign are urging Israel to leave the occupied territories, or at least give Palestinians the opportunity to vote in elections that ultimately influence their lives.

Tamar posted this video online last week explaining that she has relinquished her right to vote to protest against what she perceives as an apartheid regime in Israel. And so the Tel Aviv resident will be casting a vote on behalf of a Palestinian who goes under the name of George who backs the Israeli Arab political party, Balad.

Shimri has donated his vote to a 19 year old Palestinian named Omar, who has asked him to boycott the election. This could well be a popular choice among Israel’s Arab population, with many tempted to abstain despite having the right to vote.

Indonesia floods: state of emergency declared in Jakarta

Heavy downpours and unprecedented flooding have paralyzed the Indonesian capital Jakarta over the past few days and the authorities have declared the city in a state of emergency until January 27. Local web users have been posting their accounts and sharing reports of events as they unfurl.

Countless amateur photos have been posted online showing several areas of Jakarta flooded or underwater, providing an insight into what residents have been dealing with since last week. Staggering pictures that show for example how in many parts of the capital it is no longer possible to get around by car, stranded residents have been forced to find alternative means of transport like this family that managed to flee on this makeshift raft…

Social networks are not just being used to share photos of the flooding; locals are also turning to these platforms to share information and updates on the situation at the scene. Web users have been posting under the hashtags « #Banjir JKT » which means” Jakarta flooding” or « #Berbagi SELIMUT » which means “share your blanket” to express solidarity with victims of the flooding, appeal to those that can to provide a roof over the heads of people who have been forced to flee their homes or to donate some money to help pay for basic essentials.

And while parts of the capital have been brought to a standstill, some locals have been snapped having some fun. These shots have been doing the rounds on sharing sites showing children and adults larking around in the water. Astonishing images illustrating how some keep smiling despite the scale of the present crisis.

Now trending on social networks

Michelle Obama launched her new official Twitter account on Thursday; she can now be tweeted at @FLOTUS First Lady of the United States. The page will provide information and updates on the daily activities and duties of the wife of the American president. It will be run essentially by Michelle Obama’s staff, although she is fan of social networks and has said she will also post messages on a regular basis and her tweets will be signed with the initials MO. The account which runs in parallel with Mrs Obama’s personal Twitter account launched last year, already has over 141 000 followers.

Can Twitter predict the Oscars?

Can Twitter predict the Oscars? Although the prestigious American film awards won’t be announced until the 24th February, the micro blogging site has launched a platform that will track what people are tweeting about this year’s Oscar nominees. The nominees will then be rated on a scale of 0 to 100 depending on the level of positive feedback they receive. The ratings vary from day to day but give a strong indication of web users’ favourites. And Twitter’s current favourite to win the Oscar for Best Picture is “Silver Linings Playbook”.

Video of the day

Chris Weller has produced this animation to celebrate the 33rd anniversary of the creation of PacMan and pay tribute the well-known video game character. The short film is called “Goodnight, Sweet Pakman” and gives a modern twist to the little yellow guy’s adventures…