Twiplomacy Episode 1: What twitter says on Modi’s Palestine Visit
Social media has changed all aspects of life, including the conduct of international relations. Diplomacy is being mutated by this revolution each day, more precisely by each tweet. Though we have heaps of social media options in this internet era, due to its near ubiquity, it has become common to overlook just how crucial Twitter and Tweets have become to the public work of international diplomacy, used for both outreach and propaganda. In other words, it is now redefining the concept of ‘Public Diplomacy’. Twelve years after the launching Twitter, today it has become the most sought media tool by the world leaders from Trump to Khamenei, and Modi to Netanyahu, for this craft. Digital Diplomacy in general and Twiplomacy in particular greatly assist in projecting a leader or a state’s foreign policy positions to their domestic and international audiences. Twiplomacy has made this community of audience to participate in – not be mere bystanders – making and execution of foreign policy. In other words, it has reduced barriers between policymakers and beneficiaries.
Narendra Modi has arrived in the city of Ramallah on a landmark visit – the first ever by an Indian prime minister – that Palestinian leaders have hailed as “historic”.
After holding talks with Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas, Prime Minister Modi said India hoped to see an independent Palestinian state through dialogue.
Earlier he met Prime Minister Rami Hamdallah and visited the Yasser Arafat Museum where he laid a wreath.
Twitter showed mixed reaction to this visit, let’s take a look
The series of tweets started with the opposition bashing and terming this move as an appeasement policy to the rich Muslim nations like UAE.
#ModiInPalestine because PM wants to appease rich Muslim nations like UAE where he's headed next because not a single dollar from the $ 75 billion investment UAE promised during Modi's first visit didn't come!
In other words UAE pulled a jumla on master of jumlas Narendra Modi!
— ?? and ✋ FOREVER!! (@INCdilse) February 9, 2018
There were voices from the neighbour Pakistan in which a chunk of population rising their demands for extending diplomatic relations to Israel, which currently, Pakistan do not have.
VOICES IN #PAKISTAN: LIKE #INDIA, WE TOO CAN HAVE TIES WITH BOTH #PALESTINE AUTHORITY AND #ISRAEL. #ModiInPalestine #netanyahuinindia https://t.co/vJi7mGxV94
— Riaz Haq (@haqsmusings) February 9, 2018
We found a hilarious tweet digging on PM Modi’s foreign visits, and proposing for making Netflix series on every visit.
Make it a Netflix TV series with each episode for one country . #ModiInPalestine
— PK (@restlessler) February 9, 2018
On the contrary, someone defended the visits, terming it as a “World Leader”
Modi is a person with much higher ambitions than just being the PM of India. He is thinking of becoming the world leader and that explains his numerous foreign visits. #ModiInPalestine
— Dr. Moriarty (@DesiOptimystic) February 9, 2018
However, a ‘Free Thinker’ termed this visit as betrayal to Israel
Let's not betray Israel though.. Israel and India are brothers forever #ModiInPalestine
— Free Thinker (@raahulworld2009) February 9, 2018
And we found that a lot of people are wandering on Twitter with the ideology of the ‘Free Thinker’
https://twitter.com/OptimisticMukul/status/962076080759689222
Scrolling ahead we found Modi Fans were in the search of Liberals who objected his Israel visit
#ModiInPalestine Where are the so-called liberals now? Where are they hiding now?
— Parikshit Dubey (@peestuck) February 9, 2018
Nobody in india objects modi's diplomatic visit to palestine . Remember protests over his jerusalem visit and Israeli PM's indian tour? #ModiInPalestine
— Deepu ?? (@deepuortho) February 9, 2018
Patriots also condemned his Palestine visit
I fail to understand the reason behind #modiInPalestine
Why did he agree to this "balancing act" ? pic.twitter.com/2NPtoKTqZo— Patriot610 (@arpitpathak) February 9, 2018
Some twitter ‘Journalist’ termed this as “Hit and Run foreign policy”
Modi's foreign policy is like "hit every point and check fun" #ModiInPalestine
— Journalist #NOTA (@daaku_chambal) February 9, 2018
Some Conspiracy creators compared the deaths of Yasir Arafat and Justice Loya
Judge Loya's death is as suspicious as the death of Yassar Arafat#ModiInPalestine
— Conspiracy (@Conspiratorfeku) February 10, 2018
#ModiInPalestine Hope @PMOIndia asks Palestine authorities their stand on kashmir who asks us to help them against Israel… Nothing comes free dear @Palestine_UN
— Haresh Khandelwal (@HareshKhandelwa) February 10, 2018
